Art is not a intellectual indulgence reserved for influential collectors or one thing that’s tucked away in stark galleries. Today’s design lovers are rewriting that narrative, embracing art as an expressive a part of their houses and sometimes doing it themselves. Curating art at home is a nuanced train, capitalising on best heights, robust framing, and the quiet energy of composition. We ask fashionable designers, collectors, and stylists to craft a definitive information, turning naked partitions into vignettes that replicate your story and sensibility.
Jaiveer Johal, art collector and entrepreneur in Chennai
Jaiveer Johal
| Photo Credit:
Talib Chitalwala
A celebrated identify within the Indian art fraternity, Jaiveer Johal’s private assortment is guided by the Navarasa — the 9 important feelings that underpin Indian classical art. Through the Avtar Foundation for the Arts (AFTA), Johal brings trendy and modern art to Chennai, and Chennai to the world. Recent artists who’ve captured his consideration embrace Lakshmi Madhavan, Baaraan Ijlal, and G. Gurunathan.
“My aesthetic has always leaned towards art that defies genre — it must tug at my heartstrings. Be prepared to live with the work you hang. Art at home should be meditative,” says the entrepreneur. His trusted recommendation on composition? Blend 2D and 3D works to create depth, the place trendy and conventional parts coexist.
Jaiveer Johal’s monolithic eating space.
| Photo Credit:
Talib Chitalwala
An simple mistake Johal cautions first-timers in opposition to? Treating houses like accommodations. “Art isn’t acquired overnight. Display must be intentional, and a home should evolve around its art,” he avers. The art collector encourages amassing art by way of a private lens — items discovered on travels, in flea markets, or tied to reminiscence. “Look for works that bring your walls to life and tell a story. It does not have to be expensive to be worthwhile,” he shares. In Chennai, Johal swears by skilled framing and art remedy. “Museum glass helps preserve the art’s demeanour. Acid-free mounting is critical even in the backing selected. Bring out pieces every six to eight months and inspect their backs for fungal growth,” he advises. Another rule of thumb? “Art displayed in homes is not meant to emulate a gallery. Something that always works for me is bottom lighting for subtle impact and including table lamps for an immersive ambience.”
Pro tip
Invest in museum glass and backside lighting: “Museum glass helps preserve the art’s demeanour. Acid-free mounting is critical even in the backing selected,” says Johal.
Fymin Naif and Nimitha Harith, inside stylists in Chennai
Fymin Naif and Nimitha Harith
| Photo Credit:
Phosart Studio
Living by the adage of ‘better halves,’ inside stylists Fymin Naif and Nimitha Harith are the inventive forces behind immaculately styled residences within the nation. Their method in direction of curating art is heartfelt. “Art should evoke something personal — a sense of belonging, memory, or roots. It helps to remember that no choice is burdened by permanence,” shares Harith.
The duo ensures art is put in at sometimes 50 to 60 inches from the ground. “Art hung too high feels disconnected from the space,” notes Naif. “When placed in context with furniture, ensure a clearing of six to 10 inches between the bottom of the art and the top of the furniture. An easy way to gauge size is to let art span two-thirds the furniture’s width,” she illustrates.
A residing area by VM Design Works.
| Photo Credit:
Phosart Studio
The staff sees the gallery wall as a ‘personality puzzle’. They begin with a larger piece at the centre of the wall and work outwards. Their pro tip: create and edit your structure on the ground, freeze the composition, then execute. Strategically positioned spotlights or ground lamps can elevate the presence of displayed art. The works of artists Sachin Samson, Nida Jahain, and Anjali Ponni Rajkumar have intrigued the 2 lately.
“We love peppering wall-scapes with photographs, pressed flowers, and heirloom objects. Allow two to three inches of gap between frames,” Naif provides. Framing, Harith notes, is an unsung hero, particularly in coastal cities. “UV-protective glass, acid-free mounting, and sealed backing are our go-to checks. They prevent yellowing, warping, and fading.” More miniature artworks shine in styled clusters, particularly when organized in odd numbers. Pair them with vases, candles, books, or curios.
Pro journey
Mind the inches. Ensure art is put in at sometimes 50 inches to 60 inches from the ground, says Naif.
Vinithra Amarnathan, principal designer at Weespaces in Bengaluru
Vinithra Amarnathan
| Photo Credit:
Kuber Shah
The signature of a Weespaces undertaking has at all times embodied the stability between trendy nuances and personalised particulars. “Art has always been an integral part of my design process, almost subconsciously,” says designer Vinithra Amarnathan. “Over the past eight years, this instinct has shaped every home’s story and become central to our team’s ethos.” For the novice, she recommends a trusted method: A typical thread in art, as a type of storytelling, at all times works. “The style, colour palette, or framing choices can be made consistent,” she highlights, and recommends a measurement between half and two-thirds of the furnishings’s width for outsized art paired with furnishings. In moody areas, single or grouped miniature prints can create a placing focus with an interaction of scale. In Bengaluru’s drier circumstances, the designer makes use of anti-glare glass for paintings uncovered to daylight. She recommends pre-treatment for textured installations (blended media, plaster, cloth) to make sure sturdiness and to manage potential moisture buildup.
A Laxman Aelay piece at The Eclectic Mix and Match Home.
| Photo Credit:
Nayan Soni
“Typically, the artwork’s centre, about five feet from the floor, is ideal. Frame choice, mount colour, and thickness are crucial to realising the vision. When working with multiple pieces, I create an imaginary perimeter to compose each piece within,” she explains. Some of Amarnathan’s latest curatorial initiatives characteristic works of artists Harisha Chennangod, Richa Kashelkar, and Deborah Velasquez. She loves introducing art in unconventional areas. “Dining consoles, kitchen shelves, powder baths — the idea is to unexpectedly layer everyday spaces with art to instantly elevate them,” she explains. She usually highlights items with image lights in intimate nooks and adjustable observe lights in communal areas.
Pro tip
Amarnathan recommends a measurement between half and two-thirds of the furnishings’s width for outsized art paired with furnishings
The author is an architect and design specialist.
