Selecting pairs. When two is better than one.

Sometimes when choosing art for your home or office walls, it may seem that just choosing one print isn’t going to work. Perhaps you have an exceptionally large blank space to fill or quite simply having trouble narrowing it down to just one print. It may be that the solution could be choosing a pair.

Pairs of wall art can be displayed side by side, one above the other, or for more of a contemporary look, nestled within a gallery wall amongst your existing favourite artworks. Two pieces of wall art that sit side by side in harmony can be incredibly pleasing to the eye but it can take some work to get to the perfect pair and avoid any clashing. To help with this, we’ve put together a few important notes to keep in mind when pairing prints along with some curated examples ready for your walls.

Before you get to choosing your two prints, consider the size, orientation and placement of them as this will play in determining the end result. Our guide to choosing the right size wall art will help with this should you be unsure of what will work in your space.

Pairs don’t have to match perfectly, but in order to make them work they do need to relate to each other in some way. The good news is that there is many ways this can be done, whether by theme, location, colour, subject, orientation or framing. The prints we’ve chosen have been paired by location, contrast colours, neutral tones and some just to showcase the beautiful landscapes Australia has to offer. 

When pairing prints by colour, you can opt for either a complimentary pair or analogous pair.  A complementary pairing will use colours of the same hue but are opposite on the colour wheel while an analogous pairing will feature colours that are adjacent to each other on the colour wheel. Taking into account that repetition of similar colours across the pair creates a striking effect as seen in some of the examples we’ve chosen. On the other hand, contrast in colour between the two creates a dramatic and attention-grabbing feature. If you’re looking for a striking statement wall, a pair with a strong contrast in colour is unquestionably the way to go.

Pairing wall prints by location is a great option if you have a connection to a particular place and want to strike up memories of time spent there. Often times by nature of similar subject matter, pairing prints by location can work due to similar moods and colours within them. Although this isn’t always the case, don’t be afraid to pair two prints of the same location painted in a different light. For example, this could mean pairing prints of the same location in both winter and summer. 

Australia is a wide, diverse land and a pair of wall art prints presents the perfect opportunity to showcase this diversity. Consider if there is a particular theme you would like to pair by, whether this be by alpine or outback. You’ll find that the contrast between tropical far north Queensland the Kimberley coast can make for a striking pair. 

Perhaps there’s a certain style you love, maybe a certain time of year that you want reflected in your home all year round? In this case you can pair by subject. This could look something like pairing two snow gums or perhaps two painterly aerials if you are after something more abstract. If your preference is scandi-inspired or minimalist, you may want to consider some alpine prints as their muted tones make them more neutral. That being said, don’t be afraid to pair a more minimalistic artwork next to a ‘busy’ one as this can be a means of offsetting the pieces intricacy resulting in a harmonious duo.

When relating pieces to one another through their composition, also consider the negative space within them as this can be something that pairs the two prints. This can result in a striking minimalistic duo that also leaves breathing room for other pieces in your home. Another thing to look out for is where the horizon is in the two images, as this can be a basis for a pair that works.