When it comes to home design, stairwells don't always get their just deserts, but a well-appointed staircase space can add sophisticated charm to your home's aesthetic. They can, in and of themselves, be a work of art. Additionally, your staircases and spaces can be masterfully enhanced as a showcase feature when dressed with eye-catching art.

Staircase walls are an interesting canvas as they take many different shapes, from a vast and vertical wall to narrowly framed horizontal spaces. Although more than half of homes in the United States are two-story, many of our clients struggle with the best types of art to hang within their stairwell spaces.

In our series about art in unique places within your home, we're taking a closer at how to identify your art preferences and make the best use of spaces you might not otherwise consider for showing off your art. Starting with stairwells, we’re sharing some recommendations based on our experience working with clients looking to add interest to their homes via staircase wall art.

1. Create a Gallery Wall

This is the most straightforward option but even a gallery wall involves a bit of planning. Filling a large blank canvas with a series of artworks can be a smart solution. Our advice? Don't be afraid to mix and match using varying shapes, sizes, and styles of artworks if you're so inclined. Take your stairwell up a notch with an eclectic arrangement of mixed wall art in order to make the daily ascension a more exciting trip.If structure and order are more your style, you can opt for a uniform art design scheme. Some interesting options include a black and white motif or color-coordinated art in matching black frames which provide a bold contrast to a lighter background. Lining up artwork pieces that are similar in style and scope can be very pleasing to the eye.

If you're not sure where to begin with your staircase gallery wall, start with a large piece in the center and work around it and outward. Put a family member or friend to work as your assistant to ensure that the placement of the artwork is landing in the right place, and double-check, including from a distance each time you add a piece.

2. Go Big and Bold

Height and space are important considerations when it comes to choosing art to fill an entire wall. We love a good gallery wall but you can also make great use of space with a single grand-scale artwork. If you're dealing with a massive open wall, select your singular piece with scale in mind, making certain not to go too small with your art choices.

Often this can be a useful way to display a favorite big, bold piece that doesn't seem to fit the style of other rooms but can take center stage in your stairwell. For example, in a modern minimalist motif, a large abstract piece can be particularly impactful.

3. Create an Artful Display of Family Photos

Many interior designers will tell you that family photos that are randomly dispersed throughout rooms in your home can take away from the cohesiveness of a well-designed abode. However, we are fans of unifying these looks in a playful way or through a sophisticated arrangement in a hallway or staircase wall. Even home renovator and expert Jonathan Scott recommends the stairwell as the perfect spot for your family photos.

Making your photo frames a stylistic part of the photo landscape can bring extra pizazz to your favorite photos, and selecting matching frames can tie it all together nicely. If you want to get really creative, add in some historic family photos. Stairwells and hallways are also a great place to hang a painted family portrait or a series of individual painted portraits of family members. If you’re not sure about the mechanics of having a painted portrait commissioned, we can help.

Of course, your photo gallery doesn't have to include just human subjects. We've seen some amazing photo walls featuring personal photography of the homeowner’s travel adventures and favorite locales.

4. Make A Statement

Go big and/or go home. Whether it's big jewelry, bold attire, or fabulous art, we love a good statement piece, and what it says about individual style. Staircase wall art can be a great opportunity to stretch your creative boundaries. This is your opportunity to let your personal style shine!

Wall hangings don't have to be traditional artwork and you can incorporate texture and dimension. Examples of unique wall decor for a staircase wall might include wall decals, hanging plants, custom framed prints, beautifully framed mirrors, and sculptural pieces. These are just a few of the interesting options to make your staircase wall sing.

5. Make It Meaningful

Staircase walls are a great way to share your personal style, so take chances, but also make it meaningful. By this, we mean that each space in your home should be a reflection of you -- your style, the people, places, and things that you value. Incorporate personal elements, such as mementos from travel, family artwork, inherited pieces, or custom art such as a commissioned pet portrait.

Whatever your creative preferences, when it comes to designing your stairwell space, be deliberate but try not to overthink it. There really aren't hard and fast "rules" when it comes to creating interesting spaces.

One of the rewarding aspects of our work at UGallery is that our role in art curation and procurement is about more than a simple transaction. We like to think of ourselves as a resource for your art needs from start to finish, including helping you come up with custom solutions to your decor challenges. Need a staircase wall art idea? We are glad to help.

You can view and shop original artworks on our website including new art posted weekly.