What does a normal workday look like to you? You probably know what it feels like to go into work feeling demotivated.

It doesn’t help when the place looks empty, cold, and depressing.

When you see a somber corporate space, you can’t help the feeling that something is missing. This is because an office often lacks artwork in its wall decor, making it prone to leaving a bland, even unpleasant, impression.

That’s why in this article, we’ve put together some of the most interesting ways to liven up your workspace with art. Decorating your office walls with art means creating a more motivating and productive work environment and a less stressful and more relaxing space.

Whether that’s in an office cubicle with other employees or your work area at home, this article will help you with which style or type of art to go for, how to hang up your preferred art, and the tools you will need to achieve a visually pleasing and work-conducive wall decor setup.

Before you begin putting up art pieces at work, you’ll first need to be clear on which type of art you want to hang. It’s good to consider three things when making this decision early on: your company’s branding, company values, and the mood you want to create.

You can start with this article to warm up your creative muscles: 

Do you now have a clearer picture of what kind of art you want to put up in your workspace? If it’s still fuzzy in your mind and you’re not decided yet, that’s okay! In this section, we have a few more ideas to help you bring out that perfect vision. We also bring the focus to how you can actually hang up your art. 

Perhaps the most recognizable form of art, art on canvas is created by stretching woven fabric across a frame and using it as a surface for oil and acrylic paintings, showcasing anything from abstract art to surrealist art.

Abstract art on canvas is a great choice if you like ambiguous depictions of concepts. Or if you want to set a more contemporary scene in the workplace, pop art is centered on pop culture imagery and characterized by fun and colorful cultural references. Here are other art styles you might want to look into for canvas art:

• Modern art

• Impressionist art

• Cubist art

In short, if you want a classic art wall at work, you can’t go wrong with canvas art.

How to hang canvas art

To hang canvas office art, you’ll need to install hangers on the back of the frames and hang them on screws or hooks on your wall. Pick a hanger based on the type of frame you’ll hang and a screw or hook based on the type of wall you’ll hang your frames on.

For hangers, we recommend the following, which are also available in the Picture Hang Solutions store:

• Sawtooth hangers - For small or lightweight metal and wooden frames. Can be nailed, screwed, or hammered onto the back of frames.

• D-rings - For wooden frames. Comes in different sizes and good for big and small frames.

• French cleats - Suitable for heavier frames and larger canvases, thus less commonly used.

Once you’ve got the appropriate hangers, choose a hook or screw that you install on your wall and onto which you mount your canvas art:

• Nickel hooks - Variations support up to 30 lbs, 50 lbs, and 100 lbs. Best for drywall.
• Brass hooks - Weight capacity similar to nickel hooks. Works well with plaster walls.
• Bear claw screw hangers - Anchorless and can support 30 lbs on drywall without a stud and 100 lbs on a wall stud.

If you already have a canvas artwork you’ve been wanting to display but just don’t know where to start, check out this step-by-step article:

If you’ve been thinking of incorporating some company products in your office wall art, a poster gallery could be a great idea for a revamped workspace. It’s especially a great way to display motivational wall art for the office that showcases what your brand is all about, not just to company employees, but also to clients and guests.

Posters can be displayed in a host of ways. You can use clips, or paste them directly onto your wall with washi tape without putting them in frames. You can also mount your posters with a poster hanging kit, which is specifically for hanging up posters and a good option for valuable and heavier artwork. If you have a drop ceiling, check out drop ceiling grid hooks for a more dynamic, off-the-wall look. 

Having a work of art to look at once in a while throughout the workday makes it easier for you to breathe through a hectic schedule and re-energize. By placing home office wall art directly above your desk, you add a touch of creativity and inspiration to what would otherwise be a regular day of hustling.

Let’s discuss some important tips to keep in mind when mounting artwork over a work desk.

• Use your desk as a central point . Since your desk is a key element to the design of the space, use it to position the artwork you’ve picked. Whether you hang one big piece or several standard-size frames together, it’s important to be sure of where you want your furniture to be since there’s no turning back once you’ve bored the holes into your wall.

• Determine your desk setup . Next, decide what items you’re keeping on your desk and use your setup as reference for the height you want the artwork to be at. This helps you estimate the wall space that the artwork will cover alongside the things on your worktable.

• Test the right height . Test the artwork’s height by getting someone to hold the art pieces at several levels while you sit in your usual position when working.

PRO TIP: When hanging wall art for home office above a desk, people think that since you want to look at it while working, it makes sense to hang it low directly in front of you. But in reality, it becomes too close for you to enjoy. Art is usually made to be enjoyed from a distance, so this time it’s actually a good idea to hang it higher than you usually would. That way, it’s easier to gaze at when taking breaks in between work sessions.

Hanging office art up on floating shelves is a great way of decorating your workspace because it doesn’t restrict you to a few or just one artwork at a time. Choose white or similarly neutral-colored shelves for a versatile aesthetic and display artwork that is motivating or creates a relaxing environment.

To hang office wall art on shelves, you’ll need to install your shelves of choice first using wall brackets with any of the following:

• Studs

• Anchors

• Screws

• Molly bolts

What’s more, you can use floating shelves not just for hanging framed artwork, but also for art pieces that you can’t frame, or objet d’art. You can even use acrylic easels for placing your artwork on the shelf. 

We can’t talk about hanging art in the workspace without covering office cubicles. If you work in an office, you may have your own dedicated cubicle. While your cubicle walls are likely to be plastered with documents, tacked-on notes, and Post-Its, a little beautification of the space can’t hurt.

Putting up artwork within your cubicle may seem a little out of left field, but cubicle wall art adds personality to the average workspace and provides a focal point around which you can organize your work area in a more effective way.

Here’s what you can use to hang up office artwork in a cubicle:

• Mounting squares - These are pre-cut adhesive foam pads that let you affix lightweight pictures and posters without damaging your cubicle walls. Their velcro-like material adheres to fabric, wooden surfaces, metal, and drywall. We recommend hanging frames or posters with a maximum weight of 2 1/4 lbs.

• T-pins - T-pins are a unique solution for attaching things onto a variety of materials and surfaces, and they make for a particularly great cubicle wall art hanger. Commonly used in tailoring and knitting, the head of this pin is shaped like the letter T, which makes it easy to push in and adjust by sliding out. If you want to hang something a little heavier, T-pins are a good option for your office cubicle.

• Cubicle board hangers - There are regular wall hangers, and then there are cubicle wall hangers, designed specifically for office cubicles. These office art hangers are perfect if you want to hang a bigger frame as they support up to 50 pounds.

To hang a picture or art piece using cubicle board hangers, install the hanger first by fitting them over your cubicle wall and securing them using screws. Then mount your framed picture, poster, or art piece easily on the hangers.

Looking for more picture hangers specifically for the office? You can explore more options in this article:

Once you embrace art in the workspace, you’ll never want to go back to bare walls again. Not only is art in your office wall decor great for your productivity, but it also sets a pleasant mood by breaking monotony in the typical corporate aesthetic and provides a creative channel for brand expression. By making an area or space memorable, art pieces also function as landmarks, helping guests and employees find their way around with ease.

Whichever method you choose from this list, we are confident it will bring you more joy and comfort while you’re hard at work. If you need any help from us, we’re just one email or comment away!