Pairing Art With Paint: Warm Walls, Warm Frames

Art that looked great in the store often falls flat at home because the wall behind it has an undertone the art ignores.

Identify your wall undertone first Hold a white sheet of printer paper against the wall. If the wall looks yellow or pink beside it, it is warm. If it looks gray or blue, it is cool. Almost every popular American neutral is warm.

Match temperature, contrast texture ### On warm walls Choose art with cream, clay, ochre or muted green. Oak, walnut and brass frames extend the warmth.

When you want contrast Use a wide white mat rather than a cool-toned print. The mat gives the eye a break without introducing a fighting undertone.

Frame finish rules that hold up - Wood frames for photography and textured paper - Thin metal for line work and graphic prints - No glass in bathrooms and sunny south walls; use acrylic

Scale before style Art should span roughly two thirds of the furniture below it. Undersized art is the most common mistake, and no frame choice fixes it.