When it comes to styling your home, styling with original art offers that personal touch that can make a room ‘pop’! Just like furnishing and décor, choosing the right art for your home is your opportunity to bring an explosion of your personality to your space and add a sense of quality and luxe.
As an art gallery director, I am used to helping art collectors of all experience levels to select the perfect piece to brighten their homes. Here, I’ve shared my best advice for making your artwork the hero of any room in the home:
1. Personality and personal taste
The best thing about your home is that it’s yours to enjoy and decorate in a way that reflects your personality and taste. Over time many aspects of your interior décor may date or depreciate; however, original art is one area where you can achieve both short-term and long-term returns on your investment. Your return starts immediately as you can enjoy any artwork straight away if you love it. Art can lift your spirits, bring beauty and luxury to your home, transform a space, and there is an added bonus of delivering a long-term return if you have purchased well. Sites like Porter Reid offers handcrafted printed products on a high-quality material that would fit for your personality and taste.
Take note of your energy; what specific colours attract your attention and best represent what you want to feel inside your home? Are you drawn to vibrant colours, earthy tones or perhaps moodier and more sensual colours? Are you interested in certain mediums like oil paintings (and those of artist Rudolph Kasper)? Take time to pick art that speaks to you!
2. What do you already own?
Before you begin your original art purchasing journey, take a good look around your current space and art collection and asses it. Consider which pieces you love and want to feature in high traffic spots such as entryways or living rooms. If you have a few smaller pieces, could you position these interestingly together in less frequented spaces? What do you like about these pieces? Do you want to grow your collection or change the feel of the space to better reflect your own style?
If you don’t currently have an art collection, don’t stress! Instead, look around at your décor, noting the colours of the soft furnishings and any other decorative items you might have and consider why you chose these and how art can complement the space.
For example, a young professional couple with a vibrant, edgy and passionate connection looking to reflect this in their home could turn to someone like Jacki Fewtrell Gobert, with quirky, eclectic colours and unique storytelling in every piece, it is a guarantee win to boost these qualities in the home and uplift anyone’s mood!
3. Natural lighting
An important aspect to consider when choosing what artwork will go in your home and exactly where it should be placed depends on the amount of natural lighting in your home and the overall mood you are trying to achieve and represent.
For example, if you love a coastal, Hamptons style home with neutral tones and lots of white, perhaps an original Sally West work from her recent beach series collection would suit your home.
TIP: When dealing with original art, you will also need to consider the conservation and sensitivity of some collector artworks, so reach out to an expert if you need advice. It’s important to know which pieces that may be sensitive to heat or light.
4. Juxtapose contrasting architecture with art
Sometimes our modern, contemporary open-plan spaces and clean lines can make a home feel stark and more like a hotel than a home. Art is a great way to break up the space and add beautiful interest and homely warmth.
Without going straight for the 2020 trend of the mixed gallery wall, why not try a few unique alternatives that will not only highlight the contemporary architectural aspects of your house but will offer a window of personality to transform your house into a home. Consider incorporating stylish wall murals to your home. Mix what you already have with fresh new pieces that add another depth of character to the space.
5. Seek professional advice
And finally, contact an art specialist and visit the gallery to discuss your ideas and art collection ideals. If you are working with an expert who understands your art goals – investment, to brighten up your home, your personality, décor – you can feel confident knowing the hard work has been done for you.
It is an important part of an art specialist’s job to understand the current art trends, constantly be researching techniques, and keep up to date with collectors. We offer expert counsel on your art style; going through a specialist doesn’t cost more and often delivers value. Additionally, we can suggest any interesting varieties we think you might like; our reputation hangs on only sourcing and recommending quality art. We also like to think we are pretty good at showing you work to suit YOUR taste, style and budget!
For more from Kerry-Anne Blanket, check out kabgallery.com follow her on Instagram @kab.thats.me and @kab.gallery.
About Kerry-Anne Blanket
Kerry Anne Blanket is the founder and curator of KAB Gallery, an online marketplace with two physical gallery spaces (Sydney & Terrigal) specialising in Contemporary Australian Art. With a decade of visual art education under her belt, Kerry-Anne is experienced in-home styling and curation and offers a consultancy to source the perfect piece of art for any space. This type of work means that Kerry-Anne is experienced in working with everyone from homeowners to interior designers and architects to source the perfect piece and realise the potential of hanging great original art in your home. Kerry-Anne can also work as an interim between client and artist to create the perfect custom piece. With a seamless commission process, interior designers love that they can source the perfect piece without navigating the sometimes confusing art world themselves.
