How to decorate awkward walls with the right art

Welcome to my blog, I am a professional cartoonist, illustrator, artist and writer. My site here is intended to promote a range of works that I think will look good on the wall. Included on my site is not just my own work, but some works by other artists whose work I love and hope to bring to a wider audience. I hope you enjoy your tour of my site and welcome any feedback. Prints are fulfilled by The Print Space for prints on paper, they are one of the UK's premier fine art print companies, and there is also the option of buying some images printed onto canvas, these are fulfilled by Printumo. All prints are available worldwide. If you are wondering how to decorate awkward walls, the answer is rarely to fill every inch. A well-chosen image can give an overlooked bit of a room a proper reason for being there.

How to decorate awkward walls without filling them

Awkward walls come in all forms: the thin strip beside a doorway, the patch at the top of the stairs, a wall broken up by a radiator, or that tall blank area above a sofa which seems to reject every picture you try. The usual mistake is choosing art as if the wall were a neat rectangle. It is better to treat the odd shape as part of the composition.

Start by looking at the wall from the place where you actually see it most. A narrow section in a hallway is not viewed in the same way as the wall opposite the bed. You may pass it quickly, see it from an angle or catch only a glimpse of it through an open door. This often makes a single strong image more effective than a careful arrangement of smaller frames.

A print does not need to match the wall's dimensions exactly. It needs enough presence to hold its ground. On a tall, narrow wall, a vertical charcoal drawing, a lone shed or a landscape with a strong horizon can make the space feel deliberate rather than left over.

Choose an image with a clear shape

For difficult spaces, composition matters as much as subject. Pictures with a clear silhouette, strong contrast or an obvious line of movement read well from a distance. A charcoal drawing with dark marks and plenty of breathing room can be particularly good in a small recess, where fine detail may disappear.

Landscape prints can also work surprisingly well on awkward walls. A low horizon opens out a confined hallway, while a tree line, a farm building or the curve of a river gives the eye somewhere to travel. Much of my own work is inspired by the Gloucestershire countryside and sites around the River Severn, where the light, mud, weather and working structures make their own sort of arrangement. These subjects have atmosphere without needing a large explanatory statement beside them.

Do not assume a small wall needs a small image. A modest wall can often carry one generously sized print, provided there is a little clear space around it. Conversely, a huge image on a very narrow return wall can feel like it has been squeezed in. Measure the available width, but also consider the furniture, door frames and switches nearby. A picture should relate to those things, not fight them.

Let the subject suit the room's character

The most successful wall art does more than add colour. It picks up something already present in the room, whether that is the age of the building, the materials, or the way the light falls in late afternoon.

Old industrial buildings, sheds, corrugated iron and industrial metalwork have an artistic quality that is easy to overlook until you stop and look properly. Their faded paint, repeated lines, dents and rusty edges have real visual rhythm. A print based on these subjects can bring texture and a bit of grit to a clean modern room, or sit very naturally in an older house with worn floorboards and imperfect walls.

This is especially useful if an awkward wall is in a utility area, kitchen passage or entrance hall. You do not have to pretend it is a grand gallery space. An image of a shed, a workshop wall or corrugated metal can make the practical nature of the area feel like part of the charm. It gives the space a point of view.

For a more urban note, the large advertising signs found around Los Angeles have a wonderful graphic presence. Their scale, lettering and sun-bleached surroundings make strong photographic images, particularly on a tall wall or at the end of a corridor. These are available both as photographic prints and on canvas, and the canvas option can be useful where you want a bolder, more substantial finish without introducing a reflective glazed frame.

Use framing and grouping with restraint

A frame can turn a difficult placement into a convincing one. A pale wood frame may soften a charcoal drawing or rural scene; black framing gives a graphic photograph or line drawing more bite. There is no rule that says every frame in a house must match, although keeping one repeated element, such as black, oak or off-white mounts, stops a collection becoming fussy.

If the wall is genuinely too small for one picture to breathe, use a pair. Two related images placed vertically can make a skinny wall feel taller, while two small works hung side by side can settle neatly above a radiator or bench. Keep the gap between them tighter than you might expect. When pictures are meant to be seen as a pair, they should read as one decision.

A busy gallery wall is not always the answer. It can be excellent on a broad stairwell, where several pictures make sense as you move through the space, but it may only emphasise the interruptions of a wall filled with doors, sockets and corners. In those situations, one image with real character is usually the stronger choice.

Think about height, light and everyday life

The centre of an image is often hung around eye level, but this is only a starting point. Above a sofa, sideboard or bed, the picture should sit in relation to the furniture rather than float high above it. In a stairwell, follow the rise of the stairs with your placement, keeping the pictures visually connected to the route upwards.

Light changes the result as well. A very dark charcoal piece can be superb on a bright wall opposite a window, but it may lose some of its quiet detail in a dim corridor. Strongly coloured or high-contrast photographic work can bring life to that darker spot. Before committing to a position, place the print or a sheet of paper at the intended height and live with it for a day or two.

There is also no need to wait for a limited edition to make a thoughtful choice. The works are not limited editions, which means you can choose a piece because you want to live with it, not because you feel pressured by a numbered run. Good printing, a subject you genuinely enjoy and a position that lets it be seen properly matter far more.

Give overlooked spaces something worth noticing

New charcoal drawing images and new photographs have recently been added, alongside new exciting works by Steve Parker. These offer different ways to approach an awkward wall: softer tonal work for quieter corners, photography for graphic impact, and images with enough personality to hold a space on their own.

The wall beside the door, above the stairs or at the end of a passage may never become the grandest part of the house. That is not the point. Give it an image with a good shape, a little atmosphere and something to look at twice, and it will stop being awkward altogether.