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Homes & Gardens
Homes & Gardens
Megan Slack

Real estate agents say this intelligent artwork trick is a unique way to impress guests – and Charli XCX’s space offers the perfect blueprint

Charli XCX .

The visual power of artwork in a dining room is unsurprising, but there's more to this feature than its aesthetic value.

To make the lesson clearer than ever before, we've turned to Charli XCX’s Tudor-style dining space, adorned with two statement art pieces that command attention in the room. It may seem simple, but realtors say its impact is unrivaled, and it's worth following her example whether you're selling or not.

If you're looking for dining room wall ideas that will resonate with everyone who passes through your space (including dinner guests), Charli's space is effortless yet powerful. Her artwork feels curated, but it's not overpowering. Her chosen pieces reveal something about her without being too forward, and it's a look that will forever impress, according to real estate agents.

Shop the look

'Whenever I walk a buyer through a home, the rooms that linger in memory always have something to say beyond square footage and paint choices. The dining room is the easiest place to make that happen, and art is the tool that does most of the talking. I learned this the hard way years ago while staging a listing in Westlake,' comments Eric Bramlett, a realtor and owner of Bramlett Real Estate.

'The house had gleaming floors and a brand-new kitchen, yet everyone drifted through the dining room without pause. We borrowed a large abstract piece from a local gallery, centered it above the buffet, and the next showing lasted twenty minutes longer because people stopped, pointed, and imagined Thanksgiving dinner under that splash of color. The owners thought we’d swapped tables – really, we just gave the room a focal point.'

However, when decorating with art in a dining room, Eric notes that scale is crucial to sucsess.

'A single canvas should feel generous, not timid, against the wall it inhabits. I tell clients to picture the table as an anchor: if the art is wider than half the table, the proportions are usually right,' he says.

'When ceilings are high or the walls are long, I break up the space with a trio of complementary pieces and hang them close enough that the gaps read as deliberate, not accidental.'

Lastly, you need to consider the color and theme, just as Charli demonstrates.

'I like art that picks up an accent already in the room, maybe the deep green of the porcelain cabinet hardware or a whisper of terracotta from the floor tile. That echo makes the space feel intentional,' Eric says.

'Themes work similarly; a modern home with sharp lines benefits from something abstract or geometric, while a craftsman bungalow almost begs for softer landscapes or still life.'

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