Dear Alice | Interior Design

Episode: How to Choose the Perfect Wall Art for Every Room
Date: September 11, 2025
Hosts: Jessica Bennett (B), Suzanne Hall (C), and Corey (A)

Episode Overview

In this lively and insightful episode, Jessica, Suzanne, and Corey dive deep into the art of choosing, curating, and hanging wall art for every room in your home. With their trademark blend of warmth and wit, they answer listener questions about scale, style, confidence in collecting, spousal debates, and practical tips for gallery walls and unique art displays. The conversation is rich with personal anecdotes, expert advice, and memorable encouragement for anyone looking to make their home feel more "collected" and personal through art.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Role of Art in the Home

• Personal Storytelling:
  • "I think our art needs to, like, tell a story of us, but also when people come over and comment on it and then I get to tell the story behind it." — Corey [00:00]
  • Jessica likens art collecting to tattoos for your home: "Some people collect tattoos. You're gonna collect. These are tattoos for your home." [00:07]
• Surprising Statistic:
  • Nearly 25% of Americans don’t have any art on their walls [00:15]. The team discuss how intimidating or overwhelming the process can feel, leading many to leave walls bare.

Building a Collection: Where and How to Start

• Travel as Inspiration:
  • The hosts reminisce about buying art while traveling and encourage listeners to use vacations for finding meaningful pieces.
    • "I do love buying art on vacation...I remember buying a piece in Paris when I was 16." — Jessica [04:18]
• Personal Collections:
  • Objects like vintage scarves, wedding shoes, or even rocks collected on trips can become art [14:00–15:10].
• Start Small, Stay Patient:
  • Curating art is a “marathon, not a sprint” [18:33–19:01]. Be patient, and let your collection evolve with your taste.

Listener Question 1: “How do I confidently select and hang art, especially with a precise spouse?”

(Jenna Longshore’s question) [07:00]

Guidance from Suzanne:

1. Define Mutual Tastes:

   • Start with a joint Pinterest board for art inspiration. Each person can add what they love, then compare to find overlap and identify individual tastes [09:14].
   • “This will be really revealing...it’s a good exercise for anyone to do.” — Suzanne [09:14]

2. Develop an Open Mindset:

   • Don’t just default to the only thing you both agree on (often landscapes); try to include a variety—landscapes, abstracts, photography, figures, and meaningful objects [10:34–11:23].
   • “You can’t have an entire home full of abstracts. Or it starts feeling like condo art or a dentist’s office.” — Jessica [11:05]

3. Visit Galleries Together:

   • Attend art shows, galleries, or student exhibitions. Seeing art in person helps clarify which mediums and subjects you both love [13:06].
   • Being in a “dream space” (like while traveling) helps couples choose art more naturally.

4. Think Beyond Paintings:

   • Collect and display three-dimensional items, sentimental objects, or mementos—anything with a story, not just framed prints [14:00–15:36].

5. Let Art Spark Conversation:

   • Art should provoke questions and conversations, both for you and your guests.
   • “I love when people come over and comment on it, and then I get to tell the story behind it.” — Corey [38:18]

Handling Relationship Dynamics:

• Scale and placement are frequent stress points, especially for couples with different preferences or standards of precision.
  • “This is the stuff of all marital arguments. So we feel you on this for sure.” — Jessica [07:35]
  • Use specific guidelines for placement (see "Practical Tips for Hanging Art" below) to diffuse tension.

Curating a Collection: Tips and Examples

Principles for Collecting

• Mix Mediums:
  • Combine landscapes, abstracts, figure sketches, photography, and three-dimensional objects.
  • “You want all different types of mediums to make your home interesting.” — Jessica [11:23]
• Let Meaning Drive Choice:
  • Choose what lights you up—color, subject, memory—not just what matches the sofa [12:10–12:55].
• Frame for the Piece:
  • “When you have pieces like this, you’re framing it for the piece...Don’t frame everything the same just because you got them at the same time.” — Suzanne [17:15–18:33]
• Gallery Walls as Living Installations:
  • Start with your biggest piece as an anchor and “grow” the arrangement organically, like playing Tetris [23:39–24:03].
  • Corridors, stairwells, and hallways are ideal places for intimate gallery walls [24:16–25:45].
  • “A stairwell is only, like, 36 inches wide, so you’re close enough that you can appreciate all the little pieces of art going down a hallway.” — Jessica [24:34]

Special Project Examples

• Linden Art Manor:
  • Extensive personal collection framed individually, displayed in a gallery wall. “It’s a long game...curating art is a marathon, not a sprint.” — Corey [18:33]
• House of Harrington:
  • Incorporating framed 3D beadwork as a statement piece, adding texture and intrigue [28:38–29:00].
• Capitol Heights Project:
  • Mixing antique Flemish paintings, modern mirrors, and textiles/scarves for a space with layered energy and tension [34:38–35:57].
• Leverage Lane:
  • Humorous, personal art (a framed Yankees Yoda), demonstrating that “if your spouse hates something, it’s a perfect place for them to put it in their office.” [36:29–36:44]
• Sentimental Items:
  • Framing concert tickets, wedding shoes, or even a mint wrapper from a first date as “soulful” personal art [14:00, 37:35].

Listener Question 2: “Should I leave blank spaces, or what should I put in my kitchen or hallway?”

(Cindy Ricardo’s question) [38:37]

• Don’t Leave Blank if You Can Help It:
  • Hallways and kitchens are perfect for smaller art galleries, family photos, plates, or meaningful objects [39:00–40:11].
  • “My kitchen...Tom got me these old carved wooden spoons...it’s just like a gift, and it’s something that I can keep collecting.” — Suzanne [39:50]
• Unique Options:
  • Rugs as art for stairwells are especially impactful if you have the ceiling height [40:11].

Practical Tips for Hanging Art

• Standard Height Rule:
  • Center of the artwork should be at 60" from the floor (or 58" for shorter homeowners) [41:23].
    • "A general rule...60 inches from the floor to the middle of the piece." — Suzanne [41:23]
• Above Consoles, Sofas:
  • Bottom of the art should be ~6" above the furniture [42:27].
• Matting Small Pieces:
  • Small art can be elevated with generous matting and a large frame, giving it “visual importance” [43:33–44:01].

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with timestamps)

• On Art as Tattoos for the Home:
  • "Some people collect tattoos. You're gonna collect. These are tattoos for your home." — Jessica [00:07]
• On Showing Your Story:
  • "I think our art needs to tell a story of us..." — Corey [00:00]
• On Couples’ Disputes:
  • "This is the stuff of all marital arguments. So we feel you on this for sure." — Jessica [07:35]
• On the Collecting Process:
  • "Curating art is a marathon, not a sprint." — Corey [18:33]
• On Displaying Art:
  • “I feel like a house never feels like it's finished until there's something hanging on the wall.” — Jessica [20:04]
• On the Power of Objects:
  • “There's a way to hang anything!” — Corey [33:04]
• On Personalizing with Sentiment:
  • "One of the greatest gifts I've ever been given... It's three different skate decks, and the art is on that, and it can hang... It's the favorite gift I've ever been given." — Corey [33:05]
• On Mixing Mediums and Subject:
  • “When you get the tension of multiple mediums and subjects and interests, like, all together, like it has a pulse.” — Suzanne [35:33]

Summary of Step-by-Step Process

1. Define Your Style:
   • Use Pinterest or similar to find and compare preferences.
2. Explore Galleries & Try New Mediums:
   • Visit local shows, galleries; be open to new subjects and forms.
3. Collect Over Time:
   • Embrace the “long game.” Let art tell your story as it grows.
4. Frame with Intention:
   • Frame pieces thoughtfully, for the art itself.
5. Hang with Confidence:
   • Use placement rules for less stress and better aesthetics.
6. Mix and Match:
   • Combine paintings, photos, objects, textiles, and sentimental items for depth.

Tips & Reminders

• Use travel, life events, and even “everyday objects” as sources of art.
• Don’t stress about blank walls; build your collection with patience.
• Most importantly, let your walls reflect your journey, unique relationships, and experiences. As Jessica says, “Let your walls tell a love story.” [16:50]

This episode is packed with actionable advice, cheerful banter, and creative encouragement to help everyone—regardless of decorating confidence—make their home an expressive, collected, and welcoming space.