1. Consider scale

Scale can make or break your room, so when you buy a piece of art, always consider its size, says Twinkle and Whistle interior designer Nelly Reffet. “You don’t want to put a beautiful but tiny artwork on its own on a big white wall, or a huge artwork that chews up so much visual space that it overtakes everything in the room. 
If you intend to move the piece around your home or to move house at some stage, you might want to focus on pieces that are of fairly “standard” size, i.e. not too big and not too small. Things with measurements between 30cm and 120cm are pretty easy to accommodate in any house.” 

2. Trust your instinct. 

If you love it, buy it! There will always be space on your walls for something you love. But if you have really limited space, be prepared and don’t forget to take your wall measurements along when physically shopping for Art. Art is such a personal choice and once it’s in your home you will look at it every day, so you have to like it! 
If a piece looks beautiful but you don’t feel anything about it, move on. It’s better to stare at a blank wall for a while than watching something that doesn’t make your heart sing! 

3. Find something beautiful in black and white.

Maybe that sounds weird. But there is something about black and white artwork that means it can work just about anywhere. Stick to black and whites when in doubt about colour. Black and white match everything while also adding to the elegance of a structure. 

4.  Bedroom Art 

The bedroom is a retreat, a place for relaxation and the artwork should reflect that. The best walls for art in the bedroom are directly over the bed or on the wall opposite the bed. Large scale pieces are best and should be hung at eye level. Look for abstract pieces with soothing colours or tones. If you are into photography, landscapes or desaturated photos work best. Keep the frames minimal--a gallery frame or canvases work great as well. Here, we want to focus on the art piece itself and not so much its vessel. 

5. Vary the size and texture 

Pictures should not be more than two-thirds longer than your sofa. Photos should be at least 15 centimetres above the edge of your furniture. A small piece of art can’t fill a big space. Group small pieces together. Works by the same artist complement each other well. Consider the height of ceilings when choosing a size. Be sure it fills the space in length and width. 

6. Plan your colours but not everything has to match

Bright or neon pieces stand out against walls with neutral backgrounds. Tie together the room with linework or style rather than colour. Pieces from the same artist could be different colours but pulled together with the style of painting. Play with texture and colour in wall art, furniture, and accessories. Buy pieces made from mixed materials like wood and metal. 
Adding the colours of the artwork to the accessories of your room emphasise the boldness of your wall hangings. Purchase based on undertones. The undertones of a painting are the underlying qualities of the picture. Dark brown undertones look great on light brown walls, even if light brown is not actually in the artwork. 


7. If you go bold, keep other things minimal

If you just bought a huge pink and gold canvas, like the amazing work of Francesca Gnagnarella, that shines like a jewel over your couch (lucky you!) make sure it remains the wow factor of your room. Consider keeping everything else simple. You don’t want other items to compete with the artwork.” 

8. Educate yourself

To build a collection, it really helps to learn more about the art world. Start training your eye and your mind to understand different techniques. As well as flicking through art books and magazines it’s very well worth doing some online research about the artist you have in mind - their training, their style, their price points. Understand the difference between an original, a limited edition and a reproduction – these will differ a lot in price but mainly in their value! 

9. Art is not just painting!

Photography is another valuable medium that can make a pretty strong statement, both in terms of meaning/emotions and in terms of decoration. Drawings and illustrations are also gaining popularity. On a really tight budget? Vintage-style posters and maps are great. 
Look around you and get familiar with your local art scene. It’s not hard to find great local artwork. You can visit some not-for-profit art galleries such as your local Centre for Photography, pay attention to the artwork on display when you go to a café or restaurant, or have a look at what your council offers in terms of arts events - they often run exhibitions of local artists. You can have a look at the best wall art Sydney to imagine the valuable prints and designs.

10. Support a young artist. 

Try visiting high school and university art fairs. You never know if you might pick up a gem that’s special and perfect for your home. This is a great way to expose yourself to emerging artists. Why buy from up-and-coming artists? Well, you wouldn’t buy real estate when the market is sky high, so buying from young or up-and-coming artists who are only starting to make a name for themselves is like stumbling upon a great real estate deal. 

Just start. 

In essence, all you need to start your art collection is, to begin with, one piece of artwork you love... from there it all unfolds. You don’t need to know a lot about art, you just need to enjoy it, and that is all that matters. You learn as you go and your passion will grow, as will your knowledge and understanding of art. We offer a huge selection of Art prints at Blue Horizon, Sydney. Our wall art is printed on high-quality canvas and suitable for all your decor needs.