How to buy art for your home
One of the joys of owning a home is decorating it in accordance with your tastes and interests. This not only creates a pleasant environment that reflects your personality, but it can also add value to your property. Buying art is both a good investment and an enjoyable way to improve the appearance of your house. Here are five steps to help you buy art for your home.
Consider your space
The first thing you want to think about when buying art is, where are you going to put it. If you’re new to buying art, start with a single room — perhaps your living room, or master bedroom. Look at the size and layout of the room, think about how much light it gets (and what time of day). This will help you identify pieces that are suitable for the room. You don’t want to overwhelm a space with a too-large or complex work of art, but you also don’t want a small painting or photo to get lost in a big room.
Budget
Art is both for personal enjoyment and an investment, so think about how much you are able and willing to spend. If you have a small budget, decide if you want to spread it over a few pieces, or focus on buying a single statement piece. Those of you fortunate enough to have a generous budget can decide if you want to shop for established artists whose work is at a premium.
Trust your gut
When it comes to purchasing art, the most important rule is “buy what you like.” Don’t buy a piece of art because it (or the artist) is trendy, cool, or well-known. Ultimately, you are going to be looking at this thing every day for a long time, so make sure you love it. That said, part of the fun of buying art is learning and cultivating your taste. Explore related images or artists to ones you already like — you might just discover something you love even more!
Support emerging artists
Art is typically priced according to the fame of the artist. If you want fine art on a budget, look for emerging artists. Established galleries often curate work by new artists, trying Saatchi’s Collections page (https://www.saatchiart.com/collections/browse) or you can browse platforms like Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/c/art-and-collectibles) where artists promote and sell their own work. If you have creative friends, why not commission a piece? It is a wonderful way to support your friend’s talent and get a personalised work of art.
Explore new mediums
Art is more than just painting and photography. Branch out and consider plastic arts like sculpture, quilting, paper-mâché, wood carving, ceramics, or collage. These different branches of art add texture, colour, and vitality to your home. Also, they may be less expensive than buying a big canvas, meaning you can increase your collection without draining your bank account!
What’s one piece of art you’d love to own? Share in the comments!
