Artful Ideas for Every Room

Been meaning to deal with your bare walls forever, but stuck on the what, where, and how? Try these unexpected, picture-perfect plans to brighten all your blank spots.

Pack a Stairwell With a Casual Collection

This floor-to-ceiling scheme works for any themed grouping—colorful kids’ paintings, black-and-white family photos, the neutral prints in antique-style frames (as shown here). Start by hanging a favorite piece at approximately eye level. Stagger the frames as you add them, placing the next one an inch or two to the right and another to the left (don’t measure—keep it loose), then above and below. Now step away and look at the wall as a puzzle. Next, fill in the blanks, item by item.

Oval art: Original ink-on-paper drawing in vintage frame by Don Carney, $900, patchnyc.com for info. All other art: Hugo Guinness vintage framed prints, from $425 each, johnderian.com for stores.