The furniture in your living room builds the body of the space, but the art you choose gives it a soul. More than mere decoration, art is a storyteller, a mood-setter, and a profound expression of who you are. It’s the element that transforms a well-designed room into one that feels truly alive and personal.

This guide breaks the process into 7 simple steps, from planning to confidently hanging your custom wall art.

Step 1: Get the Scale Right (Before You Do Anything Else)

Every great room starts with good proportions. Before you even think about colors or styles, getting the size of your art right will make all the difference. It’s the secret to making your art look like it truly belongs in the space.

A Few Simple Rules Designers Swear By

• The 2/3 Rule: This is the big one. Your art should be about two-thirds the width of the furniture it’s hanging over. For a 90-inch sofa, you’ll want art that’s about 60 inches wide. This simple ratio keeps everything looking balanced.

• The Eye-Level Rule: Hang your art so the center of the piece is roughly 57 inches from the floor. This is the average human eye level, and it ensures the art is perfectly placed for comfortable viewing.

• The Breathing Room Rule: Leave about 6 to 8 inches of space between the bottom of your art and the top of your sofa or console table. This little gap connects the two pieces without making them feel crowded.

Try This Simple Trick

Still unsure about the size? Grab some painter's tape and tape out the dimensions of the artwork on your wall. Live with that blue rectangle for a day. It’s a no-risk way to see exactly how that size will feel in your room before you buy a thing.

Step 2: Find Your Vibe

Now that you have a size in mind, you can move on to the fun part: discovering your personal style. Don't worry if you don't know what it's called. The best way to find it is to play detective with your own taste.

Spend a little time browsing sites like Pinterest or even just scrolling through Instagram. Screenshot anything that catches your eye. After a week, look at your collection of images. You’ll start to see a pattern. Are you saving a lot of calm, beachy landscapes? Bold, colorful abstract shapes? Moody black-and-white photos? That pattern is your style, and now you have a direction.

Contact us for links to review the latest artwork

Step 3: Pick Your Materials and Colors

The style you love can come to life in many different ways, depending on the materials and colors you choose. This is all about the feel you want to create.

What’s It Made Of? (Material Options)

The medium plays a huge part in the art's personality and how it fits into your home.

• Canvas Prints: A classic for a reason. Canvas print has a substantial, textured feel that gives art a sense of depth. A key advantage is that it can be hung as is (unframed) for a clean, modern look, or with a frame for a more traditional finish. It's one of the most popular and versatile choices.

Personalized Pictures on Canvas Wall Art for Living Room

Custom Photo on Canvas Wall Art Print – MyArtsyGift

• Hanging Posters & Prints: Art on paper has a crisp, timeless feel. Beyond traditional framed prints, consider modern magnetic hanging posters, which use simple wood bars to create a minimalist and easily changeable display.

Custom Magnet Hanging Poster

Custom Canvas Print with Magnetic Poster Hanger – MyArtsyGift

• Metal & Wood Signs: For a different kind of texture, consider signs. Custom tin or metal signs can add a cool vintage or industrial vibe to a space. Personalized wood signs bring a natural warmth and rustic charm that’s perfect for cozy, welcoming rooms.

Custom Metal Tin Sign With Your Own Image/logo/Text

Custom Photo Metal Tin Sign (Vertical) – MyArtsyGift

Customized Wave Shaped Hanging Signs

Custom Wave-Shaped Hanging Wooden Sign Decor – MyArtsyGift

• Tapestries: Don't forget about fabric! A custom wall tapestry is a fantastic way to cover a large area with a soft, flowing piece of art. It adds warmth, helps absorb sound, and brings a unique textural element to your walls.

Personalized Custom Tapestry for Living Room

Custom Photo Wall Tapestry for Living Room – MyArtsyGift

How to Think About Color

Understanding the basics of color theory in interior design can provide a framework for your decisions. You have two main strategies here. You can go for a harmonious look by choosing art with colors that are already in your room (pulled from your pillows, rug, or curtains). Or, you can make a statement by choosing art with a bold, contrasting color that pops off the wall and creates a dramatic focal point. Neither is wrong—it just depends on the mood you're going for.

Step 4: Talk About the Budget (The Real Talk)

Let's talk about money. It can be the awkward part of buying art, but it doesn’t have to be. Getting clear on your budget upfront saves you from headaches later.

The Pain Point: "I want something nice, but I'm worried it will cost a fortune, especially with framing!"

Practical Advice:

1. Choose Your Presentation Wisely to Control Costs: The biggest budget trap in wall art is often expensive custom framing. But you don't have to fall into it. A savvy approach is to choose art that looks fantastic without a traditional frame. Ready-to-hang options like gallery-wrapped canvas, metal signs, or tapestries give you a polished, complete look right out of the box, saving you from the significant extra cost and hassle of a frame shop.
2. Buy What You Love: Art's "value" is personal. Instead of worrying if a piece is a good financial investment, ask yourself if it's a good emotional investment. If you love it and it makes you happy every day, it's worth it. A potential increase in monetary value is just a bonus.
3. Create Your Own Value: The most meaningful art doesn't have to be the most expensive. You can find amazing, affordable art online or, even better, create something invaluable by turning a favorite family photo or a beloved doodle by your kids into a beautiful custom print.

Step 5: Know Where to Look for Art

Once you know your budget, finding art becomes much easier because you know where to focus your energy.

Check Out Galleries and Art Fairs

These are great places to see art in person from artists who are established in their careers. It's a fantastic way to train your eye and see what's happening in the art world, even if you're just browsing.

Discover New Talent

Look up art shows at local universities or colleges. You can often find incredible, fresh work from the next generation of artists at very reasonable prices, and you get to support someone at the start of their career.

Go Straight to the Source

Many artists today sell their work directly from their own websites or Instagram accounts. It’s a wonderful way to buy something you love while also learning the story behind the art directly from the person who made it.

Use Online & Customization Platforms

The internet has opened up a world of possibilities. These platforms offer two exciting paths: you can choose from a curated collection of ready-to-buy works designed by global artists, or you can become the creator yourself. For example, services like MyArtsyGift allow you to discover unique designs from their artist community or create deeply personal custom photo wall art from your own memories. It’s a modern way to get something that’s 100% you.

Step 6: Choose the Right Presentation for Your Art

How your art is displayed is just as important as the art itself. Instead of thinking only about traditional frames, consider the overall presentation style that best suits your art and your room.

• The Frameless Look: Modern, clean, and cost-effective. This style is perfect for gallery-wrapped canvas, which has the image extending around the sides for a finished look. Metal prints and tapestries also fall into this category, offering a sleek, complete presentation without any additional framing needed.
• The Classic Framed Look: For paper prints or to add a traditional touch to a canvas, a frame is a great choice. You can opt for a thin, minimalist frame for a modern feel or an ornate one for a classic statement. Remember to consider the glazing (UV-protective is best) and a mat to give the art breathing room.
• Alternative Hanging Styles: Think outside the box. Magnetic poster hangers with simple wood bars offer a minimalist and affordable way to hang prints without the bulk or cost of a full frame.

Step 7: Put It On Display and Keep It Safe

The final step is giving your art a good home on your wall. While hanging is the standard, don't be afraid to lean your art—like a framed print, a rustic wood sign, or even a decorative ceramic plate—on a mantel, a picture ledge, or a shelf. It’s a relaxed, modern look that’s perfect if you like to change things around.

Finally, take care of your new piece. Good lighting is great, but direct sunlight is the enemy—it will cause the colors to fade. Keep art out of humid areas like bathrooms and away from heat sources like radiators, and it will look great for years to come.

A Practical Example: The MyArtsyGift Customization Process

If you’re interested in creating something completely custom, here’s a quick look at how a platform like MyArtsyGift makes it easy.

Step 1: Pick Your Product.

You’ll start by choosing what you want to create on—whether it's a classic canvas print, a rustic wood sign, a vintage-style tin sign, or a soft wall tapestry.

Step 2: Choose Your Creative Path.

This is where you decide how you want to design your piece.

• Option A: Browse Artist Designs. You can simply pick a ready-to-go piece from a collection of works by talented artists, giving you a beautiful piece with a unique story and voice.
• Option B: Add a Personal Touch. Find an artist's design you like and use the site's tools to add a name, a date, or a short message.
• Option C: Make It from Scratch. This gives you total control. Upload your own photos to create custom family wall art, or try the "From Prompt to Product" experience by uploading an image you made with an AI tool like Midjourney.

Step 3: Design and Preview.

The online tool lets you move your image around, crop it, and see a live preview of how it will look. You can be sure you love it before you order.

Step 4: Place Your Order.

Once it's perfect, just check out. You can order just one piece, which is great for creating a single special gift or testing out a design for your gallery wall.

Conclusion: Tell Your Story Through Art

Choosing wall art for your living room isn't just another decorating task, but a chance to tell your story. When you follow these steps, you can move past the overwhelm and confidently find a piece that truly resonates with you. Whether it’s a treasured family photo, a print from an artist you admire, or a bold abstract that just makes you happy, the right art will turn a house into your home. The only real rule is to choose something you love.

Ready to bring your vision to life? Explore the endless possibilities of custom art and discover a piece that’s uniquely yours at MyArtsyGift.com today.

A Final Note on Copyright for Custom Artwork

When you create custom art, you become the publisher. It's important to respect the rights of other creators.

This means you should only upload:

• Photos you took yourself.
• Art or doodles you or your children created.
• Images you generated yourself using AI tools.
• Artwork that is in the public domain.

Please avoid using images you don't have permission for, such as logos, characters from movies or games, or photos taken by a professional photographer, unless you have obtained a license.

When does copyright expire? Copyright law is complex and varies by country, but here are some helpful guidelines for the U.S. market:

• General Rule: An artwork is protected for the life of the creator plus 70 years.
• Older Works: As of 2025, works published before 1930 are generally considered to be in the public domain.

If you are ever unsure about an image's copyright status, it's always best to choose a different image, create one yourself, or seek permission from the creator.