As interior designers when designing a room in your home we want it to have its own unique feel a big part of this can be the art you display. Most people think of art in the home as an expensive and confusing affair, however it doesn’t need to be! Here are some tips on what to look for when choosing art for your home, where to put it and what effects the cost. 

 

When looking for a piece of art for your home, first and foremost pick something that you can live with, something that you like, but that is not an eye sore after a while, high contrast repeating patterns can have this effect. Softer lines and mid tones can help to offset this. 

 

 

Colour is an extremely important, most paintings, drawings or sculptures have a primary set of colours. Make sure the colours complement each room, there are exceptions of course artists generally don’t create pieces with your specific colours in mind. Blues and greys generally go well together and can create a cool and vivacious feel with the right combination. 

 

Having a piece of art with a completely different colour scheme can leave the room looking chaotic. 

The art you have in the room doesn’t necessary need to be obvious, for example, many William Morris designs like this commissioned piece show off what can be achieved through dealing directly with artists directly.  

 

 

When placing a piece of art it is important where to put it, try to fill the space on the wall, and always centre the piece in the space where you place or hang it (the same rule applies for sets). As a luxury interior designer we find that less is more, and one outstanding piece of art, complimented by home accessories works better than scattering a wall or room with lots of different pieces of art. Remember that art pieces come in all shapes and sizes, canvases can be long or tall and it’s more than likely that there is something that will fit the décor of your room. 

 

Take measurements of the wall or space you want your piece and when searching for that piece, at So Chic we are happy to help you search and source art pieces in various styles and mediums. Below is a great example of high quality reproduction art work which we supply and use in some of our interior design projects.  

 

 

There are various factors that affect the cost of a piece of art, the biggest factor is if it is an original handcrafted piece, a limited edition reproduction or a mass produced piece. The cost of these of course goes down in value the less unique the piece is. 

 

Another factor is the skill and fame of the artist, are they a budding new artist? If so you may be able to get a good deal on a piece of art that you enjoy and that fits in your room. So Chic works with several artists from veterans to talented newcomers. There are quite a number of artists who are willing to do commissioned work, however, this can be a time consuming and expensive way get what you want and it may not turn out the way you envisioned in your mind. 

 

Limited edition prints or reproductions cost significantly less than original pieces, however be aware that many reproductions are Chinese manufactured that use flimsy nylon canvases and are simply printed onto the canvas. As with all things reproductions do vary in quality and you should always be wary when buying them online. It is best So Chic keeps a number of original, limited edition prints and quality reproduction in our Windsor and Cockfoster showrooms. We highly recommend that you view the piece of art be it a sculpture or a painting in person to best judge its quality. 

 

If you are looking for a piece of art for your home or office feel free to contact us on 01753 855 588 (Windsor) or 02084401881 (Cockfosters) or email us at sales@sochic.info.