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In today’s workplace design, branding is no longer just about logos and fonts - it’s about tone, mood, and emotion. And one of the most effective ways to reinforce brand identity is through the artwork you place in your environment.
More businesses are now turning to colour-customised art - works that align visually with their brand’s palette without being literal. It’s subtle, elevated branding that feels sophisticated rather than promotional. Whether you're designing for a global tech firm or a boutique consultancy, here are five ways to incorporate colour-customised abstract art into your branded interiors - with real-world insights from New Zealand abstract photographer Chris Melville. 1. Echo Brand Colours Without Being Literal Using colour doesn’t mean plastering a logo on the wall. In fact, one of the most refined ways to reflect a brand is through tonal echoes - soft greens, inky blues, warm neutrals, or metallic greys that speak the language of the brand without repeating it. In one recent commission, Chris was asked to create a large-format abstract photograph in the tones of a multinational company’s brand. Rather than designing around logos, he worked with mood and atmosphere, producing a still, flowing piece in the company's navy and sand palette. “I used natural light and layered textiles to create something that felt like their values - grounded, elegant, international.” - Chris Melville 2. Support Interior Colour Schemes Artwork that draws from the existing interior design palette — whether furniture, flooring, or accent walls - instantly creates cohesion. This works beautifully in:
3. Reinforce Brand Values Emotionally Brand colours aren’t just visual - they’re emotional.
When those colours are integrated into large-scale abstract art, they become atmospheric tools. The artwork doesn’t just decorate the space - it reinforces the brand’s emotional tone every day. 4. Create a Signature Visual Identity Across Locations For companies with multiple offices or franchises, consistent branded artwork is a powerful tool for alignment - especially when each piece is unique but shares a visual language. Chris offers series-based commissions, where each artwork is tuned to reflect the same brand mood and palette, but with variations in form and movement. It’s like a visual signature carried across branches. This is ideal for:
5. Offer a Sophisticated Alternative to Stock Imagery Stock skyline photos, inspirational quotes, or overly literal brand walls can make even the most elegant office feel generic. Colour-customised abstract art, on the other hand, is timeless, tasteful, and unique to the business. Because Chris’s work is created using fabric, natural light, and slow shutter techniques, every piece has a handmade, contemplative quality. It’s art that feels personal yet professional. And for businesses wanting something truly special, he offers:
Final Thoughts: Branding Through Beauty Incorporating custom-coloured artwork into your commercial interior doesn’t just enhance the visual appeal - it deepens the sense of identity and care. For architects, designers, and business owners who want to create spaces that reflect both brand and humanity, custom abstract photographic art is a high-impact, low-noise solution. Commission Your Own Colour-Tuned Art Chris Melville creates calming, large-scale photographic artworks for commercial and corporate spaces - and can work with your brand palette to design something unique to your project.
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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?
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:
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:
4. Let Colour Work for You — Subtly Your artwork doesn’t have to shout your brand - but it can whisper it. For example:
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:
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. When I held my recent art exhibition, something quietly profound unfolded before me. As guests moved through the space, I began to notice how the more abstract works - those untethered from clear landscapes or recognisable forms - sparked the most conversation. Not just about the artworks themselves, but about the places they conjured in memory.
Some visitors saw Coromandel beaches in the layered textures. Others found themselves in the dry contours of Californian hills. Still others spoke of distant Canadian lakes. These interpretations weren’t prompted or suggested - they emerged naturally, uninvited yet welcome. The artworks, in a way, were being completed by the viewer. This is one of the most fascinating aspects of abstract image-making: it invites personal narrative. Without the constraints of a specific place or moment, the work becomes a kind of mirror - offering not a reflection, but a space. A space into which the viewer can pour their own stories, landscapes, and longings. It’s as though the abstraction removes the artist’s voice just enough to allow the viewer’s voice in. And what a rich chorus it becomes. A single piece of fabric photographed with a slow shutter becomes, depending on who is looking, the swell of a wave, the arc of a hill, or the shimmer of heat rising off summer asphalt. The ambiguity is not a lack - it’s an offering. There’s something deeply human in this instinct to project meaning. We do it with clouds, with music, with the passing expressions on strangers’ faces. Abstract art simply gives us the same opportunity with more intent. It opens a door, and quietly steps aside. This experience has changed the way I think about my own work. I no longer see the image as something fixed, something to be “read” correctly. Instead, I see it as a conversation - one that doesn’t begin with me, but continues through the imagination of others. In the end, perhaps that’s the real gift of abstraction: not that it says nothing, but that it makes room for everything. In a world where office design is no longer just about function, art has become an essential part of creating spaces that inspire, calm, and connect. But what kind of art truly belongs in a corporate environment?
Abstract photography - especially when rooted in nature and texture - is uniquely powerful. It avoids clichés, invites interpretation, and contributes to an atmosphere of professionalism and creativity without distraction. Here’s why more designers and businesses are turning to abstract artworks for their walls - and how this choice can elevate any workplace. 1. Abstract Art Evokes, But Doesn’t Distract Literal images can be beautiful - but in a workspace, they can often be too specific or overstimulating. A recognisable scene might spark personal memories, associations, or even disagreement. Abstract work, on the other hand, is open-ended. It gives the viewer space to interpret, to pause, and to reflect. This is especially true of abstract photographic landscapes, where light and form create a sense of familiarity without being literal. “People see different things in my work - a Canadian lake, a Welsh hillside, or a dream they once had. That invitation for personal narrative is where the magic lives.” - Chris Melville 2. Calming Aesthetics Improve Focus and Wellbeing Workplace design today is deeply connected to mental wellbeing. Art can support that - or undermine it. Studies show that natural, textural imagery helps reduce stress and increase focus. That’s why hospitals, wellness clinics, and even boardrooms are moving away from corporate slogans and towards soothing visual environments. These abstract landscapes - with their meditative tones, soft textures, and slow-shutter dreamscapes - fit this perfectly. They help transform cold commercial interiors into warm, thoughtful places to spend time. 3. Abstract Art Complements a Brand Without Being Literal Many businesses want art that “fits their brand” - but not in a cheesy way. Abstract photography allows you to:
4. It Creates a Sense of Place - Even in Global Spaces One reason abstract photographic landscapes work well in global offices is they evoke “somewhere” - but not any specific place. In this case, the images may originate in New Zealand, but viewers see:
5. Abstract Photography Works Beautifully at Large Scale These prints are designed to hold their power at A0 and above - making them perfect for:
Ready to Elevate Your Space? Whether you’re designing a new workspace, refreshing a client’s boardroom, or curating art for a hotel or healthcare facility, abstract photographic artwork offers a powerful solution. Chris Melville’s large-scale abstract works are available as:
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AuthorChris Melville is an award-winning abstract photographer based in Auckland, NZ. Archives
November 2025
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