Blank, white walls. I’ve seen them hundreds of times.
What’s wrong here?
What’s wrong is that we’re missing ART.
Art. We all need it to complete our homes – yet where do we get it when the budget doesn’t allow us to spend much on it?
Over the years I have noticed that some bargain retail outlets offer better mass-produced art than others. Of course, this is a subjective opinion. But that’s what you can have in a blog…
My sister and office partner, Ann Ayres, ayressteinmetz.com, is an art consultant for corporations. She advises, appraises, catalogs, reframes and installs. But she also helps me from time to time on my residential projects when there’s a call for art. She has great sources that sell strictly to people like her who then present to their clients. She also has a real grasp of what local galleries have and how much you might spend. But where do other people find their art?
I walked into Crate & Barrel the other day, and they have a whole new thrust on contemporary art. The pieces are giclee prints of original art. And all of it is huge (for that big white wall) and under $700.00.
Stretched canvases, looking really professional and original, highly colorful, and totally cool.
I also stopped in at the Old Town Triangle, which is a cornerstone of Old Town and friend to many artists. They’re having a student show this month – pastels, watercolors. Some of them quite good. Things are smaller here, but well-priced. Generally under $500 – and that’s for an original. It depends on your style, of course. But I would guess if you headed to Lill Street Studios, there are many artists there with a variety of styles who would love to sell you something. They’re always starving.
I have more suggestions for good, inexpensive art. Etsy, the international shopping website, offers originals from all over the world. My friend recently purchased oil paintings from England and Spain. They’re small – but under $100. You just need several small powerful pieces to create a gallery wall and fill that white space.
Or try the local flea market . A wall of paint-by-numbers is totally charming. So are silhouettes – really hot right now. And still very reasonably priced.
Finally, we come to posters. Good old posters. They aren’t all created equal. Check Art.com. Some of the more popular ones are clichés by now – leftover taste from college. But check the travel posters and more obscure artists’ repros. Sometimes they’re designs from other countries – and have a fresh, new perspective in your home.
I could go on – Home Goods is another source. One of my clients has a delightful abstract over her beach house mantle that she got there…or street art in the summer. This year’s summer art fair schedule is already out. http://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/chicago-art-fairs.html
Talk yourself into taking your walls on as a new project. Put some color in your life with good, inexpensive art if you can’t budget the real thing. It’s even OK to match your art to your interiors now. It’s all fun, and a real lift to any interior.
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