Your home is a vessel for all the warmer ways to live. It’s a place to find a presence, plan an adventure, and gather with close ones. From your home, you can build comfort and nostalgia, and the way you choose to invest in your home is a reflection of your personal style. How to find artwork for your home can be a piece of your story. This guide is everything you need to know to choose art for your home.

how to choose Artwork for Your Home, Collecting and Curating Original Artwork

Choosing artwork for your home and becoming an art collector is an exciting experience. The process of picking artwork for your home can be based on your preference and style, what you simply appreciate, or how it collectively comes together to tell your story. It is an undeniable way to bring personality and character to your home. Below is a list of considerations when picking artwork for your home.

How does your home serve you?

Before you decide how to decorate your home with art, it’s important to consider how your home serves you. Is it a place to retreat or a place to gather? Is your home for your family or is it for just you? Is it for display or for you to stay? There are so many ways to answer this question. And each room might have different considerations. Getting clear on how you want your home to serve you will help you choose art for your home that will bring your walls to life in a way that reflects your true self.

Subject and Mood

Before you dig into specifications on what exactly you are looking for, it’s helpful to identify what artwork subject and mood you prefer, appreciate, or will further add to your home story. The subject of original art is the main idea represented in the artwork - like landscape art, abstract art, portrait art, etc. The mood of original art is the feeling expressed in the piece - like light and cheerful or dark and moody.

To identify a subject or mood when choosing art for your home, it’s helpful to recall how your home or room is serving you. What do you want from this home or space? How can artwork help further evoke those considerations or feelings? Then consider what subject and mood will help elevate your answer.

Pro Tip: Consider browsing websites that have a large selection of artwork to browse, like Artfully Walls. Use the filters to browse by category (subject) and style. This can help you create a good sense of what you are drawn to and what you appreciate.

Budget

When learning how to choose artwork for your home, another important factor to consider is your budget. This will help get clear on what you are comfortable spending and where it might make sense to shop.

Original Artwork Specifications and Details

Now that you understand how your home or room will serve you, the subjects and moods that will help elevate your answer, and your budget, you can begin browsing for art. As you begin, consider the original artwork specifications and details to pick art for your home that will best serve your needs. While the first three questions guide you on where to head, these ladder considerations will be your landmarks to choose the best original artwork for your home.

Here are four details to hone in on when choosing original artwork for your home.

Original or Print
Surface
Material
Size and Orientation

Original Artwork or Print

Original artwork is one produced by the artist’s hand. A print or reproduction is a digital copy of the original artwork.

Deciding to collect original artwork or a print reproduction is dependent on your preferences and budget. Some like knowing they own original artwork and, in some cases, view it as an investment. Other times, your purchase decision is dictated by your budget. Purchasing art prints is generally much more cost-effective. You can either collect more art prints or purchase a larger work of art.

Surface

The surface is the type of substance artwork is created on. The surface can vary from textiles, like canvas and linen, to paper or a wood panel.

A detail often overlooked, the surface original artwork is created on could influence the mood or character it will add to a space. If the surface is visible, canvas might add more texture to a space while a bright paper might add a more modern touch.

The surface original art Is created on also affects the longevity of a piece. When buying original artwork, check that the piece is created on archival material. This will ensure your original artwork will withstand time and will not deteriorate over time. In cases where it does not say, it’s always best to ask the artist.

Material

Material is the type of medium used to create the artwork. There are a plethora of conventional and unconventional materials - oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, pencil, and charcoal, to paper and coffee.

Like the surface, mediums can also drastically shift the mood of a piece. An oil painting will feel rich with color while a watercolor painting will be lighter and airier.

Size and orientation

The size is the dimensions of the artwork. The orientation is the direction the original artwork is created. A vertical orientation is tall and skinny while a horizontal orientation is fat and wide. Often, vertical orientation is called portrait and horizontal orientation is called landscape.

The size will affect the significance original artwork will have in a room. A larger piece could be considered as a focal point and a smaller piece could add balance to an existing gallery wall or cozy a little corner.

what to do with decision fatigue when choosing artwork for your home

If you are anything like me, weeding out options and honing in on your final selections is one of the hardest parts of choosing art for your home. Here are some guiding questions that can help narrow down your selection.

What are your favorite elements (color, form, line, shape, space, texture, and value) of the artwork?
- How do some of the pieces you selected have more elements you like than others?
What is the subject and mood of the piece?
- In what ways will it help your home serve you?
Double-check the original art’s specifications!
- Will it be the right size and orientation for your space?
Do you have an emotional connection to the artwork?
- Does it evoke any personal memories?

Pro Tip: Remember, you can always save and bookmark artists you adore! As you need to fill more spaces in your home, redecorate, move, or your budget expands you can always keep your favorites close.

becoming an art collector

It might take time to choose the right art for your home. Enjoy the process! Learn what you like and don’t like and what type of art elevates how your home serves you. In doing so, you will choose the art for your home that celebrates your preference and style, what you simply appreciate, or your story all while adding personality and character to your home.

Get Inspired @lauren_sauder

My original artwork is inspired by tender landscapes - I collect marks, gestures, and textures with graphite and printmaking ink. I hope you can create a home that celebrates the warmer ways to live. Get inspired to choose the next artwork for your home.

Some lessons learned from the first volumes of monotypes.

1. Sometimes the process is meant to teach you something far beyond skill and technique.

2. Not everything has to appeal to you immediately - time can bring awareness, learning, and apprecia

Sometimes there are certain pieces of a collection that ignite curiosity. They’re usually just a tiny bit outside of something that feels in my common and usual style - not too far outside - but just enough where it invites inspiration, possibi

In the Trade?

I am excited to build long-term relationships with trade professionals. If you are a part of a licensed creative industry — architects, interior designers, contractors, showrooms, and distributors — you can apply for a trade account here.

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