Affordable art | A step by step guide
In terms of injecting new life into your home or adding the personality needed to finish off a room, art can create a big impact. However when it comes to buying and displaying art, fear often stands in the way. The truth is, it doesn’t have to be scary. In fact, the process can be both easy and affordable. Keep reading to find out how.
WHERE DO I START?
Firstly you need to decide where you’d like to place your art. Survey your home, looking out for key areas such as on the wall above a sofa or at the end of a hallway. Think about colour, scale and layout.
CHOOSING ART
Focus on one room or area at a time with a view to build your collection slowly, and only buy what you love. The internet is a great place to find inspiration. Browse Pinterest and interior blogs to help pinpoint what style of art resonates with you, and also use these sites to seek out art from around the world. Keep in mind that art doesn’t have to be an expensive painting from a gallery. It can be anything from graphic prints and vintage posters, to family photographs or a picture your child created. The Deer artwork on my own picture wall below is actually a Tea Towel by textile designer Angela McKay for Father Rabbit that I had framed.
SOURCING AFFORDABLE ART
Affordable art is becoming more and more accessible here in New Zealand thanks to sites such as Society6 and Etsy, who sell the work of thousands of established and emerging artists from around the globe. Closer to home, online design stores such as The Minimalist in Australia and Paper Plane here in NZ stock a great selection of prints and posters, while local stores Endemic World and Pop Motif are dedicated to providing customers with affordable art.
FRAMING
If you’re creating a picture wall, you might like to stick to one colour such as black and one style of frame, or mix it up. For affordable framing, including custom-made, I recommend Factory Frames or Ikea Ribba Frames which you can source in NZ from Living Concepts. For more expensive artworks, I recommend going to a professional framer.
HOW DO I HANG MY ART?
Taking into consideration the space, it may be best to hang a large-scale piece on its own, or you may have two or more smaller artworks that you want to group together. For some good pointers on height and positioning, take a look at these simple guidelines. If you’re looking at creating a picture wall like mine above, there are no rules! A good tip is to lay them out on the floor first and play around with them until you’ve found an arrangement you like, then mark on the wall where you want to place them with washi tape. You could also go one step further like I did and trace around the pictures on to paper, cut them out and stick them on the wall first. For damage-free hanging I recommend using 3M Command adhesive strips. They are easy to use and they ensure the pictures sit flat on the wall.
GET CREATIVE
An alternative to hanging art, is to lean it against a wall, either on a shelf or even on the floor. I love this look, especially when they overlap. Instead of framing all of your art which can be expensive, simply stick it straight to the walls using washi tape. I often do this in my kids’ rooms and my office, for a relaxed moodboard effect.
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This article is intended as a general discussion only. BNZ recommends the recipient get independent advice. The views expressed are the writer’s own and do not necessarily represent those of BNZ or its related entities.
