Form Follows Function: Styling Bauhaus Prints for a Clean, Modern Interior

A modern interior does not need to be colourless to feel calm. A carefully chosen abstract print can introduce rhythm, contrast and personality while leaving the room's clean lines intact. Artists associated with the Bauhaus offer a rich starting point, but their work is more varied than a formula of primary colours and geometric shapes.

This guide explores how to choose and display modernist artwork in a simple interior, with linked examples by Paul Klee. Browse our abstract art prints collection as you consider the colours and forms that appeal to you.

What was the Bauhaus?

The Bauhaus was a school founded by Walter Gropius in Weimar, Germany, in 1919. It brought art and craft into dialogue and developed changing approaches to design, technology and production before closing in 1933.

Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky and Oskar Schlemmer were among its teachers. Their work and ideas contributed to the school's experiments, but they did not all paint or design in the same way.

The phrase “form follows function” is associated with the wider history of modern design and predates the Bauhaus. It should not be treated as a complete statement of the school's founding philosophy, especially when discussing paintings whose purpose is expressive rather than practical.

Does Bauhaus art always use primary colours and geometry?

Circles, triangles, grids and primary colours are familiar parts of the Bauhaus story, but they do not describe every work by its teachers or students. Delicate line, complex palettes, imaginative figures and natural references also appear.

Typography and workshop design formed another important strand. Experimental lettering explored new visual systems as well as legibility, while different teachers approached the relationship between art and making in different ways.

For your home, judge the actual image rather than relying on the label. A colourful grid and a quiet botanical abstraction can create very different moods, even when both come from an artist associated with the school.

For a colourful focal point: Paul Klee's Untitled composition

This Untitled abstract print by Paul Klee combines warm and cool colour blocks. Uneven edges soften the structure, giving it a lively rather than mechanical appearance.

In a room with pale walls and simple furniture, it could become the main source of colour. Choose one or two tones to repeat in a cushion, ceramic or book cover, then allow the remaining shades to stay within the artwork.

The composition also illustrates why a modernist palette need not be limited to red, yellow and blue. Its variety is part of the appeal.

For a quieter corner: Blossoming Flower

Blossoming Flower (1934) offers a gentler alternative. A simplified pink bloom and slender green stem sit within a finely patterned field.

The work dates from after Klee's Bauhaus teaching years. It is included here as an example of his wider modernist practice, not as a painting made at the school.

Its restrained colours could suit a bedroom or reading corner, especially alongside natural textures. Keep nearby patterns modest enough to let the smaller marks remain visible.

Explore our Paul Klee print reproductions collection to compare more of his varied approaches.

How to frame abstract art in a simple interior

A straightforward frame often works well, but there is no mandatory finish. A dark frame can create a clear boundary; a natural wood finish can connect with furniture; a lighter frame may soften the transition to a pale wall.

A mount can add breathing room, although the right width depends on the image and the display. It does not automatically turn a reproduction into a gallery-quality object.

Check each product's actual size and framing options before deciding. Plan around the complete outer dimensions, not just the visible artwork.

How to group modernist prints

Choose a relationship, not a rigid rule

Connect the prints through colour, repeated shapes or an artist. A quiet composition beside a more energetic one can be more interesting than several equally bold images.

Keep the spacing intentional

Use paper templates to test the arrangement. Similar outer sizes may suit an orderly row, while different proportions can work in a looser grouping. Neither approach is more historically “Bauhaus” simply because it looks neat.

Leave the room some visual space

A small group or single focal point is often enough. If the room already contains books, patterned fabrics or sculptural objects, avoid making every wall compete for attention.

Where should the artwork hang?

Choose a location where you will enjoy seeing it regularly, and check the view from both the doorway and nearby seating. A print above a desk should also feel well placed when you are sitting down.

Keep paper artwork away from prolonged direct sunlight, damp and heat. If specialist glazing matters for your chosen location, look for explicit specifications rather than assuming UV protection or an anti-reflective finish is included.

Choose modernist art that feels right for your home

The Bauhaus offers a history of experimentation, not a decorating checklist. Use that spirit to compare artworks closely and choose the balance of colour, line and detail you enjoy.

Browse our abstract art prints collection for different modernist approaches, or explore the Paul Klee collection for colour-led compositions and imaginative forms.