Where to Buy Art: Art Fairs
So far in this Where to Buy Art series, I’ve been talking about different kinds of brick-and-mortar stores where you can buy wall art: home stores, antique stores, and consignment stores. At each of these, you’re likely to find a variety of art styles that are attractive and affordable. Now let’s explore a different option. If you feel confident about the kind of art you like and are willing to spend more on something original, consider attending an art fair for your next purchase. Some art fairs are free to attend, and others require an admission fee. Even if you don’t buy anything, art fairs are fun to attend! They’re a great way to spend an afternoon outdoors, browsing art by local artists, listening to live music, and enjoying food from local vendors.
Where to Buy Art: Consignment Stores
Feeling stuck on how to spruce up your bare walls? You can find a lot of inspiration by exploring a variety of places that sell art. Depending on where you go, you’ll see different art styles, and sometimes you’ll also see different ways to display art with furniture and accessories. In this third installment of Where to Buy Art, let’s take a look at consignment stores.
Where to Buy Art: Antique Stores
If you’re struggling with what kind of art to put on your walls, I’d suggest that the first step is strategic shopping trips. Depending on where you shop, you’ll find a different subset of all the wall art options to consider. Let’s tailor your shopping excursions to your tastes! In the first article of this series on Where to Buy Art, I talk about the kinds of art you’re likely to find at a home store. Now let’s talk about antique store art. Some people can walk into antique stores and take it all in at once. I am not one of those people. I tend to get overwhelmed by the magnitude of choices, so I focus on shopping for one particular piece at a time. When I’m looking for wall art at an antique store, I home in on the walls and partitions, as you might assume. But don’t let your survey stop there—sometimes you can also find stacks of art on the sales floor or hidden in a vendor’s stall. Here are several styles of art you may encounter.
Where to Buy Art: Home Stores
A lot of online forum commenters ask, “What do I put on my walls?” While it might be interesting to talk about the different styles of art out there, it probably isn’t a very practical answer to this question. So let’s talk instead about the various places you might go to buy art and what you’re most likely to find there. (You can also have a look at my videos on what to do with empty walls both here and here!) In this first article, let’s visit the home store. (In subsequent articles, we’ll visit several other places you can shop for art.) This may be a furniture store or a big box store with a furniture section. I wouldn’t spend a lot of money on art from a home store. The pieces you find are mass produced and will show up in lots of homes, model homes, and your doctor’s waiting room. They’re intended to be pleasant and a bit bland to appeal to a big swath of the population. The main benefit of buying art in a home store is that you can cover a lot of wall space at an affordable price. So if any one piece of art costs more than $150 (in 2022 USD), buyer beware. Here are several types of art you might find at a home store, with my recommendations of what to look for and what to avoid.
Closed Shelf Arranging
[ F i n d M o r e R o o m i n e s s ] The web Patreon Instagram: roominesstv Twitter: @RoominessTV [ S u m m a r y ] In this episode, we talk about accessorizing for closed-back shelves. We discuss books, art, and accessories. I look at general arrangement guidelines and share tips on the process. [ V i d e o R e f e r e n c e s ] Roominess: Open Shelf Arranging Roominess: Scale and Proportion Roominess: Vertical Decorating Roominess: Room Functionality
