How to dramatically upgrade your interior space
The walls are freshly painted, the new floors have been laid, the light fixtures are installed, and the new furniture has been delivered. The old house is now a new, beautiful masterpiece, but I feel as if something essential is still missing is this space—something that would dramatically bring the room up to the next level. Do you know what’s missing? The walls need some artwork on them.
It’s not uncommon for clients to spend money on expensive furniture while not allocating a budget for artwork. Sure, you can put some family photos or your kids’ artwork on the walls, and that’s fine for certain wall spaces. However, to make a room more luxurious, focal points, such as the wall behind the sofa, behind a bed, above the fireplace, and at the entrance hall, should have artwork that matches the interior scheme. The good news is that you can ask your interior designer or architect to help you select your furniture, wall colors, and artwork.
Finding affordable artwork
It’s not easy to find the perfect piece you’re looking for. I used to visit local art shows and galleries to find artwork, but most of the time, the selection was too limited, and what was available was either too big or too small for what I was looking for. Nowadays, print technology has improved so much that the quality of printed art is as good as the original work of art. So now, instead of going to shows and galleries, I prefer to order digital prints from websites. The prints available on the websites aren’t as expensive as you might think, and there are several good online art printing companies, such as Society 6, Wayfair, Fine Art America, Saatchi Art, and Minted, with similar prices, quality, and return policies.
Finding the best online art printing company
But which online art printing company is the best? Well, I use Fine Art America the most. The site filled with excellent artists. I like the quality of the prints and the large selection of the sizes offered. I also like that ordering on this site is easy. The biggest difference from the other companies is that Fine Art America allows you to change the size and shape of the print you want. For example, if you’re looking for a 24 × 48 inch work of art to put on the wall behind the sofa and you find a print you like, but the original shape of the image is square, you can change the shape from square to rectangular without affecting the quality of the print. Fine Art America also provides more options and choices than the other companies: print size, shape, frame, mat, mat width, and type of paper. Fine Art America lets me easily customize whatever I choose and create the perfect fit for the interior space. As an architect, I’m very picky about the small details and require exactly what I’m looking for, without exception. Fine Art America is the only online art printing company that meets my exact needs.
Reducing your cost when it comes to prints
Large paintings can make your room look more stunning and luxurious, but the larger the size, the higher the price. Large and/or custom sized frames tend to be more expensive than the artwork itself. Here’s a tip: If you want to save money, choose a standard size (24 × 36) print or a few smaller standard sizes (8 × 10, 11 × 14, 16 × 20, 20 × 24) and place them side by side on your wall. You can easily find reasonably priced standard-size frames at many discount stores.
Browsing artwork to find something special
If you have a blank wall in your home or apartment, think about hanging some lovely artwork on it. It’s fun to browse through art on websites and imagine a piece or two hanging on those empty walls. Artwork on your wall makes a statement and will definitely impress your guests. But it’s important not to be tempted to buy cheap art from a mass-production discount store—you just won’t get the quality you’re looking for. You’ll find the beautiful, unique art you’re looking for, created by talented artists from around the world, on the websites I’ve shared with you.