How To Take Care Of Art Decorations In Your Home » Residence Style
Decorating your home with art is one way of giving it a unique and personal touch. After all, there’s nothing more personal than an artist expressing their innermost sentiments. And, naturally, you’re going to be choosing pieces that speak to your soul, representing your own truths and, in a way, exposing your vulnerabilities.
Artists love to think outside the box, and they use a diverse range of mediums to express their honest thoughts and emotions. Whether it’s the best collection of art posters you’ve ever seen or extremely detailed sculptures that can leave anyone’s jaw dropping, every single art form conveys a story. That’s why a significant number of people is interested in adding stunning art pieces to their homes.
However, as timeless as their stories are, art decorations are extremely delicate. If left unattended, they’re bound to fade, their quality getting completely ruined. While there might be a sliver of chance for restoration, it still depends on the damage. Therefore, to entirely avoid such situations, it’s better to learn how to maintain your art pieces the best way possible. And, here are some tips to do it:
Where you place your art pieces is crucial in maintaining their quality. After all, there are many environmental factors you need to take heed of. Sunlight, for instance, emits heat. Too much of it hitting an art piece for too long will only cause it to fade after some time. In the same vein, avoid placing artworks anywhere near heat sources, particularly the boiler or radiators.
Meanwhile, don’t place certain art pieces close to an air conditioning unit, particularly paintings. Otherwise, they might start cracking because of extremely low temperatures.
Moisture is another factor that can ruin an artwork’s quality, considering how it can lead to condensation, which damages the piece. Therefore, while it’s nice to design your kitchen, bathroom, it’s best not to put up any art decorations in such areas.
Maintaining artworks requires careful research. Otherwise, you might apply the wrong cleaning method on a specific piece.
The vibrant colors and intricate patterns of textile pieces, such as throw blankets and area rugs, add more to your home’s aesthetic value. But, because they’re made of fabrics, it’s easy for dust and dirt to cling to them. Air them out regularly to prevent dirt buildup. Give them a shake to flick away debris sandwiched between the fibers. If these aren’t enough, wash them by hand using cold water and mild soap before air drying them.
On the one hand, ceramic pieces must also be handled with care, considering how delicate they are. Use a microfiber cloth to keep their surfaces from getting scratched up. Furthermore, with how fine this fabric is, it dusts off particles much more thoroughly.
Paintings need to be cleaned using a dry, fine brush, and their frames using a delicate cloth. But, as long as you’ve invested in adding plexiglass to such pieces, all you have to do is wipe down the surface, and you’re good. However, like ceramics, avoid scratching it by using a microfiber cloth instead.
As mentioned, lighting has a way of enhancing an artwork’s best features. But, at the same time, using it excessively will only cause it to fade and degrade its quality over time. Once you’re no longer expecting visitors, turn off the lights where your artworks are placed. That way, the room won’t accumulate heat over time, and you can even lower your energy bills.
However, if you’re already observing energy-efficient practices and all you’re using is natural light, invest in blackout curtains. That way, light will be completely removed from the room, and the area will stay at room temperature, ideally between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit or 21 and 24 degrees Celcius.
Most art pieces are expensive and, at the same time, fragile. Therefore, it’s a no-brainer to handle them gently, especially when moving them around. Examine the piece to see where you can secure a grip. Ideally, it’s best to hold it on the outer edges, especially for paintings. That way, its focal point will stay unblemished.
To purge any opportunity for dirt buildup, wear gloves every time you touch an art piece, even if you’re not moving it anywhere. Also, it’d be ideal to use a face mask and hairnet to keep debris or any foreign element from getting onto the artwork.
Granted, different mediums call for different ways of handling them. Be that as it may, ensure you have as little contact as possible with any piece to avoid any form of damage on any art decoration.
- Leave Restoration To The Professionals
Accidents can happen anytime inside your home. Maybe, a fire breaks out, or someone spills their drink all over your precious art piece. However, even though it might feel like you can DIY your way through such unfortunate events, don’t consider handling the restoration work on your own. Otherwise, you might ruin it beyond hope. Instead, let fine art conservators handle the task. Given their know-how and equipment, they have a better chance of making your damaged art pieces look good as new once more.
Takeaway
Although it’s their purpose to enhance your home’s appeal, art decorations are meant to be something more, which explains why many homeowners prefer them. However, as delicate as they are, maintaining them requires extra care. Otherwise, their quality might eventually suffer.
