How to Choose Paintings for an Old-Money Interior
One can spend a fortune on furniture and still have a room look unfinished. What is missing, almost always, is the walls. The right painting does for a room what jewellery does for an outfit — it completes and lifts it. Old money style does not ask for expensive art, but for art chosen with discernment. At Martello, paintings are the final piece that ties everything together.
What subjects suit
The old-money interior loves art with a certain quiet. Classic landscapes, portraits, still lifes, scenes with horses or hunting, seascapes — themes that seem always to have been there. Avoid loud prints and fashionable motifs, which date quickly. Look instead for a subdued palette — deep greens, ochre, sepia, dark blue — that ties in with the wood and textiles of the room.
Why the frame matters
Often the frame matters as much as the canvas. A frame of carved wood, gilt or with patina, turns even a modest painting into a piece worthy of a salon. The frame is the bridge between the artwork and the furniture — which is why a well-chosen frame, echoing the tone of the wood in the room, makes the painting seem to have always been there.
How to arrange them
You have two paths. A single large painting, above the sofa or the chest, gives gravity and is the easiest to get right. A gallery wall of several paintings is livelier but asks for balance: start from the central piece and build around it, keeping equal spaces between the frames. Mix sizes, but unify through frame or palette.
At what height to hang them
The most common mistake is to hang paintings too high. The galleries' rule: the centre of the painting at about 145–150 cm from the floor, at eye level. Above a sofa or console, leave 20–30 cm between the furniture and the bottom edge of the frame, so the painting ties in with the piece rather than floating far above it.
Where to put them
In the living room, above the sofa, they become the backdrop of the seating area. In the hallway or on the stairs, a row of small paintings accompanies the step. In a dining room, a warm landscape sets off the table. Keep them away from direct sun and damp, which shorten their life.
Every painting in our collection is a unique piece, with its own frame and subject. Discover them in the paintings category and in the rest of our catalogue, then come and see them at the Martello showroom in Nimoreni, Ialoveni. We deliver throughout Moldova and Romania.