As the senior director of White Cube, Mathieu Paris is well versed in art curation. At his home in Pimlico, south-west London, you’ll find expertly placed paintings and sculptures by the likes of  Jannis Kounellis, Damien Hirst and Mona Hatoum. If you have an ever-growing collection like Mathieu, then consider white walls as a backdrop – it’s a simple interiors trick that keeps things elevated, no matter how playful and eclectic the art. “The walls are white because we wanted a feeling of serenity and quietness even if the space is full of art,” he said when he showed us around his Regency flat. Some further advice: “There is no one recipe to showcase art, but the way you place art in your own house says a lot about your personality. I match artworks to the architecture of the space.”

Artists, don’t be afraid of living among your work. As Azadeh Ghotbi points out at her self-designed apartment in Clerkenwell, central London, where she has over 20 of her pieces on the wall, it gives her a chance to reflect on her work. “The art in my home is solely my own. It’s important for me to be surrounded by my work because it helps me understand it better, see how the pieces sit with each other, and how they change throughout the day with different lights,” she explains. “I work flat on the floor, so the initial perspective I have is different from what a collector would see, and I think it’s important to see both.”

Make like hairstylist Cyndia Harvey and fill your space with statement, sculpture-like furniture and objects that double as art. “I’ve developed an obsession with finding art-like pieces, and I definitely feel like the aesthetic trumps the actual function,” she told us when we visited her home on a mews in Brockley, south-east London. So, think of each object in your home as ‘art’, even if it doesn’t hang on the wall per se. But perhaps most importantly, as Cyndia says, the art in your home should bring you pleasure. “Everything in here puts a smile on my face and – although it sounds pretentious to say – I feel really connected to everything because it all has a story behind it.” Wise words.

Minimalists may lean towards curating art that sits neatly together, but for Raphael Zerbib, a self-confessed fan of Memphis design, it’s all about the vibrant and diverse. “I don’t like clinical, empty spaces – in fact, I like being surrounded by things. For me, there is a sort of poetry in putting a colourful 1990s lamp next to a vintage French amphora, for instance.” His art is equally colourful and conversation-starting: “The large abstract painting in the living room is by Jason Tessier, who has become a favourite of mine. There’s also a very large painting in the dining room by my partner, which creates a really warm atmosphere. It’s of a couple having dinner and there’s a big plume of smoke above them – you don’t really know what they’re doing but it’s so inviting.” Now, go forth and be bold. 

Take a leaf out of author and writer Charlie Porter’s book and showcase art of different mediums in the same space. From a neon sculpture to paintings and even a film installation – yes, truly – his extraordinary living room in Shoreditch, east London, has it all. Such an assortment of art will make for a particularly eye-catching affair when your home is made from an intriguing material palette like Charlie’s, where concrete walls play host to pieces by his mother and painter Pat Porter, Charlotte Prodger and Prem Sahib. But art needn’t solely be placed in the main living space. Partial to a bath? Above the tub makes a fine spot for your favourite piece to live. Dress up your most cherished nooks in the home – whether they’re on show to guests or simply for your own viewing pleasure.