One of the challenges a lot of our interior design clients face is trying to articulate what their art style is. I reckon you’re often as stumped as they are when it comes to trying to put into words the kind of art you’re drawn to.
Clients will often tell me “I’ll know it when I see it”. But being able to define your art style is really important.
It helps you when you’re shopping for artworks, putting together a collection for the rooms across your home, and prevents you purchasing the wrong styles of art for your space.
To make this whole process a cinch, below I’m breaking down 12 of the most popular art styles with some help from the team at Gioia Wall Art, so you can finally land on a style you love (and shop some pieces while you’re at it).
This post is produced in partnership with Gioia Wall Art. All of the different art styles you see here are available for purchase on their website.
1. Coastal Abstract Art
Art styles the Coastal Abstract category are, as the name suggests, very much inspired by the coast (there’s hundreds more on the Gioia website outside of the examples you see above, btw).
The colours in this art style are all tones you’d see in and around the ocean. A medley of blues, as well as some teals and warmer sandy and blush tones. You may even see a hint of black in certain pieces.
Artworks in this style depict ocean scenes, but they’re less obvious and more abstract for the most part. It’s not a literal photograph you’re looking at, but you can see there’s a coastline depicted in the painting.
2. Aboriginal / Indigenous Art
Bold, colourful and intricate are all words you’d use to describe the Aboriginal Artwork style.
The pieces tend to reflect stories from the Australian landscape, its wildlife, and the history of its indigenous people. Though the artworks appear quite abstract, they can actually be moving, thought-provoking.
The colour options in these dotted paintings are endless.
In the mood board above you’ll notice pieces from the Gioia print range are in warmer tones like yellow, orange, red and brown. But there are many cooler-toned art prints available as well.
3. Line Drawing Art
Increasing in popularity in recent years, artworks in the Line Drawing Art style category are minimal in their approach. They’re often referred to as minimalism paintings.
The sense of restraint applies to both the colours and the shapes you’ll see in the artworks, bringing a real sense of simplicity to your walls.
There’s not a lot of layers to the imagery depicted; usually no more than two. Often there’s one shape or colour in the background, and one additional line drawing in the foreground. It’s a very uncomplicated approach.
While black and white colour contrast is typical, you can see other muted tones sneak into this style of art; think blush, beige and even soft blue.
4. Australiana Art
The modern country aesthetic has been gaining traction in recent years thanks to everyone’s desire for a tree change. And with it comes the rise in the popularity of the Australiana Art style (or Native Art, as some might call it).
The colour palette is very reflective of tones you’d see in the bush. Think greens like sage, eucalypt and olive. Muddy browns and beiges also make an appearance. And lighter reds and oranges can also be seen.
The media in this style is mixed with both paint and photography mediums. The scenes you’ll see are varied too: trees, animals, leaves and landscapes, rocks, ridges and everything in-between.
If you love all things Australiana interior design then it’s a safe bet to include art from this style category in your home.
5. Colourful Abstract Art
Colour lovers will no doubt be head over heels for the Colourful Abstract Art style. It’s unashamed in it’s approach to hue, celebrating vibrant tones and dramatic, explosive patterns and shapes.
While some artworks in this category are of particular scenes, most are as the name suggests entirely abstract in their approach. The colour options are endless as well, and often its the clashing of colours that makes the abstract style so brilliant.
You can have these artworks be the heroes in your space and keep the backdrop entirely pared-back. This creates a gallery-like feel with visual highs and lows.
There are thousands more abstract artworks than the ones you see above on the Gioia website, btw.
6. Monochromatic Abstract Art
While its colourful sibling is all about the celebration of colour, the Monochromatic Abstract Art style is more restrained and less vibrant. It’s a darker and moodier look and feel, but still produced plenty of impact.
Some might call these black and white pieces, but you’ll notice there are actually far more tones at play in the artworks. You’ll see 50 shades of grey present, as well as muted blues, beiges, yellows and browns.
The images in these pieces are abstract, but they’re often quite strong, dominant and can appear more serious than playful. The shapes are larger and more imposing than in the Line Drawing art style you saw earlier too.
7. Abstract Landscape Art
This style of art takes its colour cues from nature, and the imagery you’ll see in the Abstract Landscape Art category follows suit. It depicts scenery of bushland, mountains, rivers, lakes, farms and more.
It tends to steer clear of nods to the coast though. The colours are more green than blue, and the paintings give you something to stare at and get lost in. There’s a sense of tranquility and calm present too.
That said, you’ll notice there is no photography here. The approach is less literal and obvious and more abstract. These artworks tend to be supporting players in a space rather than dominant, eye-catching moments.
8. Flower / Floral Art
There’s no confusion when it comes to the Flower/Floral Art style category. Out of all the different styles of art this one is the easiest to get your head around.
That’s not to say it’s simple. The beauty of the artworks in this group is that while they do depict flowers, the media can be paint or photography; both bring a sense of calm or drama depending on the art you choose.
And the colours are varied too. Pink is prominent, as you’d expect. But the imagery can go darker and moodier too, with black present and tones of blue and deep greens and purples displayed as well.
9. Destination Photography
If you like you art to take you to a far-away land, to evoke relaxation, and to bring some calm to your walls, the Destination Photography category has you covered.
Photographic in nature (obviously!), the artworks here showcase moments from exotic destinations. Think the beaches of Santorini, the architecture of Morocco or coastline of Italy. It’s designed to help you escape.
The colours and rich and vibrant in some pieces, but calm and subdued in others. There’s even a number of black and white photos in the collection if you want to turn the colour off altogether. So many places, so many options.
10. Figurative Art
There’s something quite captivating about the Figurative Art style. It features such a blend of media, from paint to photography, illustration to a blend of all three. And the scenes in each are so rich and moody.
This is the sort of art you can cluster together on a gallery wall with ease. Because the medias are different, you don’t get a sense of repetition when you mix them on a wall together.
Often (but not always) depicting female figures, this style of art is great for lovers of fashion and other creative arts like dance and drawing. The colours are often turned down too, which keeps the vibe chic.
11. Botanical Art
This style is similar to the Floral Art style, but it can come across as less delicate and feminine because the flowers are removed along with the pink tones.
In the Botanical Art style, it’s all about white and green, showcasing leaves, stems and branches in a variety of forms, shapes and imagery.
Of all the different types of art in this post, the Botanical style is the best way to bring the outdoors in and embrace nature on your walls, plus it (like the figurative art) works well when clustered together on a gallery wall.
12. Architecture Art
The Architecture Art style is perfect for those of you who love a darker, moodier and grittier palette. The grittiness comes from the imagery depicting architecture in cities, bringing with it an urban, industrial vibe.
It’s perfect for walls in inner-city homes, for people who love street art/graffiti, or those who appreciate the hard lines and angles present in to many of these types of artworks.
While many of the art pieces in this style category are darker in tone with a lot of black and grey present, more vibrant hues like blue and teal can creep in. Both photos and paintings are present in this style too.
Shop All the Most Popular Styles of Art at Gioia
As mentioned earlier, every single one of these gorgeous styles of art is available over on the Gioia website. We shop art for our clients from this Melbourne business all the time so we can attest to the quality of their products.
The Gioia philosophy is all about making art easy and affordable, which is why you can shop their website by art style, art colour, the artist you love, print or hand-painying, and more!
They also have a perfect pair and triumphant trio section for when you need to fill a wall with more than one artwork (an approach I use all the time when hanging art above a bed).
Has this post showcasing the most popular art styles helped you narrow down your fave vibe? I certainly hope so. Drop me a comment below if you need more art help and I can point you in the right direction.
Oh wow, this was incredibly useful. I recognised what I like and more particularly what I wouldn’t like to live with. Most of the art in my place is my dad’s landscapes, which I love but not in the bedrooms. Thanks again.
Wow! Chris… You are a god among designers. But this post… Where is the colour or vibrancy exhibited by graffiti / industrial art? What about those peeps who vibe best with such artwork???
Thanks Chris, that was a very helpful article! I’ll be off shopping for artworks now, having identified my preference and what suits my house and decor. Can you please tell me where the sofa pictured in your article is available from? Im wanting to buy a new sofa, so if you have any blogs on how to choose one and where to source, i’d love to read it.
kind regards,
Deb
Hey Deb. The living room in that picture is one of our design projects. The sofa is from Camerich. Thanks for your kind words about the blog too. Glad it helped!