Minimal wall art ideas that still make a statement

It’s not always ideal to fill every wall in a home or office with art. For many people, the challenge comes in finding balance, creating a space that feels stylish but not cluttered and overstimulating.

Wall art can sometimes feel like a maximalist move, one that creates interest but doesn’t contribute to your minimalist views. It doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, simple canvas prints and well-curated pieces can create quite the opposite – enhancing that minimal feel you’re craving in a hectic lifestyle. The right selection of pieces can shift the entire mood of a room.

Minimal wall art isn’t about doing nothing. It’s about choosing the right types of pieces and then doing just enough. Every piece you select should be one made with purpose, without the goal of just having something on the wall. Let’s explain how custom wall art fits into this design.

Focus on negative space

Negative space is the space around your piece of art. When you hope to create minimal wall art, you need to give it room. That is, give it the ability to breathe. The more room around it, the less overwhelming each piece feels.

So, how can you do that even in a tight space?

• Use wall décor with large mats. The mats themselves act as negative space, a space without color and detail.
• Choose canvas prints with a larger border. The wider border creates that necessary added visual break in the art and the wall surrounding it.
• Clean, simplistic frames also contribute to this. Negative space doesn’t have to be white, blank canvases. The frames you use, with a wider width, can enhance the appearance of negative space, even when significant color is present.

Each of these decorating ideas allows a single piece of art to command attention without overpowering the entire room.

The hardest part of this process is having restraint. As you look at all of the design inspiration here and elsewhere, there are many beautiful pieces you hope to add to your home. However, when you are restrained, each piece becomes more meaningful and special.

Moreover, consider art as a statement piece. When you have a bold piece of customized wall art on your white wall, it can speak louder and bolder than a crowded gallery. Choose an image or style that’s very appropriate for you, and let it breathe.

Let texture, shape, and tone do the talking

Successful interior design creates visually stimulating, meaningful, and beautiful displays that capture your attention in a way you desire. When that’s a minimal look, you can use texture, tone, and shape as a way to bring stunning vibrance to your space without the focus of just bold color or overcrowded spaces.

Consider these tips for choosing more personalized art:

• Black and white photography: As mesmerizing as color can be, black and white takes on its own hue of interest. It can instantly enhance the look of a stunning photo without detracting from its meaning.
• Line drawings: Another way to incorporate a simplistic but meaningful view is to choose line drawings, those with fewer details. Every line of the piece contributes, adding beauty to it without overwhelming the canvas as it does.
• Soft abstract prints: Not all abstracts have to be bold and bright. They can include software or more muted tones, simpler designs, and thought-provoking images. These are some of the most intense decorative elements when selected properly.
• Tone-on-tone pieces: Minimizing the number of colors present on a piece can also help hold back its statement. When creating personalized living spaces, consider the tone carefully and how well it complements the colors in the room, including the walls, flooring, and ceiling. Choose colors that contrast less.

The use of neutral colors, organic shapes, and subtle gradients adds depth to the space. As one of the most popular interior décor trends, minimal wall art allows you to create subtle changes in color, adding depth and movement without visual noise.

Color does not have to hinder your objective of creating a simple, more minimalistic design. However, it takes careful selection of the right colors to make a significant impact on the space without overwhelming it. Choose colors you love, but keep it straightforward and simple.

Scale matters

When selecting decorative elements, including wall décor, always think about scale. Choose images that work together to support your minimal feel and design look without creating a maximalist feel.

For example, the use of oversized prints or grouped small frames, done in a uniform manner, creates a clean and confident statement. It’s not overcrowded, but you still have multiple images present that can be eye-pleasing. This is a great way to apply wall art trends towards galleries by keeping the look minimalist.

Consider using a large landscape in the living room, for example. It’s stunning and attention-grabbing, especially when considering color selection. Yet, it’s a single image that does not feel crowded. Instead, especially when using customized artwork, it makes a statement.

Alternatively, you could create three identically sized prints and display them along a hallway. It does not feel intimidating or overwhelming, but rather a clean, classic look that is naturally soothing due to its simplistic and straight lines.

When used properly, scale can be striking. Take some time to consider the scale that is appropriate for the space, whether you have a small bathroom wall to fill or a large, expansive wall in your office. When used with uniformity like this, scale is striking, even when it is simplistic. Remember, just a few pieces allow each one to stand out and make its own statement. That’s powerful without overwhelming the view.

Keep It personal, not generic

A key component of minimal wall art is to make every single element added to the space meaningful. For example, if you were applying an interior design to the furniture in the room, you would not put in extra furniture because it’s pretty. You would only select items that contribute to the overall function and desired look. Apply the same interior design feel to your wall art and metal prints.

Minimal does not have to be soulless. That’s a bold statement, but think about what you want to do within this space. You could buy an image that’s pretty or even one that’s been recycled numerous times in interior design. Yet, if it lacks any real meaning to you, it leaves you without the value it could.

Instead, consider rethinking this approach. Make minimalist art meaningful in one of several ways:

• Choose fewer pieces, but each should be something personal or meaningful to you or the space.
• Use personal photography. Images you took, turned into customized artwork, make home decoration far more valuable to anyone who lives or visits that location.
• Choose abstract photos of familiar places to you. Perhaps a photo of where you and your spouse met, with black and white images instead of bold colors. Choose that spot on the lake you love to spend time at, and have it transformed into unique wall art with a tone-on-tone feel.
• Invest in custom art that speaks to you. It could be your tastes, memories, or other special elements that motivate, inspire, or support natural relaxation for you.

When you take these steps, you create art and interior design that comes from intention. It’s meaningful. It’s wonderfully valuable. It’s also minimalistic because you aren’t filling the space just to fill it.

Capturing your goal of minimal wall art and still making a statement

As you think about the next piece of art to add to your home or how to redesign your space with a minimalistic feel, don’t overlook the value of carefully curated collections. Select items that are meaningful rather than just “pretty” or “cool.”

What is most important here is to realize that art does not need to be loud to be powerful. You don’t need big, bold statement pieces on the wall. Instead, consider an image that’s more simplistic but inspirational to you.

The quietest pieces are often the ones that resonate the most with anyone within the space, if selected properly and applied in the right manner. A well-placed, thoughtfully chosen print can add calm, beauty, and clarity to any space.

Take a moment to consider what you want your space to convey. What specific look, colors, and statement do you want it to speak to you and to others who visit?

Here’s the really good news. You can embrace the beauty of less with Canvaspop. With a full selection of inspiring and minimalist pieces, it’s possible to create your space exactly as you want it to be.

Curate your space with minimal art that makes a lasting impression. Start by taking a closer look at the inspiration on Canvaspop, and when you do, think about the value each piece adds to your home, office, or the space where you spend your time.