Are you looking for abstract art ideas to decorate your Airbnb? Brilliant idea. Art can be the key differentiator that elevates truly special, memorable Airbnb experiences from the forgettable, no-better-than-a-motel, options. I am currently staying in a short term, furnished rental in California for 1 month, and the abstract art in the living room adds so much character to the thoughtfully decorated living room. I’m already planning on giving the rental provider a 5 star review!
Luckily, you don’t have to spend a fortune on a Rothko, or settle for a flimsy printout of the real thing. You yourself are an artist too! And before you roll your eyes and x out of this webpage, hear me out – literally ANYONE (older than maybe age 5) would be able to follow the instructions to create these 12 simple but effective abstract art pieces. These Airbnb art ideas are not just foolproof – all of them still look sophisticated, “expensive”, and can complement any interior design style or color palette.
So keep reading to get inspired to pick up your own paintbrush, and make some abstract art for your own Airbnb.
Materials you will need:
- Canvas or wood board
- Paint – either acrylic or oil paint. Acrylic is significantly cheaper, so I would go with that if you’re just starting out.
- Paintbrushes
1. Paint a large canvas a single, solid color.
One of the most simple but effective abstract artworks for interior design is just a large canvas covered in a single, solid color. The key is choosing a color that complements the furniture and other decorative accents in the room. The color you choose can greatly affect the mood and “vibe” of your Airbnb.
For example, if you have mainly warmer toned furniture like caramel-colored woods as shown in this image below, choosing a large, burnt orange colored painting can complement the existing warmth of the room perfectly. The painting’s size and the singularity of its color really adds a sunny, resort-style tone to the space.
Alternatively, in this retro, mod living room adorned with cool toned artworks, this grayish lilac painting works perfectly as a backdrop. It complements the deep brown couches and red acrylic coffee, and bathes the room in cool tone that makes the space seem almost like a hip art gallery.
Just pick a canvas large enough for your room, and choose a color that complements the vibe you’re going for, and be sure to cover the entire canvas with paint. You can add a border in a slightly different color, or add flecks of the same color in a slightly darker shade, to add more depth and character to the painting if you want.
2. Use thick paint to cover most of the canvas, allowing the texture of brushstrokes to show through.
I think one of the best parts of painting that sets it apart from other genres like drawing and photography is the TEXTURE of the paint can really shine through. You can take advantage of this property by using thick paint to cover your canvas. Paint in a “sloppy” manner and really let the texture of your brushstrokes shine through in the final painting.
You could opt for just one main color, like in this dark red painting with hints of dark brown below, or mix multiple colors like in the textured dark blue, pink and white oil painting beneath it.
3. Paint a simple shape overlay, like an oval or a square, on a background in a complementary color.
This is another incredibly simple abstract art idea that can be surprisingly effective when executed well. If you choose the right complementary colors, the painting can add an almost holographic wash of ambient color to your room.
The instructions are simple: choose a color for the background and paint the canvas completely in this color. Next, draw a circle or a squarish overlay on top, and paint it in a different contrasting color. At the edges of this shape, blend both colors so that the overlay color fades gradually into the background color with no harsh edges.
In both of these examples below, notice how the primary colors in the painting match the color of other decorative elements in the room. This technique is an easy way to create harmony in your space.
4. Draw an amorphous, organic looking shape, and paint it against a background in a contrasting color.
This painting can be great for simply decorated, zen spaces. I could also see this type of painting complementing an organic modern living room very well.
All you have to do is draw an amorphous, circular shape on the canvas, and paint the shape and its background in two different contrasting colors. In contrast to idea no. 3 above, we DO want harsh edges in this painting, so carefully make sure the two different paint colors don’t blend at their edges.
5. (Attempt to) copy Rothko.
You can try to replicate Rothko’s signature look relatively easily: just divide the canvas up into uneven rectangular sections, and paint them in different colors. You can also paint outlines of smaller rectangles within each rectangular section. Much of the beauty of Rothkos lie in the harmony of their color choices, so be sure to choose colors that speak to you or the space you’re decorating.
6. Use a thick, large paintbrush and draw circular squiggle patterns all over the canvas.
Cy Twombly popularized what I like to call “expressionist squiggle painting”. He took a large brush and swooshed his characteristic red paint all over the vast surfaces of canvas in energetic, circular patterns. The emotion and vigor captured in these paintings can add great energy to any interior space.
You can take inspiration from one of the expressionist, abstract masters himself and create your own squiggle painting by using a large brush, or even a paint roller, and dragging it across a canvas in circular squiggles. Check out some of these types of paintings below from Pinterest for inspiration:
7. Make a gradient painting.
I LOVE the look of these colorful, soft gradient paintings. They’re perfect if you’re going for resort or vacation vibes. Something about the softness of one color blending seamlessly into the next reminds me of hazy sunsets or ocean horizons.
For these paintings, you can paint gradients going from top to bottom, or radiating outwards from the center in concentric rings. Just be sure to choose colors that blend nicely together and complement each other. Check out some of these example paintings below for inspiration.
8. Use oil paint sticks on top of layers of paint.
I love the look of oil paint stick scribbles layered on top of a painted canvas. It really adds an artistic, organic flourish to a space. You can scribble various lines and cover the entire canvas, or just add a few markings in different corners and leave empty space for a more spare look. Check out the two examples from Pinterest below for inspiration!
9. Add some straight lines to the corner of a canvas painted in one color.
Another super simple abstract painting idea is to add a couple straight lines, in different contrasting colors, to the corner of a painted canvas, like in this painting from Pinterest below. The composition is super simple, but again, you can easily customize the colors to your Airbnb’s palette and make a sophisticated piece that will enhance your space.
10. Write some text on top of painted canvas.
You can add text to your painting that could serve as food for thought or conversation starters for your Airbnb guests. Of course, you can easily customize the text to fit the mood and vibe you’re going for. You could select a favorite quote, make up some fun “house rules”, or write something reminiscent of the locale your Airbnb is in.
These are some of my favorite text based art pieces from Pinterest:
11. Paint colorful shapes in 4 quadrants on the canvas.
Quadrants can add a Warhol-esque, pop art touch to your abstract painting. Simply divide your canvas into 4 distinct quadrants. Then, draw different shapes on each quadrant, like circles, squares, or even triangles. Paint these shapes in different colors, and you can fill in the backgrounds or foregrounds of each quadrant shape in different contrasting colors. Given the numerous combinations of colors and shapes you can choose, your painting will surely turn out unique for your space!
12. Experiment!
Ok ok I know this last one is a bit of a copout. But I was hoping if you read this far, you would’ve realized now that there are no rules to abstract art. Once you’ve gotten comfortable with putting paintbrush to canvas, I hope you can be inspired to make your own unique original abstract artwork. One can only get so far by copying cookie-cutter abstract compositions.
Mix different colors that speak to you, try out different marks and strokes, experiment with compositions, and maybe even try out the technique of painting wet on wet paint. You might just happen upon a masterpiece that you’re truly proud of.
To inspire you, allow me to share some of my favorite unique abstract art works:
I was SO lucky to see this stunning piece in person at ARCO Lisboa 2023 (an art fair in Lisbon, Portugal).
I hope these abstract Airbnb art ideas gave you enough inspiration to go out and start painting! If you do end up trying out any of these ideas, I would love to see pictures of what you create in the comments! Happy painting 😊🎨
To keep reading about other top Airbnb decor ideas, check this article out next!
