Art in Tiny Houses

When I was designing my space from my 500 sq. ft. - 12 ft. ceiling studio apartment to my 125 sq.ft. - 9 ft. ceiling cabin, I had to figure out what to do with all my art. There were several paintings that were not going to fit, one was as large as a door and the other about half the size of a door. Those large pieces of art were re-homed with the understanding that it was temporary. The others were nice size pieces about 18"x 24". However, there wasn't enough wall space to hang them ALL up at the same time.

I ended up designating three different wall spaces to artwork (paintings or photographs). The others I keep behind my couch. Then, every three months or whenever I feel the need for a change, I take the art off the wall and put up something different.

This actually turned out to be a great plan. With a tiny home, furniture and redesigning or restyling doesn't happen. Everything in the tiny house is so specific in its purpose and use, that you can't move the couch to a different spot because it will only fit in the spot it's in. However, now I'm able to use my art wall spaces to change up the mood of the place. In a small space, small changes make a big impact.

But what do you do if you forgot to incorporate wall space for artwork into you tiny house? 

I have a friend who did just that and the result is a house full of windows. While I'm sure she and her husband appreciate the constantly changing view of nature which is it's own art form, she expressed that there are times when she would like to have a painting or photograph on the wall.

Thank you eidetic memory! My friend is not the first person to have this problem and there are actually quite a few inventive solutions.

The Refrigerator & Cabinet Doors

A flat surface that people forget about because of it's utilitarian purpose is the refrigerator. Instead of kids/grandkid's artwork, grocery list or a dry erase board. Frame out the freezer portion and change out with paintings or photographs. You can also do this with kitchen or storage cabinetry. Consider using Li'l DaVinci Art Cabinets as cabinet doors instead.

The Windows

Do you really need the whole window to let in light? Insert some narrow glass shelves into the window frame and set up your art there. This is a great spot for small sculptures, clay pots, or leaning a canvas or photograph. If the windows are narrow, there are towel bars with glass shelves above that can be installed. This is a good option because the shelves provide a surface for sculptures and the pictures can be hung from the towel bar or used as a curtain rod.

The Curtain Rods

Why not just hang the art from the curtain rods and have them overlap the windows? A second sheer curtain can be draped behind to filter the light. A third curtain rod could hold the drapes which pull over the picture rod when all light needs to be blocked.

Interior Shutters & Doors

If you use interior shutters to block light or interior doors to separate rooms, consider them surfaces for hanging you art work as well. You can either leave the artwork loose as seen in the image, or frame it out and attach to the surface as suggested with the refrigerator and cabinetry.

Li'l DaVinci Art Cabinets

These art cabinets come in standard sizes and are easy to install. They make changing out images easy for Tiny House dwellers.

Li'l DaVinci Art Cabinets

Hope this helps!