Too many times when it comes to the concept of interior design, the artwork is often considered an afterthought. It is seen merely as an element which comes last after the furniture has been carefully and artfully affixed and the wallpaper or paint and flooring has already been installed. But artwork plays its own important role in interior design, as any art enthusiast will tell you.

And it is not only the art enthusiasts who will confirm this – but more and more property owners are seeing the benefits of fine artwork as an integral part of their interior decoration as well. So, what exactly can artwork do for your home or building’s interior design? Here are the top reasons why artwork matters a lot in your property, whether it’s a residential one or a commercial one.

interior design

• It gives a beautiful colour palette

If you have to choose a colour palette for your interiors, this can be a daunting challenge. The various colours and shades and hues of paint which are available in any home improvement shop can be seemingly endless, making it difficult for you to decide on your interior’s colour palette. But if you want to make the process much easier, what you can do is choose your artwork first.

Find the art prints you love, and work with that – use it as inspiration for your space’s colour palette. To use the wall artwork you have chosen as inspiration for your colour palette, pick two or three shades which stand out or which you love. Select the primary colour and the additional hues or tones you like for accent. Then you can simply look for these colours in the things you choose to decorate your living or commercial space.

• It serves as a unique centre-piece or focal point

A fundamental principle when it comes to interior design is that a room needs to have a single centre-piece or focal point; an element of design which can draw the visitor’s eye to that particular space you would like to accentuate. Obviously, an excellent piece of artwork can fulfil this goal. Just imagine your favourite piece of artwork or print hanging above your fireplace mantel or above your bed in your bedroom suite. On the other hand, a gallery wall of artwork prints can instantly liven up space in a dining room or sitting or living area.

Here’s one tip, though: when you are choosing artwork for your wall to serve as a focal point, think carefully about the size. Artwork which is too small can become overwhelmed by the other elements surrounding it, and artwork which is too big can quickly dwarf the other elements around it as well. Determine carefully how much space you have available so you can choose your artwork wisely.

• It can give texture to your space

Interior design is not all two-dimensional, as we all know. Whilst you can certainly make use of wall art to liven up your space and personalise it according to your preference, you can make use of different mediums of art such as shadow boxes or sculptures so your room or area will have more depth.

This can give any space the texture it needs, so your interiors have a more visual weight which, in turn, determines the room’s tone and mood. Bear this in mind as well: rough-textured artwork can make an area feel more grounded and intimate, whilst smooth-textured artwork can make space appear sleeker and more aloof.

You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to decorate your interiors, either. Today, you can source fine art online from various galleries and artists, with printed artwork that looks spectacular and gives your space the character and personality it needs.