Looking to refresh boring wall spaces and upgrade your home’s décor?
Decorating around eye-catching wall clocks allows you to create an artistic focal point filled with visual interest.
Learn how to decorate around a wall clock to transform any blank area into a showstopping display.
From vintage to modern aesthetics, I’ll share insider decorating tips so you can frame beloved clocks into polished works of art.
With the right scale, symmetry and decorative enhancements, your clocks will tick with standout artistic flair.
Things You Should Consider When decorating a wall clock
1. Layout & Size – First, consider the location and size of the clock to make sure wall decor does not obscure any part of the clock face. Measure carefully! Also, account for the amount of blank space left around the clock for balance.
2. Color Palette & Materials – Pick colors and textures that enhance the existing palette of your clock. For example, add art or objects in clock accent colors. Coordinate materials of surrounding decor like wood, metal, glass, or marble for cohesion.
3. Symmetry & Balance – Arrange decor so visual weight is evenly distributed on both sides and/or above and below the statement-making clock. Gallery walls look best with an intentionally asymmetrical composition – but make the clock the anchor.
4. Lighting – Properly illuminate the clock so it doesn’t get lost in the surrounding busyness. Add focused task lighting if needed. Consider reflectiveness too – items like mirrors can bounce light nicely.
5. Focal Point – While clocks inherently draw the eye, adding visual interest around them increases their gravitas. But take care not to overshadow the star attraction. The clock should remain the clear focal point.
6. Functionality – Ensure décor placements don’t impede the clock’s practical use, like opening to change batteries or seeing the hands clearly to check the time. Form and function must blend seamlessly!
7. Cohesion – For a pulled-together look, decorate around the clock using coordinating collections, thematically tied pieces, or items with unifying motifs rather than a random assortment of objects.
Keeping these factors in mind while planning your wall clock display will help you pull off a gorgeous, polished look!
11 Best Ways on How to Decorate Around a Wall Clock
1. Use Wallpaper or a Bold Paint Color Behind the Clock
Have you ever noticed how wall clocks can sometimes blend into the background? Choosing a vibrant wallpaper print or bold paint color is an easy way to make your clock pop. Go for a bright or metallic hue that complements your clock’s rim and hands. This will make it the focal point of any room. Feel free to be adventurous with patterns or textures too! A clock centered on a statement wall is guaranteed to spark conversation.
2. Add Wall Art Like Family Photos or Paintings Around the Clock
Surrounding your lovely wall clock with relevant art or photography is a nice way to incorporate it into your existing décor. Choose pieces in coordinating colors or styles that enhance the clock’s design. Black and white photos with pops of color would contrast nicely with a copper clock for example. Or select artwork featuring clocks or time references to tie it all together cleverly. Get creative with your arrangement too – try grouping items asymmetrically around the clock to give it a balanced look.
3. Hang Curtains on either side of the Clock to Frame It
Framing your clock with elegant curtains automatically enhances its visual impact. The fabric can pick up colors from the clock’s trim or work in contrast to make it stand out beautifully. For a cohesive feel, select patterns featuring shapes or lines also found on the clock’s surface. Or keep it simple with flowing solid curtains in a matching tone. Consider extending the rod a foot or two wider than the clock to create a proscenium effect around this special focal point. With quality curtains on each side, your clock will feel strikingly stage-like.
4. Arrange Floating Shelves Around the Clock to Display Decor Items
There’s so much blank wall space around wall clocks, so fill it up with floating shelves to build a decorative display. This is a great way to exhibit some of your favorite collectibles or meaningful memorabilia around your clock. Choose shelves in materials like wood, glass, or acrylic that add nice texture but don’t distract from the main event—your stunning clock! Style the shelves with items of varying heights such as stacked books, short candles, small plants, vases, framed photos, or any special knickknacks. You can group similar items on shelves above and below the clock to frame it, or place contrasting decorative shelves on each side.
5. Install Sconces or Pendant Lights
Proper lighting can make or break any wall décor, so draw attention to your clock by installing ambient lighting around it. Stylish sconces on either side will cast a glow to dramatically showcase your clock. Or hang a bright pendant light in a complementary shape or material right above it. You can also line the area with several mini pendant lights at varying heights for a chandelier-like effect. Don’t forget to use dimmers so you can control the mood. Visually interesting lighting around the perimeter of your clock will creatively enhance its design.
6. Create a Gallery Wall of Framed Art and Mirrors Around the Clock
Gather some of your most dazzling wall décor pieces and arrange them in an eye-catching gallery display anchored by your fabulous clock. Combine framed artwork, prints, photos and mirrors for plenty of visual texture and interest surrounding the main event. Trendy gallery walls often have a seemingly random arrangement, but keep symmetry in mind – balance the sides visually so the clock feels centered. You can also keep the surrounding pieces in uniform shapes or matching colors for a more polished gallery wall style. No matter how you design it, a diverse gallery arrangement makes a fantastic backdrop to showcase that charming clock.
7. Add Shelving Above or Below the Clock
Take advantage of the empty space above or below a wall clock by filling it with customized shelving tailored to your collection. Build floating shelves right up to the ceiling to show off treasured souvenirs, pretty dishes, or colorful glassware. For a more organized look, install enclosed shelving with doors to tidily corral books, baskets, or decorative boxes. Illuminate the shelves surrounding your clock with battery-operated lights or a centralized pendant lamp so you can lovingly highlight your impressive collections in their new display space.
8. Use Washi Tape, Ribbons, or Vines Around the Edges of the Clock
If you want to integrate your clock into your space in a more subtle way, use washi tape, ribbon or fake vines to accessorize the edges. Wind washi tape in complementary colors and patterns around the outer rim of the clock for an eye-catching frame effect. Adhere ribbons softly trailing down from the sides or faint faux vines crawling up the corners for natural flair. This lightweight accent dressing prevents your clock from feeling too stark or serious against bare walls. Continue the vines or ribbons elsewhere on the wall for a cohesive feel that artfully incorporates your clock.
9. Place a Console Table Underneath
An empty stretch of wall below an eye-level clock can feel isolating or incomplete. Anchor it by centering your clock above a slim console table. Then decorate the tabletop with pretty floral bouquets, stacks of decor books, or a collection of your favorite vases and candles. The table’s surface allows you to creatively fill spaces the wall cannot, letting you build a gorgeous composition around the clock. Choose table legs and accents that match colors spotted on the clock face or ticks. Now your clock friendship with its companion table looks beautifully balanced and styled.
10. Hang a Small Chandelier Above the Clock
Amp up the allure of your wall clock by hanging a glamorous chandelier right above it. The chandelier’s sparkling jewelry-like lighting and ornamentation will inject the wall space with elegance. Sculptural modern chandeliers in chrome or gold mesh perfectly contrast vintage roman numeral clock dials. For farmhouse spaces, try a mini woven rattan orb light. Or go for crystal opulence fitting for a grand hallway. Make sure your chandelier selection plays up key details on the clock face rather than hides them. Together, your stacked focal pieces will create palpable and polished drama.
11. Use Plants to Soften the Area
Plants have a magical way of instantly enhancing any space with natural charm. To keep your clock wall from looking too stiff, incorporate living greenery around it for fresh contrast. Set an exquisite orchid on a decorative plant stand beside the clock in a pretty planter. Let the graceful blooms mirror the precision of the clock’s moving hands. Or surround the clock with low-maintenance succulents of varied shapes and sizes to create an organic frame. Their colorful leaves and sculptural forms make the perfect complement to anchor the structured lines of the ticking focal point you’ve mounted in their midst.
Additional Tips and Tricks to Decorate Around a Wall Clock
Here are some additional tips and tricks for decorating around a wall clock:
1. Play with dimension and texture – Use items like wicker baskets, clay vases, and macrame wall hangings around your clock to add visual interest. The variations in shapes and surfaces make a nice counterpoint to the flat clock face.
2. Incorporate clock shapes – Echo the shape of your clock in surrounding decor by using round mirrors, circular wall art, curved candleholders and half-moon shelves. Repetition of circles and arcs makes the whole arrangement feel harmonious.
3. Show off the seconds – If your clock features a seconds tick that sweeps around, make it visible instead of hiding it behind decor. This gives guests a hint of motion and draws interest towards the clock.
4. Use clock numerals in décor – If your clock or timepiece features oversized Roman numerals or vintage fonts, match those styling moments in surrounding framed prints, wallpaper accents and painted embellishments.
5. Try flocking or decals – Add dimension to the flat clock surface with decorative touches like flocked velvet flocking around the edges or metallic decals, enamel shapes or crystals scattered across the clock face.
6. Backlight it – Install subtle lighting pointed directly at your clock, such as recessed cans or track lighting to highlight specific details you want to accentuate for drama.
7. Contrast the colors – If your clock features a bold color like red, keep décor around it neutral, such as black and white photography and creamy solids, so the clock pops. Or vice versa – a metallic clock on a jewel-toned or brightly colored wall stands out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions someone may have about decorating around a wall clock:
Q: What if my clock doesn’t match my existing décor – can I still decorate around it?
A: Yes! You can use decor items in colors pulled from your clock’s face or materials to help it coordinate. Or just embrace the contrast for an eclectic style.
Q: I have a really large clock – how much empty space should I leave around it?
A: Plan to leave 6-12 inches minimum on all sides so décor doesn’t encroach on the face itself. The bigger the clock, the more breathing room it needs.
Q: Should I hang artwork at the same height as my already-hung clock?
A: Generally, yes. Hanging all wall items 2-4 inches above furniture keeps everything visually aligned. Just don’t cover up your clock!
Q: What type of lighting works best to spotlight a clock?
A: Focused track lighting aimed at the clock casts dramatic shadows and illuminates intricate clock details beautifully.
Q: Is it ok to mix metallics around a metal clock?
A: Absolutely! Just make sure finishes have a similar tone and sheen so combinations look intentional instead of haphazard.
Q: How do I make a gallery wall around a clock cohesive?
A: Group framed items similar in size, color scheme, or content theme. Repeat elements like mat board hues also create cohesion around your bold centerpiece clock.
Final Thoughts
With the right touches, transforming lackluster spaces by decorating around wall clocks is profoundly satisfying.
Not only do creatively styled clocks become striking works of art, but they also provide an anchor for displaying cherished items or showing off your design skills.
Arrange and highlight your timepiece treasures to create eye-pleasing focal points using our decor tips.
Soon visitors won’t be asking for the time – but rather admiring how uniquely you framed your clocks to elevate any bare wall or forgotten corner.
So try your hand at decoratively showcasing clocks to breathe impressive new life into home decor.