Does your home décor truly represent your personality? And if your personality involves humor and bright, colorful animal art, how do you display it without crossing over into tacky territory?
This topic’s been on my mind lately as I work on artwork for my next craft show. One of the comments I’ve received when selling my art at shows is “It’s beautiful, but I don’t know where I’d put it.”
Valid point, dear reader. I tend to use in-your-face colors and sometimes absurd poses/expressions in my animal portraits, so they may not feel like a fit with more traditional home décor.
Don’t worry – I’ve got you. This quick guide will help you decide what kind of art goes with what you already have, and how to add splashes of color without overwhelming the space. Here are three steps you can take to punch up the style of any room:
Step 1: Choose the right room for your colorful animal.
Which room in your home is most in need of some colorful animal art?
While many people find the living room the most obvious place to hang art, a lot of other spots in your home might be better suited to a pop of bright color.
Got a dull, boring entryway? Greeting guests with a sassy, tongue-out giraffe will spark some conversation!
Need a little cheering up during long workdays? A smaller print of your favorite animal *cough* mine’s the trash panda *cough* gives you something to smile at while sitting through yet another shoulda-been-an-email Zoom meeting.
And if you’ve got kids, a nursery or children’s bedroom is a great place to hang a funny, colorful animal.
Step 2: Choose your color.
If you decorate mostly in neutrals, you may be fine with adding whatever color suits your fancy to that bare wall.
But if you already have a color scheme going, it’s worth taking a moment to decide which colors might work well with it, and which will either clash or get lost.
For example, my living room is painted in two brown tones, and my furniture is dark: wooden coffee table, gray recliner, dark green chairs. Many of my colorful critters will work here, but I decided on the pink leopard print to stand out the brightest against this darker background.
If you’ve got a lot of one color in your home, you’ve got a couple options. Option one: choose a the same or a similar color to blend with what’s already there. Option two (my favorite): choose something with a lot of contrast to pull focus (and generate comments).
Step 3: Choose your colorful animal.
Feel free to go wild (pun intended!) in this step! Your animal choice can be based purely on which one’s your favorite, or you can put a little more meaning behind it.
Are you a traveler, or passionate about endangered species conservation? Then an exotic animal subject might suit you best.
Farm guy/girl? A silly cow, sassy chicken, or judgy goose may be a better fit.
And if you can’t decide, birds are a classic décor choice that (depending on the colors in the artwork) go with just about anything.
Bonus Step 4 (Optional): Make it personal.
Got a pet you want to celebrate (or one you cherished but is no longer with us)? Looking for your favorite animal that I haven’t gotten around to drawing yet – or my existing artwork isn’t in your favorite color?
Feel free to send me a note with your custom request, and I’ll be happy to work with you.
Enjoy your new colorful animal art! I hope it adds a bit of cheer to your favorite space.