Why Interior Designers Love the ‘Start with Art’ Method

Conventional logic would assume that, when starting your interior design journey, you would want to start with making the most of the space itself and finish it by putting up your favorite pieces of art. However, there’s a growing trend amongst homeowners taking over Instagram and TikTok right now.

The ‘Start with Art’ method uses artwork, not as the icing on the cake but as the cake itself! Rather than selecting art as an afterthought, many modern designers begin with a chosen piece, letting its colors, textures, and emotions shape the entire room.

This approach not only brings a unique personality to a space but also allows clients to enjoy a deeply personal and visually compelling interior.

What is the Start with Art Method?

Designers kick off the design process by selecting or creating a piece of artwork to inspire the room’s style and atmosphere. Rather than starting with paint colors, fabrics, or furnishings, they focus on the canvas, allowing the artwork to guide each subsequent design choice.

Romanos Brihi, Co-Founder & Director of Studio Vero, describes how central this approach is to their design philosophy:

“Art plays a crucial role in our design process. Whether we’re sourcing a special piece for our clients or incorporating artwork they already own, we often use it as an inspirational starting point.”

This philosophy lets the chosen artwork influence color schemes, furniture selection, and even room layout, creating a cohesive, personalized aesthetic.

The ‘Start with Art’ approach allows designers to:

• Achieve Cohesion: By basing the design on one impactful artwork, designers ensure that every element in the room complements the chosen piece, creating a harmonious look.
• Inspire Colours and Textures: The colors serve as a natural palette for the room, while textures from the piece can inspire choices in fabric, furniture, and other materials.
• Inject Personality and Uniqueness: Starting with art adds a level of individuality to each space, as every artwork is different and reflects personal tastes and stories.
• Set a Mood: Art often carries an emotional tone that resonates throughout the room, whether it’s a calm, serene landscape or a bold, energizing abstract.

For some designers, the involvement in the artwork goes beyond sourcing and extends to creating custom pieces for their clients. Using high-quality art painting brushes and materials, they craft artwork tailored to the client’s space, further ensuring a cohesive design with a truly bespoke touch.

For years, I have been using this method. I love collecting art and it is often the focal point of a room, so I let the room “grow” around it. For anyone who’s ever struggled with choosing paint colors, coordinating furniture, or figuring out how to make a room feel finished, this approach might just be the answer you’ve been looking for.

How Interiors Add Value with Art

Interior designers bring much more than a decorative touch—they create spaces that reflect their clients’ tastes and add value to their homes.

Here’s how:

• Establishing Flow and Functionality: Designers arrange furniture and decor to create a sense of flow and ensure functionality, making each space comfortable and visually appealing.
• Curating Colours and Textures: Designers use colors that work harmoniously with natural light, evoke specific moods, and enhance the artwork. This expertise in color theory adds dimension to the room.
• Adding Unique Value with Custom Artwork: Some designers, skilled with brushes and paints, craft original art pieces for clients, ensuring that the artwork is a perfect fit for the space. These custom pieces highlight the designer’s talent and give clients an exclusive creation that is truly unique to their home.

Art Adds Instant Personality to a Room

One of the best reasons to start with art is that it’s often the most personal element in a space. Art can reflect your tastes, interests, and personality in a way that’s hard to capture with furniture alone.

When you build a room around a piece of art, you’re giving it an immediate focal point and a sense of character.

• Unique to You: Art is a deeply personal choice, and no two people’s art collections are the same. Whether it’s a painting, sculpture, or a framed photo, art is one of the few items in your home that truly expresses who you are.
• Sets the Tone: Art has the power to set the mood in a room. A bright, abstract painting can make a room feel energetic, while a soft, watercolor landscape can create a serene, calming effect. This mood can guide the rest of your choices, from colors to textures to furniture.
• Instant Focal Point: By starting with a bold or interesting piece of art, you immediately have a focal point that draws the eye. This makes it easier to arrange the rest of the furniture and decor around it, creating a natural sense of balance in the space.

It Provides a Color Palette to Work With

One of the trickiest parts of interior design can be deciding on a color scheme, but the “Start with Art” method gives you a head start. When you choose a piece of art first, it often suggests a color palette that you can pull from to inspire the rest of the room.

• Find Key Colors: Look closely at your chosen artwork and pick out a few key colors. You don’t have to match them exactly, but use these colors as a base for your walls, furniture, and decor.
• Layered Tones and Shades: Instead of simply using the same exact colors, try layering various tones and shades of the colors found in your artwork. This adds depth to the room and makes it feel more sophisticated.
• Accent Colors: If your artwork has a pop of color, use it as an accent. For example, if there’s a touch of teal in a painting, you could use it for throw pillows, a rug, or a piece of furniture to bring everything together.

Using art as a guide for your color palette makes the design process feel more organic and ensures that all elements in the room work harmoniously together.

Art Inspires Texture and Materials

Another aspect of design that art can help guide is the choice of textures and materials. Different art styles and mediums can suggest certain textures or finishes that would complement the piece and enhance the overall vibe of the room.

• Painting Inspiration: If your artwork is a classic handmade oil painting, you might lean toward traditional textures like leather, wood, or linen. On the other hand, a modern abstract piece could inspire sleek finishes like glass, metal, or polished stone.
• Sculptural Art: For a room inspired by a sculpture, consider the texture and materials of the piece. A ceramic sculpture might inspire glossy or matte finishes, while a wooden sculpture might lead you to natural, organic textures.
• Layered Textures: Mixing textures that reflect your chosen artwork adds depth and richness to the room. If your art has a lot of movement and texture, use textiles like chunky knits, faux fur, or woven rugs to mirror that energy.

By letting art influence your choice of materials, you create a cohesive look that feels intentional and connected to your inspiration piece.

Bringing True Character to Your Home

The ‘Start with Art’ method offers a fresh and personal approach to interior design, allowing the artwork to take center stage and influence each element of the room. By starting with art, designers not only achieve a cohesive aesthetic but also infuse each space with personality, story, and emotional resonance.

Whether sourced from your favorite art gallery or custom-made, art becomes the defining element of a space, reflecting the client’s individuality and the designer’s vision.

In the end, the art on the wall is more than decor, it’s a conversation, an expression, and a cherished part of what makes a house a home.

Anyone Can Use the ‘Start with Art’ Method

One of the biggest benefits of the “Start with Art” method is that it’s accessible to everyone, no matter your design experience or budget. It’s a straightforward approach that anyone can use to make a space feel stylish and cohesive.

• Any Type of Art Works: Whether you’re working with a fine art painting, a framed print, a vintage poster, or a personal photograph, any piece of art can be a source of inspiration. It doesn’t have to be expensive or “high art” to make a big impact.
• Fits Any Design Style: The “Start with Art” method works with any design style, from modern and minimalist to bohemian and eclectic. Art gives you the flexibility to set any tone and direction that feels right for you.
• Budget-Friendly Options: If you’re on a budget, affordable prints, DIY art, or even downloadable artwork can serve as your starting point. Art doesn’t have to be costly to have a major influence on your room’s design.

No matter your style, experience level, or budget, starting with art gives you a solid foundation for creating a room that feels uniquely yours.

The “Start with Art” method is a favorite among interior designers for a reason. It’s a simple, inspiring, and effective way to create a cohesive, stylish space that truly feels like home.

By using a piece of art as your starting point, you can shape the colors, textures, and overall mood of the room, making design decisions easier and more enjoyable.

Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you, I will receive a very small commission if you click through and make a purchase. These links help to pay the editorial costs of writing a blog. For more information, please read my full affiliate disclosure here.

I also use Artificial Intelligence Image generators to create some of my images. These are to show you examples of my ideas and inspiration when I cannot produce the real images myself.