Make Your Home Picture Perfect

Illawarra Mercury

Wednesday June 25, 2008

ILSA CUNNINGHAM

It's important to listen to your heart when buying a work of art, discovers ILSA CUNNINGHAM, though there are some practical steps to follow when hanging it.

There's a piece of artwork you're considering buying but you don't know if it's the piece for you. Where will it hang? Will it suit the decor? Will sunlight damage it?

Cut through the mind chatter, advises picture framer and BeachArt Gallery co-owner Tony Marshall: there's just one thing that's important.

"Whether you're buying for yourselves or as an investment, buy with your heart, not your head," he says. "A lot of people buy it because it's an investment, but it's 15 to 20 years before they can sell again.

"Buy what you like. Most people will walk in (to a gallery) and say 'that's the piece'."

Once you've established you like a piece of art and you'll be happy to look at it for years, then it's time to choose where to hang it.

But what about the decor, you moan? The style of your home shouldn't come into the picture, Marshall says.

A traditional piece works just as well in a contemporary home as it does among a home decked out with antiques, and the same applies for contemporary works.

The next big question is the type of frame to put around it.

"Frame for the artwork, not for your decor. Chances are you will change your decor before you change your artwork," Marshall advises.

A simple gold, silver, white or wood frame will work with most artworks.

Many people also like to frame significant moments like weddings or births, and a popular choice of frames for photos are silver, champagne or white. While they're all the rage right now, they might not stand the test of time though.

"Straight silver, gold and white frames will tend to scream the 2000s in 10 to 15 years time," Marshall says.

He predicts the traditional timber frames will be the ones that see us into the future.

Photographs on canvas are a new phenomenon that are proving popular around the home, but are not without risks.

Marshall says unless they're printed on good canvas with archival ink, they will fade over time, and therefore suggests spending the extra dollars to ensure the picture lasts.

If you decide to put a piece of art under under glass, it should be set against an off-white matt board, which will fit in with the colour of the walls, no matter what colour they are.

If possible, place the artwork away from direct sunlight as it will cause the work to fade, or put it behind UV-protected glass, which absorbs the damaging UV rays.

Oil or acrylic works can be treated with a protective spray to limit the sun's damage.

Meanwhile, you don't have to commit to a spot on the wall for all your artwork to hang. With a tracking system, whereby the artwork is suspended from the ceiling on nylon strings, you can change the location of the artwork without putting a hole in the wall for a picture hook.

Marshall says the system is proving popular in new homes with floor to ceiling glass windows and fewer walls due to the preference for open-plan design.

Downlights are also a popular option for highlighting artwork.

"They're very effective. They can make an artwork jump to life; pastel or watercolour especially."

Placement of artwork does depend on the style of your home however.

In shabby chic, beach house or antique-rich homes, clusters of small pieces work a treat. In a modern home however, you might choose to showcase just one or two large impressive pieces.

© 2008 Illawarra Mercury

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