The internet is going crazy for miniature framed portraits. The charming trend uses vintage-style paintings or prints to decorate spaces, and it’s a great way to inject plenty of personality and charm into your space. Think of it as minimum input with maximum reward. Their petite size means that anybody can find space for them, and they invite guests to peer closer and get lost in this miniature world on your walls. The miniature wall art trend has also given way to artwork in more unexpected spots. From above the toilet to inside the fridge, here’s where mini art is finding its place around the home.
(Image credit: Madeline Harper. Design: Emily Lauren Interiors)
A landscape or portrait in a gilded frame has timeless appeal, but right now, the smaller they are the better. But why the sudden urge to downscale our living room wall art ideas? “I believe its growing appeal comes from the sheer spectacle these tiny creations provide,” Etsy’s trend expert Dayna Isom Johnson says. “I particularly love that it evokes a sense of wonder and awe at the skill of creating such intricate work on a small scale. The time and focus to create something on that scale is no mean feat.”
Landscape artist Coleman Senecal says the trend captures the hearts of home decor lovers for its element of “surprise and beauty” in a space. “It draws the viewer in to observe it close up and see all the little details,” she says. “People are also living in smaller spaces than ever before, but as a whole, they still want to be surrounded by beautiful things, so tiny art is what fits best.”
(Image credit: Coleman Senecal Art)
Price: $14.99
Size: 3×3″
Vintage Style Swan Portrait
Price: $24.99
Size: 8×10″
European Tree Lane Wall Art
Price: $24.99
Size: 8×10″
The movement of miniature vintage style art is also the home design community’s affront to sterile modern homes. “Antique and vintage elements provide a more eclectic style,” says Karolina Wierzbicka, Head of Design at August. “They bring a bit of history or the addition of a specific design style.” Karolina also suggests that they are a great way to work with negative space in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming. She says they can create “a sense of balance” and that allows the rest of the space to breathe.
Coleman agrees, noting the “lived-in” appeal of vintage frames or paintings. “A gorgeous scrolled vintage frame that has a few chips or a worn-out edge gives a feeling of collected-ness, being passed down from generation to generation, and a sense of time,” she says. “These elements can ground and warm up a space that would otherwise feel cold or ‘cookie cutter’.”
How to Incorporate Tiny Paintings in Your Space
(Image credit: Future)
You don’t need to be a fine art collector to embrace this whimsical look. The style has strong ties to thrifting, but it can also be a great way to expand your art collection by browsing artists’ works. “Find a tiny vintage frame on Etsy, at a thrift store, or estate sale, and reach out to your favorite artist about purchasing a fine art print that will fit in the frame,” says Coleman. “It will be a fraction of the cost of an original, but if the artist makes high-quality giclee prints, you won’t be able to tell the difference.”
While a single tiny portrait makes a great statement on an otherwise empty wall, they can also be grouped together for a gallery wall idea, or used in more unexpected places around the home. Plenty of designers are incorporating small portraits into kitchens, for example, but leaning them up on the countertop. Or, for a more innovative idea, you could even consider turning them into a fridge display by adding some simple magnets, like these from Amazon, to the back of your frame.
Coleman notes that it’s this element of “surprise” that makes the tiny art trend so popular. “Adding a miniature framed landscape to an empty spot in a gallery wall is the obvious place to showcase tiny art in your decor, but you could also hang the miniature in an unexpected spot like a powder room, the end of a hallway, or a small slice of wall that is otherwise empty space,” she says. “Miniatures are also fabulous for propping on side tables, shelves, or mantels.”
Ready to add some character and charm to that dull nook of your home? Let a miniature framed painting be the answer.
