Depending on your house design, the staircase can be the first thing you see when entering a home.
Whether it’s a grand entrance or a humble staircase, large artworks can be a fabulous way to transform an otherwise functional & sometimes boring architectural feature of your home, into a welcoming & inviting area of the house that sparks curiosity.
Your stairwell needn’t be a bland cavernous tunnel leading upstairs.
Well placed art can invite you to want to climb the stairs & discover what lies beyond.
Large artworks can turn an otherwise uninteresting staircase into a space that arouses curiosity & asks to be discovered.
Here are 7 ideas for using large artworks to take your staircase to a new level.
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1. Oversized Art Prints
One of the easiest ways to acquire large art pieces is to buy big art prints.
Original works can be more expensive, but if you’re a collector or know the artist, they can be a great investment.
These can be paintings or a beautiful work by a photographer.
Depending on the style you’re wanting to achieve, unframed canvas wraps can look very contemporary & mounted prints with a floating frame very modern.
Different print houses will offer a selection of framing options of different colours & materials, so you’ll be able to find the right one to suit your decor.
Canvas prints can be as large as 6 to 7 feet wide or tall, so depending on the height & length of your staircase, you’ll find the right dimensions for the size & shape of your walls.
Photographic art, as well as being available on canvas, can also be displayed as a framed print.
Again, there are many styles of framing to choose from, so a more ornate frame will give a touch of elegance as opposed to a sleek aluminium frame.
Photographic prints are also available on metal & acrylic, perfect if you want an ultra modern look as well as jaw dropping quality.
Good quality prints will be quite expensive as you go up in size.
Even though metal & acrylic prints are designed to be hung without frames, there are still many framing options available.
These prints & many more are available from CanvasFreaks.com. Their largest single print size is 48 x 36 inches.
2. Multi Panelled Prints
A staircase can be an awkward space to decorate due to having angular & curved walls.
Multi panel prints are a perfect solution as they can be configured & arranged to be hung to suit.
Typically sold in sets of 2, 3, 5 or 7 individual prints, many subject matters are available as well as different print mediums such as canvas or metal.
You can use a few moderately sized panels arranged to create one large design, or if you have a large staircase wall, go supersized.
These multi-panel prints are also from CanvasFreaks.com. They have single, 3, 4 or 5 piece prints available. The largest being a total of 84 x 44 inches.
3. Create a Gallery Wall
Similar to using multi-panelled prints, creating a gallery wall means you can arrange the individual pieces to suit the shape of the wall.
You don’t need to use large artworks to make a large finished design.
The great thing with gallery walls is you can use different types of artworks & subject matter to create one coherent layout.
4. Mirrors
Mirrors are available in a vast variety of sizes & styles.
From vintage to ornate as well as modern & contemporary.
The great thing with mirrors is as well as looking fabulous, they help to bounce some light around if you have a dark staircase.
These & many, many more mirrors are available at CasaGear.com. As well as larger mirrors, like a gallery wall, you can use a handful of smaller mirrors.
5. Clocks
Clocks are more than merely functional, they come in a range of designs & a really large wall clock can be a great statement piece.
A nautical style, vintage, boho etc, can be perfect for that empty wall at the top of the stairs.
These & other oversized wall clocks can be found at CasaGear.com.
6. Tapestries & Wall Hangings
Tapestries needn’t be old fashioned, they come in many modern patterns as well as African, Egyptian & other culturally inspired designs.
Tapestries are a simple wall decor for creating a boho feel in any space.
Large wall hangings are very affordable & can add warmth to an otherwise stark or minimal stairwell.
Do a quick search online for modern wall tapestries & you’ll soon see there’s more out there than just the 1970’s inspired macrame!
7. Wall Murals & Decals
Don’t want to get into wallpapering, then wall decals are a great solution for adding some interest & colour to a blank staircase wall.
Many creative designs can be made with decals & stickers, let your imagination run free.
There're many really big murals & they are great because they can be easily applied to a curved wall as well.
They’re relatively simple to apply & can be removed when you feel like changing the scenery.
If you're looking for a huge choice of quality murals or wallpaper, I highly recommend checking out Walls Republic.
Final Thoughts
Like any other wall in the home, hanging art that is too small creates no impact & can actually detract from the space rather than adding to it.
Large artworks show a sign of commitment, there’s an intention & the space has something to say.
The staircase is a transition from one area of the home to another, so why not make it exciting?
Have you any other ideas for how to use large art?
Feel free to leave a comment & it always makes my day when someone shares an article.
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