What to hang on a white Lanzarote wall? The answer is: pretty much anything you like.
Lanzarote doesn’t like to play by established conventions. Politely framed paintings are fine in their place, but there’s so much more you can do with a wall space.
However, on Lanzarote the key concepts are contrast and impact. Modern houses are normally full of blinding white walls, and unless you’re a fan of severe minimalism, you’ll be wanting something to break that blank expanse up.
The ideal way is to do this with one or two impact pieces that immediately draw the eye. A well-chosen wall hanging can define a room and personalise it in a way that few other items can do.
César Manrique’s paintings attempted to burst out of their frames all the time, and his incredibly broad approach to art meant that almost anything could be seen as a decoration. Visit his home in Haría and you’ll see animal skulls, pottery, old bottles and a bow and arrow mounted on the walls.
Then there are Lanzarote’s decorative arts. The pretty rosettes that were traditionally made by women are the perfect wall decoration and can be found at the Monumento del Campesino. You’ll also find examples of basketry, embroidery, and several other handicrafts in Haría and Teguise.
Teguise is the perfect place to look for unique and attractive art and decor. Ethnic rugs and throws make wonderfully colourful wall hangings and can easily be moved around to adapt to tastes.
How’s It Hanging?
One of the reasons we use frames so much is that we know exactly how to hang them. Once you’re out of the frame, the options become a little more confusing.
Lighter wall hangings can be supported with velcro, nails or pushpins, always taking care not to damage the material. Then there is a wide range of hooks, hangers and screws that will depend on the item you’re hanging.
Before filling your walls with holes, make sure you know how to fill and mask them adequately once you change your mind. This can be more difficult than you think with textured surfaces such as gotelé (Spanish Artex).
Heavier ones may require tapestry clamps, and a rod and sleeve combo can be useful for maintaining the shape of a heavy fabric wall hanging, although you’ll need to get busy with needle and thread to attach the sleeve to the hanging.
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