The Secret Interior Designers Use When Choosing Artwork

If you've ever walked into a beautifully designed home and wondered why it felt so effortless, it probably wasn't because of the furniture.

One of the biggest differences between a professionally designed interior and a home that's simply well decorated is the way it feels, not the way it fits. 

Many of us leave art until the very end. The sofa comes first, then the dining table, then the rug and finally we look for something to fill the empty wall. 

Usually, we search for a print that matches the colors we've already chosen. Not thinking about the style or the vibe an artwork gives off. It happens so many times that I walk into a room and see a few different styles filling different corners. 

And then, the whole room immediately feels off. Not because of the color, but because of the feeling. 

Interior designers often work the other way around.

They think about the atmosphere before decoration. Instead of asking what color the artwork should be, they ask what the room should communicate. 

Should it feel calm?
Bright? Sophisticated? Relaxed? 

The artwork becomes one of the main tools to create that mood.

It's something I started noticing while travelling. The spaces that stayed with me always had one thing in common: the artwork didn't scream for attention, but it quietly defined the room. 

It introduced a sense of a place that furniture alone never could.

As a photographer, that's the way I think about every image I create. 

I'm not trying to document a destination as accurately as possible. I'm looking for the moments that carry a feeling: endless horizons, quiet streets or empty waves. With a subject to tell just a little bit more, but also leaves enough room for your imagination.

Those are the photographs that continue to resonate long after you've walked away. That's also why I believe artwork deserves to be chosen earlier in the design process. 

Rather than treating it as the finishing touch, think of it as the emotional centre of the room.

Once you know how you want a space to feel, choosing furniture, colours and accessories becomes very straightforward.

The best interiors aren't memorable because everything matches perfectly. 

They're memorable because they make you feel something the moment you walk through the door. Great artwork helps create that feeling, and in my opinion, that's exactly what it should do.

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