About Andrea

As an art advisor/curator to interior designers, architects, and collectors, my job is akin to a Detective. After learning of my clients’ art challenge, I settle into a Nancy Drew-like determination and pull out my proverbial magnifying glass to scour not only my own online art and design showroom, Embrace Creatives but many other locations for high-quality artwork. 

My full-service art advising firm is busy for a reason: Most people, even design professionals, find it extremely frustrating to hunt for a “diamond-in-the-rough” art piece that fits every facet of their design scope; size, colors, style, material, and price.

Because it’s tricky to find quality artwork and I want to encourage you to find pieces to love, I’ll share easy tips to increase your art buying confidence including; Your starting point; the information you need before you begin, where to find artwork online and what to look for and the pros and cons of looking for art in your community and who can help you in your quest.

We all want to be overjoyed with and confident of the creative pieces we will live with - this article aims to help bring you joy through art and design objects.

Your starting point

Whether you’re buying art during a build or renovation or because you have an empty corner of the room, before you boot up your computer or head to the cultural part of town, it’s important you set purchasing parameters and boundaries. If not, you'll frustrate yourself and burn out quickly. I tell my clients that art buying is akin to finding true love or a best friend. Most people have a list of qualities, stated or unconscious, that they feel a person should possess before they are brought into their life. They use this list to weed out people who may not be a good fit. So when they are in a crowded room, meeting person after person, they don’t make the mistake of friending EVERYONE. They decide quickly, based upon their compatibility choices, who is “in” and who is “out”.  That well-thought-out list they stick to reduces the risk of heartache.

It’s similar when searching for quality artwork that will live in your home and hopefully become an heirloom. You want all artwork you purchase to be a great fit and match in a very strong way. To do so, here is what you should gather before you begin the search.

A Pre-Search List

At the moment, you may only need artwork above your couch, but don’t be blind to future needs. If you spend your entire budget on one artwork, you may be forced to settle for lesser quality in another space or have a “hole” in your design until you can build your savings back to purchase another artwork.

Make a list of every area of your home where you see artwork living and set a total art budget. That way, when you see an oversized piece for your couch that you love, you can check the price against your overall budget and determine if buying this one item will diminish the rest of your art needs.  It’s fine if it does… Sometimes you fall in love and HAVE to have artwork in your home but using this list you’ll see, upfront how one purchase can affect your artwork project budget and timeline. Oh, and remember to leave room in your budget (approximately 15%) for sales tax and delivery/shipping fees. 

Know your art style. Work with your interior designer or an art advisor to better understand the type of artwork that will suit your design aesthetic and your personality.  It’s fine to mix and match styles when you know what you’re doing, but if you don’t whittle down artwork types you’ll set yourself on a frustrating goose chase. It can even be exasperating for professionals!  I’ve had clients pay me to research floral artwork then decide, after seeing my professional art presentation, that they REALLY wanted geometrics. Wait, no, now they have an overwhelming affinity for figurative art… 

Colors matter.  As an artist and art curator, I make sure the art I source for clients coordinates with the design scope and color theme. And depending upon their style, we may actually bring in the opposite color on the color wheel to create drama. I ask for design references; fabric, countertop material, carpeting samples, etc to gauge the color range and I always ask what other colors I can pull in as a compliment. 

What colors does the interior designer want to stay away from? What accent colors would their client be happy with? One designer told me her client hates gold so I filtered out both gold and yellow, just in case. Ask yourself similar questions and be open to adventure when looking for artwork because an artist doesn’t sift through forecasting reports when they pick their paint tubes. They create passionately and may use an array of color combinations that bring another level of engagement to your home decor.

And of course, you need to know the size of the space; height, width and if necessary, depth (wall, floor, or ceiling) in order to purchase artwork that fits properly - remember to account for framing.

Where and How to Find Artwork Online?

There are pros and cons to searching for art online that you need to be aware of before you begin.

After you’ve created your pre-search list, an easy way to keep the frustration level down is to use the online galleries' filters. You should be able to sort through artwork by type, size, style, medium, and price range.  Unfortunately, if you’d like to discover local or regional artwork that’s next to impossible on most websites. That’s why I added a “location” filter to Embrace Creatives. That allows buyers to more easily find local artwork to support their community and save on shipping fees.

Because many websites, even the big ones like Saatchi, Wescover, and Art Finder allow anyone to join, you do not know for sure which artists are reputable and reliable. I would suggest you read their artist statement, bio, and resume (CV) to discover their professional acumen. Because I know how important it is for both consumers and professionals to work with reliable artists, I speak to every applicant to make sure they reach my high business standards before I curate them in.

If you find an online website that offers art you like but you’re starting to feel overwhelmed, click on their Contact page or search around to see if they offer art buying support. If you’re working with an Interior Designer, send a few images for their thoughts.

Where and How to Find Artwork in Person

There are pros and cons to searching for art in your community or when traveling that you need to be aware of before you begin.

An easy way to keep the frustration level down, after you’ve created your pre-search list is to go to the local galleries' websites to get an idea of the type of work they exhibit. Look at both their upcoming exhibits and past exhibits. 

Let them know you’re looking to buy and let them ask you the pertinent questions. Galleries, especially luxury galleries have a (sometimes justifiable) reputation of being “cold” - I’ve been in many that are. Don’t get intimidated. Just like any transactional relationship, make sure they offer good customer care and you feel respected and welcomed. If not, take your business elsewhere. If the galleries cater to your art needs, they may offer to curate more pieces for you from artists they work with. Anyone at the gallery should be able to help you discover the right art and you can work with more than one gallery at the same time. Ask if there is a sourcing fee and for their return policy. If you see artwork you like but doesn’t exactly suit your space, ask the gallery if they will manage a custom artwork and how that process works.

There is an abundance of creative people in this world who create a TON of artwork for sale online and in person. Because that can make the impromptu art buying process overwhelming, setting up your checklist and terms before you begin is important. Wherever you end up searching for quality art for your home that speaks to your design aesthetic and suits your art style, whether online, offline, or both, follow my guides above, be realistic about your budget, style, timeline, and overall, have fun.

Loved the article? Let me know in the comments what other questions you have regarding fitting art pieces in your home. I have this very practical guide that can help you out.  And if you’re looking for additional support, don’t hesitate to book a call with me

I would also like to hear your feedback about what other experts you want me to invite to the blog, to share their knowledge and tips.

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