Where To Hang Art If You're Short On Wall Space, According To Drew Barrymore

It's a well-known fact that art can make or break a room — without it, a space often looks bare or just downright incomplete. But for those who have minimal square footage, finding a spot to hang your most prized paintings and pictures is easier said than done, especially if you've had to prioritize shelves and storage when it comes to your home's precious real estate. That's not to say that you should just give up on adorning your place, though — it just means that hanging art where there's little to no wall space requires a little creativity.

Thankfully, there's one easy trick that almost anyone can fall back on — and it comes courtesy of decor aficionado Drew Barrymore. The Flower Beauty founder's Instagram is the source of this easy solution, which she's highlighted multiple times in the past few weeks. Her hack? Hanging art over top of bookshelves, so that treasured frames still have spots in the room, even if there's no wall space in sight.

In fact, the entrepreneur utilizes this method in more than one way. Barrymore shared a look at a library-esque room in her home on Feb. 7 which showed a couch up against her built-in shelving units and a piece of art on top of the seating, leaning on the books. Then on Feb. 28, the star posted the room yet again, this time of her unboxing a JLo Beauty fridge with a large canvas hanging on the bookcases in the background.

While she's wholeheartedly adopted this look, Barrymore is far from the first to try it. As Jennifer Fernandez noted on Architectural Digest years ago, it actually emerged as a trend in late 2016, and has since become a way to not only find more wall space, but also to add a layered feel and unexpected interested to sometimes boring bookshelves.

It's easy to see why it's stood the test of time — and why the actor has adopted it into her own home. It's not only chic; it's easy and versatile. Like Barrymore, you can use large pieces or small, and choose to hang them on partitions or lean them against shelves if you have surfaces to set them on. And since it's supposed to look eclectic, it doesn't matter what type of pictures you choose. In fact, a mix of styles is encouraged.

Short on wall space, or just looking to give your shelves some new life? Take notes from Barrymore's chic room and then scroll ahead to start stocking up on artwork to help you recreate the look.

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