WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?
Waiting until AFTER you remodel the space to consider artwork may be a really bad idea!
I paint and I sell my paintings. That’s my job. One of the biggest parts of this process is working with clients who have just remodeled, or are considering remodeling their home. A comment I often hear from people who are knee deep in remodeling is, “We just realized we have all these walls we need artwork for!”
Yep. That’s often part of the remodeling process. When you build more walls, you create…uh…empty wall space. I love that because it keeps me employed but oftentimes, artwork is the very last thing to be considered when working on a remodel. This is sad because by then, the budget is gone and unfortunately, artwork is not free.
The placement of artwork is really important though, and it should be considered early on in the process. I’m not saying you need to have all the artwork pre-selected before starting remodeling. That isn’t wise. What I’m saying is that you should plan on walls where you want to install key pieces of artwork. Pre-plan those areas because it’s easy at that point to install the correct lighting above the where the artwork will go. It’s so much more difficult to retrofit a space after the fact. And why pay thousands of dollars for a statement piece of art and not have it lit correctly? That just doesn’t make sense.
For a really helpful list of things to consider when remodeling a home, check out this link to a Redfin blog post I was asked to be a part of: Redfin’s Living Rome Remodel Tips. Artwork isn’t the only thing to consider, but it’s usually the last thing people consider and at that point, people are kicking themselves because artwork can theme a room, elicit emotions, pull together colors, and basically put a huge exclamation point on a great design.
Artwork is really important. Buy it on a whim. Yes please. But when you’re remodeling, PLAN AHEAD for it. And feel free to talk to me. Give me a sense of your taste, color samples, emotions you want people to feel when entering the space. All that helps. The right artist will collaborate WITH you and create something that is perfect not just for your space, but for your individual personality. That’s the amazing power of art.
