Here you are, browsing the internet, or strolling through an art fair, or walking into a cultural street fair and you stumble upon art that jumps out at you, but....it's a bit "out there". It's not a landscape, it's not abstract, it's not still life, it's not portraiture, but yet it's all of them at once. It has a deeper meaning you'd like to explore. The colors are eye catching. It's realistic. It's impressionistic. It's....I have no idea, but it's cool. It's also in your budget, but the first thing that comes to mind is, "It's not going to match anything in my house". A second thought might occur is, "what will other people think when they visit?".
Here's some tips to address those concerns seamlessly.
1 - Start slowly color coordinating with the painting after you've chosen it's wall space to make it stand out in a way that makes sense. Below are 4 examples of how to do this.
A. Lets say the main color in the painting is red, so add some red to the room to tie it together. (DO NOT paint an entire wall red as an accent color as a way to tie in the red - that will just compete with the painting).

B. Use complementary colors. For the red painting, green is the complimentary color. However, if you use strong vibrant greens - this may distract from the red if there's too much green. Keeping those greens neutral is a pretty safe bet.

C. Use Analogous colors. These are colors in the same spectrum as the main color. So for red, close hues of oranges, yellows, and even purples will be what you want. But again, too much and too saturated can compete with the painting.

D. Use similar colors and texture to make the painting blend into the background. I know I just said to avoid this...but if you DON'T want the art to stand out too much, you can blend it in to it's surroundings.

2 - Add personal items around the painting/room/house.
If you connect with the painting because it talks about the joys of travel, then start adding items you've collected from your travels.
If the painting talks about overcoming adversity, then may you can add awards you've collected, items that helped you overcome your own fears, and other uplifting objects.
3 - Add similar art.
If the subject of the painting talks about something specific, add other art that has the same subject matter. OR add other artworks with similar colors. View example from "D".
4 - Decorate with objects that are in the painting.
If the painting is a seascape with an octopus and wine barrel, then maybe add some wine and octopus paraphernalia. Paint your walls the colors of the sea, or get sea colored throw pillows....you get the drift. Theme.

5 - Let it be the focus.
Put it on it's own wall if you have one and let it be the focus. This will be the conversation starter in any event. Keep objects around it to a minimum and colors neutral.

6 - Do none of the above, stick it where you want, and stop caring about what other people think.
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