Many of us are guilty of losing hours to wandering museums and galleries, and who can blame us? Art is transportive, powerful—and, of course, beautiful. From explosions of abstract color to explorations of nature or the human form, the right art piece has the power to change the mood and energy of a space.
Want to see that power in action? We’ve browsed our archives, as well as those of our sister publication MORRIS & ESSEX, and found some of our favorite statement art pieces for your inspiration:
The centerpiece of this Vernon dining room, designed by Alexa Harris-Ralff of AHR Designs, is a moody cityscape painting. It adds a chic, elevated touch to an already comfortable, functional space.
You’d be forgiven for stopping to stare at this art piece hung above a Louis XVI commode in an Upper Saddle River colonial, designed by Robyn Stevens of Silhouette Studios. It’s not only eye-catching, it also adds a contemporary twist to the very classic furniture piece.
When designing an Edgewater condo for a bachelor, Kathy Samaan of Samaan Design Group picked art for its impact. In the living room, the print over the fireplace adds to the modern, masculine vibe while acting as focal point.
To contrast the low-key, open aesthetic of the rest of the room (where a near-the-ground bed nods to an Asian sensibility), the Big Wall Décor art print behind the headboard is surprising and quirky. In it, an astronaut sits in a burning living room. The client describes it as “really cool.”
Casual elegance was the name of the game in this South Orange dining room reno, and Sarah Storms of Styled by Storms incorporated large-scale art to pull the whole thing together. A 36-inch-by-48-inch print of artist Hayley Mitchell’s Ka’iuliani, an abstract take on a woman’s portrait, echoes the blues in the curtains and wallpaper.
When artist and designer Edelweiss Fromm designed her own Morristown home, she knew she would incorporate the art that she and her husband collected while traveling the world. Though this living room has a neutral color scheme, the art on the wall gives the impression of being enveloped in color.
The impressionistic landscape in this Basking Ridge dining room pulls together the yellow and blue tones from the wallpaper and décor, lending the whole space a cohesive look and feel. Designer Pam Cooper created this space with both relaxed family meals and large get-togethers in mind, as opposed to a “stuffy” formal dining room.
Designer Liz Curry made every space count when updating this home in Millburn. The sleek and modern Hancock table by Vanguard Furniture already gets some dressing up from a Surya driftwood lamp, but the Jesús Núñez abstract steals the show.
When designing a Demarest colonial, Abby Gruman of Abby Leigh Designs took inspiration from her client and friend’s love for the fun and funky. In the second-floor hallway, this print offers a vibrant burst of hot pink that elevates, rather than crowds out, the sleek minimalist aesthetic.
Want to see more fantastic New Jersey homes and designers? Check out our NEW issue of NJ HOME!