How to Choose Art for Office Walls: A Designer’s Guide

Art isn't just for galleries - it’s a critical ingredient in creating inspiring, functional, and emotionally intelligent workplaces.

Whether you’re designing a corporate headquarters, a co-working space, or a boutique consulting firm’s new reception area, the art you choose will shape how people feel in that space. It can soften, energise, ground, or uplift - sometimes all at once.

So how do you choose the right art for an office wall? Here's a designer’s guide to selecting pieces that work practically, emotionally, and aesthetically - with insights from photographer Chris Melville, whose large-scale abstract works are featured in modern interiors across New Zealand.

1. Understand the Role the Art Needs to Play
Start with a simple question: what do you want this artwork to do?

• Calm the space? (ideal for boardrooms, waiting rooms, wellness areas)
• Make a bold statement? (perfect for lobbies and entrances)
• Reinforce brand identity? (subtly, through tone, palette, and emotion)
• Create movement or flow? (in long hallways or transitional areas)

Once you know the purpose, you can narrow your choices accordingly.

Pro Tip: Abstract photography is especially effective when you want to evoke emotion without overwhelming the space with literal imagery.

2. Match the Mood and Energy of the Space
Art should feel like it belongs in the room — but also enhance it.
For example:

• A high-focus workspace might benefit from cool-toned, minimal compositions
• A collaborative space could handle bolder forms or colour accents
• Reception and client areas often call for something that feels polished, warm, and grounded

Chris Melville’s work, with its earth-inspired textures and layered stillness, works particularly well in neutral-toned interiors, natural-material environments, and spaces designed to evoke calm clarity.

3. Consider Scale - Bigger Is Often BetterOne of the most common mistakes in office art is going too small.

A single A2 print will look lost on a 4-metre boardroom wall. Don’t be afraid of large formats - especially with abstract work. The bigger the piece, the more immersive the experience.

Ideal sizes for office art:

• A1 – A0: for medium-sized rooms, lobbies, and private offices
• Custom XL (120–150cm wide): for boardrooms, large reception walls
• Triptychs or series: to create rhythm in long corridors or stairwells

Framing Tip: Float-mounted frames or minimal black/white borders work best in modern interiors.

4. Let Colour Work for You — Subtly
Your artwork doesn’t have to shout your brand - but it can whisper it.
For example:

• If your brand uses deep greens and blues, choose abstract work that gently echoes those tones
• If your space is full of light woods and natural textures, warm neutrals and soft golds can amplify the effect
• Some artists, like Chris Melville, offer custom-colour commissions that match brand palettes while maintaining artistic integrity

This is particularly useful in multi-office businesses, where consistent visual tone helps unify environments.

5. Prioritise Timelessness Over Trendiness
A good office artwork should last for years - maybe decades. That’s why timeless, high-quality abstract work is a smart investment.

Avoid trendy motivational quotes or cliché skyline photos. Instead, invest in pieces that:

• Invite reflection
• Age gracefully
• Work with multiple design evolutions

Chris’s works are often described as “haunting” or “still”, giving them long-term visual impact that suits shifting styles and changing teams.

Final Thoughts: Make Art Part of the Architecture
The best office art doesn’t feel like an afterthought. It feels like it belongs. That’s what abstract photographic work - particularly in large scale - can do so well. It becomes a textural and emotional element of the space itself.

Ready to Elevate Your Interior Project?
Whether you're designing a new workplace, refreshing an office, or curating artwork for a commercial space, Chris Melville's large-scale abstract photography offers both calm and character.
Choose from existing images at www.materialworldart.com or commission a colour-customised series for your client’s brand.