Emily A. Clark

design. simplified.

Design Dilemma: What to Hang On the Big Wall Behind Your Sofa

 

I get lots of emails asking for design advice.  Although I don’t always have the time to specifically source items for people, I would at least like to post about some of the same design dilemmas I see over and over again and to hopefully offer up some general advice.

 

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A reader recently sent me pictures of this apartment that’s she’s renting and the vast space above her sofa that’s calling for art. . . or something grand.

 

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Big walls are scary things to tackle.  One of the biggest mistakes I see is hanging something that’s too small and actually makes the wall look more awkward.  If you have one of these huge “above the sofa” walls, here are some possible options:

Think about a new room layout first.

sofa in front of window

I’m not always the biggest fan of placing a sofa against a wall anyway, but sometimes there’s no other choice.  Before you start hanging things on the wall, think about all of your furniture arrangement options.  Could you put the sofa in the middle of the room and create a vignette (a small chest and pretty mirror with some lamps, for example) on that big wall instead?   When thinking about your layout, remember that furniture can be pulled in closer than you think for a cozy feel, and it’s okay to put a sofa in front of a  window, or even a sliding glass door if you have the walk-through space.
When it comes to art, think big!

big art behind sofa

 the living room in our last house
 
In our last house, I used this abstract painting (a Craigslist find) to fill the wall behind the sofa, almost up to the ceiling.  It made the ceilings look taller and became the centerpiece of the room.  A similar look could be achieved by buying big canvases at a craft store and using some acrylic paints to bring out the colors of your room.  (Btw, it’s okay to leave a lot of white space on the canvas and if you want a more muted look, spray with water to dilute colors as you paint, letting each coat dry before you go onto the next color.)  Or, if you’re not feeling artistic, cover the canvases in a pretty fabric.

Kevin-sharkey-01_rect540

On a side note, I also like the look of wall lamps flanking art.  They also help to fill visual space are provide great task lighting.  It also allows you to forego bulky side tables if you don’t really need them.

 

 

Create a gallery wall for a big impact.
gallery wall behind couch
You know I’m a fan of big collections on the wall.  It always makes a big impact visually and can be accomplished even on a small budget, if you’re creative.  I love the look of mismatched art and frames, but if you don’t have a huge collection of art or are scared of finding the right arrangement, a nice symmetrical collection, using the same frames and prints from the same book of art, works as well.
framed botanical prints behind sofa
Lean art behind the sofa.

sofa table with leaning art

This is a great trick if you have an extra foot or so of space.  Pull your sofa out from the wall, and place a piece of furniture behind it.  Lean a large piece of art and add accessories and even lamps.  This gives some nice depth to the room (and if you’re a renter, you’re not committed to nail holes in your wall).
Open the room up with a floor mirror.
 leaning mirror behind sofa
Leaning a large mirror behind your sofa is like adding another doorway into another (imaginary) room—and much cheaper than a renovation!  It completely opens up the space, and there’s still room for art on both sides.
Any other good advice?  Or, if you have an example of how you’ve tackled a similar wall, I’d love for you to upload a photo (and a link if you have one) to my Facebook page.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Dina says

      I love it also! I was just wondering would it be too much if I had a large mirror on that same wall in the dining area which is all in the same grand space?

      Reply

  11. Nancy says

    I’m in favor of a gallery wall with lots of frames… Maybe all matching sizes…
    Have a great weekend Emily!
    Nancy
    Powellbrowerhome.com

    Reply

  12. Sarah says

    I love your ideas and the pictures are great – I’m such a visual learner! :) I love gallery walls but it’s so intimdating trying to mesh art and photography and whatnot altogether. LOVE the jumbo abstract art behind the couch (which is funny, I’m so traditional!). Thanks so much for sharing your expertise with us!

    Have a great weekend –
    Sarah

    Reply

  13. Jessica @ Stay at Home-ista says

    We have 4 sofas in our living room and pulled them all away form the walls. This means we have a settee in fron tof the fireplace, then sofas in front of doors to the deck, the entry into the room, and the passage to the dining room, but it really works and avoids the “wall” issue.

    Jessica
    stayathomeista.com

    Reply

  14. Kellie says

    Great advice Emily! You just solved a design dilemma in my dining room. ;)

    I like the leaning floor mirror for behind her coach. Would it reflect that great high-rise view outside?

    Reply

  21. Audrey (the Hepburn House) says

    Love all those ideas! The only thing that would make me nervous is leaning the frame on the couch…maybe I don’t get it but how would it not fall off when knocked? Does something keep it there? Sorry if I’m just daft!

    Reply

  24. Sara says

    I read your laundry post today, so I’m leaving my comment here so you’ll see it. My SIL has 11 children and has the sock thing figured out. Each child has 2 sock bags (like a lingerie bag). Dirty socks go into one bag. Twice a week she does a load of laundry that are just the sock bags. Each child gets the bag back with clean socks in it (that they worry about matching) and now the second sock bag is used for the dirty socks. It works great for her large family. Good luck!

    Reply

  25. Michaela says

    Great tips, Emily! I’m loving the idea of a mirror with photos on either side of it for this reader’s living room. I think it would reflect the natural light coming in from the windows and really open/brighten up the space for her! Like you, I also try avoid putting couches and big pieces against a wall (unless its the only choice). Sometimes it’s scary to have it out in the room, but I happen to think it can make rooms look bigger and more interesting if furniture is pulled out, creating vignettes. :)

    Reply

  26. LiveLoveDIY says

    AH! GREAT ideas, Emily! So glad I saw this post tonight! I was sitting here trying to solve a design dilemma for a friend’s house I am decorating, and you just posed the perfect solution in one of your ideas! Thanks for the great suggestions! ~ Virginia

    Reply

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  45. Angella Eisman says

    Thanks Emily for including our living room – Angella Eisman Design – in this blog post. We have since re branded our website to better represent the blog. The new site is oldmadenew.org and the picture of the couch and upcycled pillows can be found there.

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  61. Maxine Wilson says

    My living room is so boring, and I would love to add some art to spruce it up. I love the art you choose for your the little gallery. All of the color schemes match, and each piece is so unique. Something like this would be perfect for my living room! It would add some flare, and liven up the room.

    Reply

  62. Francis cowt says

    Hi, Thanks for sharing your beautiful ideas with us. I really like it very much. Actually, I want to change the windows of my house because in summers sunlight is the big issue here and my friend suggests me that window tinting is the best option for that.Do you have any other suggestion that how can I resolve my problem of sunlight?

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