Nothing in your home says more about you than the art you have on your wall. The reason for this is unlike your sofa or any other piece of furniture, there are no practicalities to consider when choosing wall art- it is merely a case of what you like. Whether you chose your art for the composition and colours that handily match your room or because it had some personal relevance, everything thing on your wall tells a little story. Therefore it is wise to give a little thought when it comes to choosing some, be a wild and wacky as you want just be sure it feels relevant to you. If a picture of a smoking dog playing pool dominates your front room, what does this say about you? If you have no art at all, are you a blank canvas?
The brilliant thing about art is you can go as pricey or as cheap as you want, you can even paint some yourself- it is available to everybody and it still the quickest way to bring some life to a tried old wall.
For some Georgian or Victorian splendour, you should really emphasis the frame. A huge oversize guilt frame with shapes that match your cornicing is what you are looking for. Fill it with either traditional country scenes or even better would be a family portrait. Scouring junk shops and markets might just lead to bargain if this is your style so spend an afternoon having a look before you pay top price in art dealers.
The huge popularity of the modern-retro look means there is lots of discount wall art around in the style of Pop artists Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. The simple compositions of such pieces coupled with the blocks of bright colours mean they are easily the most cost effective way of introducing some flair to a space whilst allowing you to impress your friends with by referencing an important period in art history. Increase the impact for next to nothing by pairing these pieces with a brightly coloured roller blinds.
In a minimal setting a clever way to introduce some extremely subtle wall art is to pick a quote by a famous author, poet or great thinker (not Homer Simpson) and print it out in subtle tones such as white lettering with a light grey background and frame it in a simple brushed steel or aluminium frame.
If you have ever looked at the work of Picasso or and said “it’s just squiggles, a child could do that” or exclaimed “its just a red and blue box” when taking in the work of Mondrian, then why not purchase a cheap canvas and try it out yourself. This is certainly a more fun route to an interesting collection which also allows you complete control of the finish and colour. Or if you do have any budding Picassos, why not help them create their own wall art for their bedrooms. You never know they could end up being worth a fortune, and if not they will certainly be treasured by you for many years.
