Wall art- should i just live laugh love?

[Nerdynerdynerd]

I really struggle choosing wall art!

Im not a fan of quotes or scenes. Maybe abstract? But that feels a bit pointless, kind of like the filler photo in a frame before you put your own picture in.

With shelves i have to dust them and we have enough clocks. I also know nothing about art if i was to buy something "proper" Any suggestions? Have been looking at next.

My living room is farrow and ball old white with very neutral (boring) furniture. Thinking of introducing some green.

My bedroom is joas white with orange/rust coloured curtains and bedding.

look on Artfinder website for original art - the printmaker section tends to be more affordable than some of the others.

if those are too expensive, a quick cheap solution for pictures is to get a calendar or poster that you like (look in the Tate gallery shop or National Gallery shop etc for posh posters) and then frame it up. Argos or Ikea have decent frames. Often a set of similar pictures of the same size in the same frame looks much better than just one or two. Search 'picture wall' for inspiration.

and my other rule is - no text. It always seems amusing the first time you read it and then gets dull very quickly. whereas a picture can retain your interest much longer.

Also, photography is art, as are some textiles. Look on Instagram or Houzz for inspiration.

Go look round some galleries. Get an idea of the type of art you like. I like a lot of detail and feeling like I couldn't have done it myself/it's clear there's skill and talent. I want to feel like it'll hold my interest for years. I generally buy prints and then pop them in frames from IKEA.

I feel the same about choosing things to go on the walls.

If I had a neutral living room I think I’d go for something like this
https://www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.1231498001.html

If it was a big neutral room and I had a big budget, think I’d really enjoy having this to look at
https://www.westelm.co.uk/geode-natural-fiber-wall-art-w4661?cm_ite=259109

I see lots of macrame wall hangings that I think would look great in a neutral room (been looking as there’s a long empty over-the-stairs wall and macrame shapes seem very varied).

I could get really into old framed embroideries of songbirds or wild flowers. And chinoiserie panels.

There are some really nice mirrors around for not a lot of money – black metal frame could work well with Old White

Euch, I hate hate hate Inspirational quotes, cringe 😂. No matter what town/city you bide in, there are usually art shops to suit any quirks.
Go bold!!

Posters from art galleries in IKEA frames are a cheap and easy way of brightening up your walls. You can change them frequently if your tastes change. Better a good reproduction than a bad original IMO, and there are loads of posters from less well known artists if you're worried about them looking a bit generic.

If there’s a place that’s meaningful to you then you could see if you can find a picture of that you like.

If you have no particular attachment or interest in prints or art, why not a mixed media wall with objects that speak to you and you enjoy looking at?

Antique plates, mini brass sculptures, macrame (as per PP), even old copper jelly moulds... The list is endless and it will be very personal.

My view is don’t put art up unless you love it.

We have pretty empty walls! But then I’m a frustrated minimalist at heart.

Look on ebay for remnants of really high end designer fabrics and wallpaper, some of the designs are so beautiful.

Etsy is great for decorative stuff. Get something that sings to you.

Look up auction houses near you. They don’t have to be fine art houses. Think about what size you want to fill, and if you are looking for large statement pieces or a compilation of smaller frames. I’m not a huge fan of family photos covering walls. I got a local photographers print of a lovely locality close to me, and although I like photography, it looks a little cheap and overly coloured on the wall.

I have a lovely wall plaque which reads:

My Family Tree is full of Nuts

Maybe something like that? 😂

I agree with going to local galleries for inspiration. What do you have in your garden? Perhaps you could take some close-ups of your plants and have them blown up.

I would really recommend the Artfully Walls website. You can browse, find something you like and they will recommend other similar prints and pictures. They will give you examples of that picture in a gallery wall.. they have suggestions for gallery walls etc.
When I’m looking for Wall art, I want something that I’m not going to get tired of in a year. I like something that I have a connection with or something that just makes me think. I have a pair of Georgia Elliott pictures which I had in my JL basket for months. Every time I looked at them, I still loved them so I knew that they were right for me. Take your time, better an empty wall than the wrong picture

We buy pictures by street artists or from affordable galleries when we’re on holiday.

Frame photos we have taken on holiday.

I like pictures and photos of a particular bird so have quite a few of those.

We have a load of hexagonal photos arranged in a long irregular shape you can get it with one photo printed across allnof them but we just have different photos. I purposly chose photos sith the same tones

cant remember the website but if you google hexagonal ohoto prints it should come up.

Find art that reflects meaningful places, interests or experiences for you or anyone you live with. You can still choose it in colours you like or that reflects your decor.

Like most people I prefer to buy original art but have a limited budget and have bought from places like etsy and eBay and from local fairs. I have also bought linocuts which tend to be cheaper. I have prints of art that I really like but can't afford the originals of. I even have some cartoons from books.

Take your time and if it is a print and you are buying online keep going back to it and see if you still like it after several weeks. I made more mistakes than I would like to admit by not doing that. However I once bought a cheap original watercolour of a favourite place on impulse after just glancing at it and remarking to my husband that I liked it. I had buyers remorse for ages, but then got it reframed and put it in a better place and it is now one of my favourites.

In short don't settle even if it means a long period of empty walls. Either that or do buy something to fill your walls and then collect what you actually like more slowly.

Charity shops sometimes have nice prints, or at least the frames you can put other prints into.

You said no scenes, but do you have any nice photos to blow up? I don't mean family portrait type pics. I have some sunset/sunrise photos I took on various holidays of the sea, a field with a tree, interesting bridge etc. Not only have they made lovely, blown up wall art, they are memories of lovely holidays.

A like an eclectic mix, just buy what I like (mostly impulsively), and try to support British and emerging artists - a few artists I have bought from are Robin Mackenzie, Paul Bartlett and Gail Deayton. I love printmaking and collage in particular but am not immune to a silly poster with writing on it (David Shrigley/ Billy Murphy). I tend to just go in galleries when I'm out and about, or on holiday.

I also like antique maps, propaganda and travel posters, and cigarette card collections which you can find online quite cheaply if they're not rare and have framed. Love a vintage mirror as well. Vinterior and Etsy good for those.

Photos of people I tend to prefer on shelves/ console tables.

We just added some wall art from FN Prints to our livingroom and I’m so happy with it. The colours are gorgeous and the best part, it’s printed with non-toxic ink. You can check them out here: https://fnprints.com/

Try local charity furniture shops. I often pick up original paintings professionally framed for £10 or less. Takes more time but at least you have something original, not mass produced.

How do you do that please? Are there particular businesses you ‘follow’ on eBay?

I've bought original paintings on eBay. I type in Cornwall paintings or Yorkshire Dales, or Norfolk, or wherever, always somewhere I love, then sift through.

Try eBay. Just type in the kind of thing you like, e.g. ‘oil painting highland cows’ or ‘acrylics Venice’ and you’ll get pictures ranging in drive firm a few pounds to thousands.