How to Select Artwork for Your Home Like a Pro
Buying artwork can be intimidating, especially if you’re looking to invest in high-quality or original artwork vs. the generic prints you can find at Target or HomeGoods. You’ll want to buy pieces that are the right size and aesthetic, and also in your budget, but how do you know where to start?
Keep reading for our advice on how to find the right artwork for your home.
Start with Style
Before you start shopping or even planning where you’ll want to hang pieces, start by thinking about styles that you like and what types of artwork you gravitate towards.
Also, think about the aesthetic of your house and existing home decor. You can mix and match different styles, but make sure that it still looks cohesive.
You’ll want to think about what inspires you and what you’d like to look at every day. Think about places you’ve lived or meaningful trips you’ve taken, like your honeymoon. Artwork is a great way to bring special places and memories into your home decor and it will be all that more meaningful to you.
Lauren Williams Art + Tyler Guinn, Tower Drive Project
Artwork we Love
In terms of style, at Cameron Getter Design we gravitate towards abstracts but we also love photography. Gray Malin is one of our favorite photographers. He does great aerial pieces and works inspired by nature. Both types of artwork are versatile and can go with different types of interior aesthetics from transitional to modern.
Gray Malin Photo Artwork, Tower Drive Project
We’re also inspired by landscapes and artwork that have textural elements and are influenced by the natural world. It’s a great way to bring some of the outdoors indoors.
We love to support local artists in Austin and have used a number of different artists for our projects, like Erin Donahue Tice and Tyler Guinn, they both do beautiful abstract paintings. Tom Jean Webb we’ve used in the dining area of our North Hampton project. We love his color-blocked landscapes. We’ve enjoyed working with Lauren Williams Art and swoon over her stunning textile wall pieces. We've also had the pleasure of working with the Arkansas-based Chelsea McShane on a few commissions, her contemporary abstract animal pieces are so whimsical and fun.
Lauren Williams Art, N. Hampton | Chelsea McShane, Tower Drive | Tyler Guinn, Tower Drive | Erin Donahue Tice, Tower Drive
To learn more about my process for selecting artwork and how I incorporated Lauren William’s work in some of our projects check the CGD feature on her blog.
Where to Shop for Artwork
When it comes to buying art there are so many places you can start browsing from online shops, artists’ accounts on social media, to local galleries.
When you’re browsing there’s no need to rush this process. Take your time to see what you like and what you connect with. When browsing you’ll start to get ideas for what might work in the space and what won’t.
Saatchi Art, Artfinder, Artsy, and Etsy are all great online resources for buying artwork.
Wonderwall Studio is an Austin-based print gallery that represents hundreds of artists. We’ve sourced from them for a number of our projects. They print high-quality reproductions of original artworks. We gravitate towards their abstract works and photography which are great for bedrooms, dining spaces, living areas, and more.
Wonderwall Studios Artwork, Rough Hollow Project
Also, check out Architectural Digest’s top picks for more online recommendations.
How to Select Artwork for Different Rooms
When you’re shopping you’ll also want to think about what’s appropriate for different rooms in your home.
For bedrooms, we look for pieces that have calming and cool tones. Your bedroom is a sanctuary for sleep and relaxation so the artwork you pick should reflect that mood. You don’t want anything too bright or bold for a bedroom.
Living rooms and entryways are great spots for a large scale or a statement piece. This is where you’ll want to go with something bolder that is a focal point and conversation starter.
Why an Interior Designer Can Help
Not only will an interior designer be able to know what types of pieces will work well in your home aesthetically- but they’ll also have access to suppliers and resources that you won’t have access to through normal retail outlets.
For example, at CGD we work with wholesale art dealers that are not open to the general public. Wendover Art and Leftbank Art are great resources that we purchase art from. They represent artists from all over the world.
We also manage all the details of the process from finding the right pieces you love, specifying the medium and color pallet, facilitating custom framing, and finally getting the works installed for you in your home.
Why Commission an Artwork
Many homeowners don’t know that they can commission an artwork directly from the artist. This means that the artist creates a custom piece. Perhaps you like a piece that’s already sold? Or you like a work the artist has available, but it’s not the right size for your space. Or maybe you’d like to tweak the color pallet a bit. A great solution to these issues is to work with an artist you love to get a completely custom piece made just for you and the space you intend to hang it.
At CGD we’ve done commissions for a number of our projects and they’ve always turned out better than expected!
Art as an Investment
For pieces in your entry or living room where your guests enter and/or gather, is a great opportunity to invest in a stunning original, something with a color scheme to bring out the color incorporated in the rest of the room. Artwork should have meaning to you but also be a piece that brings cohesion to your space.
Are you struggling to find the right pieces of artwork for your home? Were here to help! Contact us for a consultation.