10 Creative wall art ideas for every blank spot in your home

1. The staircase gallery wall

The gallery wall is a staple move to fill up a large blank space for a reason. It offers a ton of flexibility in terms of choice, color, size, shape, and style, meaning it works almost universally as a strategy for anyone to easily achieve. While most often seen in hallways or living rooms, a stairwell is a fun spot to mix things up. For an open staircase, use the artwork to transition the space from the style of down to upstairs (and vice versa). An enclosed staircase can be given a style all its own, like a tiny room–and go bold, like a powder room, since it’s a small transitional spot where you’ll only be passing through.

2. The canvas statement print

Every home needs a big, bold statement moment. Maybe it’s the family portrait over the fireplace, or your favorite wedding photo in your master bedroom. Abstract art prints and old movie posters can also work well on this kind of SUPER large scale. This is your go-big-or-go-home moment so measure, measure, measure to make sure you don’t out-order your space, and then go as big as you possibly can within that limit! Consider the colors within this choice carefully–since the piece will be so sizeable, it will really set the tone for the room and can send you in the wrong direction if you aren’t careful. See if you can use a “see this in my space’ virtual tool to envision it first.

3. The twin frames

The setup is simple, with a fun plot twist. Two pictures, same size, same frame. Hung side by side. Sounds boring and traditional, doesn’t it? Twist time: the people in the photos are…looking at each other? Creating a photo series in which the subjects appear to be interacting across the frame print can be a playful way to enliven the appearance of traditional framed art. Splash these into a display with other traditional photos and see which of your guests even notice–and who gets caught by surprise!

4. The powder room mini-gallery

In a tiny powder-room space, make a big impact by going tiny. Itsy-bitsy pictures, prints, and art in tiny frames look oh-so-adorable and just right in scale in the space. Your guests will feel like Alice in Wonderland in the best possible way with this totally inspired design move, and all those photos you love you’ve collected over the years can finally have their moment to shine.

5. The cool kitchen display

If you have a blank wall space in your kitchen, or the dreaded “above the cabinet” dead space, we love to use these spots to display vintage prints or personalized photos. Have you always loved chickens? Go for a black-and-white vintage photo set of chickens in the old days. Maybe old country stores are more your style and you have a collection of old storefront photos? If you have a super-modern aesthetic and an updated kitchen design, break out that vintage comic book collection or french cookbook cover. Kitchens just say history and family to us, so put whatever is meaningful to you on display here!

6. The headboard photo rail

The headboard rail is a newer trend that makes for a cozy bedroom display space. Measure three quarters of the way up the wall behind the headboard, either just to the top of the headboard or a bit above. Place picture rails across the length of the wall, creating a full-wall-length display rail for personal pictures, framed canvas photo prints and art you live. For even more style, the wall above and below the rail can be painted different colors to contrast and add depth.

7. The dining room triptych

A triptych is a style of artwork in which a single image is presented over three separate panels, and this more formal style is perfect for–you got it–a formal dining room. Triptych style pieces are usually taller and narrower on a large scale, making them great for the large blank walls of a dining space, especially if you have a vaulted ceiling. If you’re going to have just one print truly love and admire in your home, we say this is the spot.

8. The mudroom collage

In the casual, hardworking mudroom, decor is often neglected in favor of functionality. That just makes it the perfect place for a more playful, low-key wall art style like a collage of family photos. This is the place for those candid pics with lots of movement, energy and laughter–not formal portraits or styled images. Let everyone get dirty on picture day, so every time you come inside and clean up you can remember what fun you had outside! Consider printing these in black-and-white for a streamlined look, and go for frameless canvas to keep with the casual theme.

9. The office pet portrait

Statement pet artwork is having a true moment, and we’re not talking about your grandma’s dog portrait or dogs playing poker here. From lifelike interpretations to modern pop-art Fidos, the home office is a perfect place for a proud pet parent to display their beloved baby. Pet portraits and office art are safe conversation starters on those remote-work Zoom calls and a calming reminder during the workday. In homes where the office is open or shared, pet portraits are enjoyable by all, representative of everyone’s style and love for the family pet, and can easily liven up a blah, blank space.

10. The corner crawler

Not sure what to do with that blank or empty corner nook? Consider art that crosses the border, like a mural that’s painted across the two walls, or two related photographs in similar frames, hund just off center from each other on opposing corner walls. Another fun way to cross this boundary could be a larger scale piece of art trimmed into multiple frames of varying sizes and hung in a scattered gallery pattern across the corner nook. Ready to give this bold move a try? Pro tip: measure it out with cardboard and tape up with painter’s tape first to avoid multiple nail holes.