Many people find it hard to decide on a piece of art for their home. They lack confidence in choosing a style, a colour, a size, orientation and once they do eventually overcome those hurdles, they then struggle to decide what framing is best! Can you relate? I can! I used to find those decisions hard too. I decided that I needed to break the big decision down into these bite-sized elements:
1. Colour
I asked myself what my all-time favourite colours were. I had a look around my home. I noticed a dominant colour in my decorative pieces like cushions, throws, vases etc. I also looked in my wardrobe and found my go-to scarf and handbag. I figured that as long as my new artwork includes some of those colours, then I'm good to go!
2. Style
When it came to style, I chose to follow my heart. I considered what art made me smile, what art made me stop in my tracks. I figured as long as I loved the style (abstract, contemporary, realistic, photographic...), I'd love it in my space.
3. Original vs print
I have always been a fan of original paintings! It's the authenticity that gets me every time. The fact that an artist has physically worked on that piece, that it's a one-off (and also that it's an investment piece) just seals the deal for me. The cost of an original can be significantly higher than the cost of a fine art print. If cost is a factor for you, you could consider a limited edition print. These are special as there are only so many of them. Just be sure to ask how many reproductions will be made so you know just how limited it is. Another option is a canvas prints where an artwork is reproduced on a canvas surface. Alternatively, you could source an open edition print, which is a fine art print that is producing over and over again until demand runs out. For me, an original wins hands-down!
4. Size and orientation
This is my favourite topic to help art buyers with! Basically your artwork has to be big - as big as you can fit into that space... but not so big that it's lining up with the edges of the wall! In terms of orientation, an artwork on a landscape wall should be portrait or square. An artwork on a portrait wall should be landscape or square. And if it's a square wall, you can have an artwork in either a landscape orientation or portrait orientation.
5. Framing
I am a framing nut. I have always loved a beautifully framed artwork - framing can just make an artwork pop! Framing styles though are largely fashion-driven. The most popular material at the moment is oak, ideally Tasmanian Oak. Otherwise white or black frames are popular. I would argue that all of these three finishes are timeless - you can't go too wrong. If your home is a light and bright home with white walls and light-coloured flooring and white/light grey furniture, go with an oak or white frame. If you have a dark home and you enjoy the dark vibe, I would choose a black frame.
6. Budget
Your budget really is determined by how much you love an artwork. If you love an artwork enough, you'd save up the money by not buying that new dress and cutting back on lattes for a while. So maybe it's like match-making, find the right artwork, the one you connect with and you just have to have, and you'll make it work! As long as the artwork agrees!
Ros
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P.S. I am very happy to help you decide on your artwork size - join my mailing list and then send me an email via my Contact Me page!