Art.com artwork, cheesy? Or OK to use?
We are looking for some art pieces for large wall space around the house. If we buy something from art.com is that a design "no no" or is it OK to buy generic artwork? We don't have a budget for "real" artwork; and, instead of waiting to stumble upon artwork for our home, we'd like to have some pieces in place to add more interest around the home.
(52) kommentarer
apple_pie_order
8 år sidenArt.com has a huge range of prints available at reasonable prices. Life's too short not to enjoy art you can afford now on your walls.
PROPatricia Colwell Consulting
8 år sidenI love art.com if you are looking for something not original they have a huge selection. I personally encourage my clients to go to galleries and art schools and see what they can find that they love it does not have to go with the decor but if buying original work you should LOVE it otherwise get wahtever goes with the decor.
Kelly Coughlan thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
PROJAN MOYER
8 år sidenSidst ændret: {last_modified_time}8 år sidenI'd also very highly recommend Arts Heaven.
http://www.artsheaven.com/jan-vermeer-girl-with-a-pearl-earring.html
This is particularly great for those who love traditional paintings, and even though they are reproductions, a scouring of any less immediately recognized artists, or less recognized work from a renowned artist, will yield fabulous results in custom sizing!! A thousand artists to select from, and categories from abstract to still life to whatever.. Have been pleased MANY, many times, as were the clients. Sensational quality.
I've had very good luck with Art.com as well, the web site could use some work. If you have access to a trade only showroom, I would also suggest Left Bank.
http://www.leftbankart.com/home.aspx
Unbelievable selection, excellent quality, as well. The truth is, ( and I love original art) there is almost no reason to have naked walls anymore. The technology has allowed vast improvements........and some stunning additions to walls for all. Nothing you love looking at is "cheesy" : )
Kelly Coughlan thanked JAN MOYER
PROTerrence Howell Home Staging and Art
8 år sidenGo online to (great big canvas .com , Artsy, Saatchi, Fine Art America, Etsy,. Every town or city has an open artists studios at least once a year, try researching your towns open studios. You can always find good deals at the open studios.
Remember good art won't match your sofa.
PROJWCreative LLC
8 år sidenSidst ændret: {last_modified_time}8 år sidenHi Kelly!
Thank you for your post, however, I strongly disagree with some comments on this thread.
There are MANY better alternatives for buying affordable and still "real" art by real artist who are REALLY getting paid for their work. It is not necessary to resort to big corporations.
I personally make affordable cutom framed digital prints at nearly any priceand shipped virtually anywhere. I can customize art for clients to fit any style, size, location or budget! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not purchase art from large corporate print galleries without checking out businesses like mine.
Buying affordable art prints from contemporary artists helps fuel their careers and stimulate the growth of small business. That way you can truly support artists without breaking your budget! Please contact me here or at art@jakewittrock.com and I will work with you personally to create art for your home. www.jakewittrock.com
Thanks! All the best on your project.
Kelly Coughlan thanked JWCreative LLC
PROTHE FRENCH BARN - Lacanche Canada
8 år sidenYou could try to find local artists, either students or "starting" artists, in your area... There is a live art auction for example here in town every Wednesday... The place is, well, the exact opposite of an art gallery, the artists are young and not-so-young people for whom art is a way out of their troubles, but their pieces are just as impressive as that $10k painting in an "offical" art gallery. Most pieces go for less than $50, the record sale is probably not much more than $300-400...
Kelly Coughlan thanked THE FRENCH BARN - Lacanche Canada
Mandi Kotzian
8 år sidenI certainly don't think it's cheesy if you're on a budget and you like it! :)
Kelly Coughlan thanked Mandi Kotzian- PRO
JAN MOYER
8 år sidenSidst ændret: {last_modified_time}8 år sidenThere is no right or wrong, there is what you like. And all types of art can be considered. A "repro" doesn't make it "bad", and an original doesn't make it "good". Photography, metal art, fabric art........they're your walls, and you'll be seeing what is on them. Scale CAN be difficult, houses weren't as large as they are these days, nor were the walls as tall. Sometimes, you need a large......something. Skip the Elvis on velvet type stuff and you'll be fine.
Architectural Notice
8 år sidenI've mentioned this before on Houzz but I've had a lot of success buying nice wall art from Goodwill and resale shops.
You can find nice wall art at very cheap prices but you may have to go to a variety of resale stores and go often before you find something that you like.
Kelly Coughlan thanked Architectural NoticeLiz H
8 år sidenIt can be cheesy, yes. Klimt, Kandinsky, Van Gogh, etc., were great artists, but only college students should be able to get away with hanging reproductions of masterpieces, and then only in their dorm rooms. I mean, if you adore those fabulous paintings of Adele Bloch-Bauer and simply must hang a reproduction in your home, just know that 90 bazillion other people are displaying the same pic. To me, that's pretty cheesy. OTOH, who cares what other people think? Years ago, I saw a David Hockney production of a Richard Strauss opera that affected me very deeply. After I saw the show for the third time, I went to the gift shop, bought the opera's poster, framed it, and stuck it on my bedroom wall. My daughter, who is a successful artist and thinks she knows better than everyone else, made fun of me. My feeling is that she just doesn't get it, so there!Kelly Coughlan thanked Liz H- PRO
JAN MOYER
8 år sidenLOL....... if you love a repro Klimt, do it. They're your walls. No law says a big circle of color on a big white oversized canvas is "art". That was decided when someone paid sixteen million for it. Truth is, unless NYC, most original gallery art in any city, is price decided in a You sell me Yours, I will sell you Mine, lets establish a "value" scenario and record of sale. Choose what you love. If really interested beyond "decking the walls"....immerse yourself, and collect. The poster was asking about decor. Not a judgement of what should or should not grace the walls.
Kelly Coughlan thanked JAN MOYER 
greenwoodframed
8 år sidenI have NO issue with buying "mass produced" art- if you like it, hang it! I will say, though, that there many places where you can get original or beautiful artist-produced prints for a reasonable price. I bought three custom screen printed pieces from a local artist I found on Reddit! He framed them for me and everything for $800 for three very large, totally custom pieces. I've also bought custom commissioned work off etsy for very reasonable prices. It takes dome legwork but has been worth it in my experience. Plus you're helping out the artist directly! Good luck!
Www.greenwoodframed.comKelly Coughlan thanked greenwoodframed
havingfun
8 år sidenFor once, i am with terrence. if you buy non original art you should be buying posters. any more spent is a waste of your money. And yes on etsy and saatchi you can get sofa size pieces for $100. My walls are literally covered in signed originals from charity thrift stores, i have only spent over $10 a couple times. Photography is another great choice, along with personal art and/or collections. look here at houzz for art walls or go online there are many great choices, from personal time lines to framed bandana collections.
Kelly Coughlan thanked havingfun
PROKHB Interiors
8 år sidenHi
We always love original pieces or oil paintings but there's a time and place for everything. It's your home so get what you are comfortable with.
Best of luck !
KHB Interiors in New Orleans
Please do me a favor and follow us on Houzz!
https://www.houzz.com/khbinteriorsKelly Coughlan thanked KHB Interiors
ibseyb
8 år sidenI'm sure there's some non-cheesy stuff on art.com, but I didn't see any in five quick minutes of surfing. I would rather have blank walls myself. Just tell people you're a minimalist! Or do some interesting color blocking:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/trending-color-block-painted-walls-199550
I agree that charity shops can be a great source, takes a lot of dedication though to find something you love.
Here's a list of etsy 2d art I've saved over the years, could be helpful. Some of it is very cheap.
https://www.etsy.com/people/ibseyb/favorites/wall-art-photos-prints-drawings?ref=favs_index_3
If you want a large piece cheaply and quickly, buy some stretcher bars from an art supply store, and stretch some patterned fabric that appeals to you.http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-to-make-fabric-panel-wall-art.html
Or shop your closet for a beautiful scarf you never wear, and hang it over a dowel resting on nails.
Generally I would say that wall art should be honest--photography is the only thing I would buy a giclee print of (giclee is a made up word for printed off a computer.) If the image is a linocut, you want to buy a linocut, not a print-out of a linocut. If the image is a oil painting, you want to buy an oil painting, not a print-out of an oil painting. That doesn't mean you have to buy an oil painting. Just make it the thing it actually is.
Kelly Coughlan thanked ibseybhavingfun
8 år sidenlove ibsey's ideas, that is what i was trying to express. you also can now have giant wall murals, so you look like you are in space or the woods. color blocks allow you to take items and unite them. when they are in the color block it gives the image of one art piece. I am sorry, at one time i could have given you pics of what i am talking about, but they are all gone.
- PRO
JAN MOYER
8 år sidenSidst ændret: {last_modified_time}8 år sidenFor heavens sake! You can declare yourself an artist . Go to Michaels, buy a bunch of large canvasses and have at it! It's original, it's certainly "HONEST",,,,you painted it, it's definitely yours) so how could it possibly be CHEESY? I am assuming all of those in the should be original and honest group have nothing but rare antiques and/or pure mid cen furniture and have not made any purchases lately of "iterations" of any renowned anything on Overstock, Wayfair, or in the local TJMaxx/Marshalls or Home Goods?..........Really?
Kelly Coughlan thanked JAN MOYER 
jmm1837
8 år sidenSidst ændret: {last_modified_time}8 år sidenI have a lot of things on my walls - some of them are original, though whether they're actually art I leave others to decide; some of them are numbered lithographs or prints, but again, are they art, or just something I like? I also have wood carvings, copper trays, ceramic plates, two wooden spinning sticks, a piece of an Indian temple door, and several Afghan donkey bags. Oh, and a wall hanging of an African village, complete with cows. I like them all, they all have special meaning, none of them were bought to match a piece of furniture but, having bought them, I've worked hard to make them work with the furniture and other things I have.
I say, buy things that mean something to you and don't worry about whether they're cheesy, but don't buy stuff just because they have the same tones as your decor. There are things out there that can do both: find them.
havingfun
8 år sidenJan, i believe you took it a little too far. furniture is way out of the range on average, but art is not. i have seen glicee for literally 100s of dollars. people believe they cannot own original, due to expense or lack of knowledge, but they can. I have also shown people where they could have furniture built rather than pay a trumped up store price and have an original to boot. a piece of art is not a piece of furniture, i would have believed you got that. you do not change out your art like you do your furniture, just like you don't change out your pet because you change out your furniture.
I feel that you are falling in a trap when you pay hundreds for something that is worth no more than a poster. go get the poster.
summery
8 år sidenLizzie and ibsib - that you find posters of artwork by the masters offensive is utterly risible.Liz H
8 år siden@summery---Glad you're amused, but I didn't say they were offensive, just boring. Of course, you, too, are entitled to your opinion.
Kelly Coughlan thanked Ann
KD
8 år sidenI like a couple of Van Gogh pieces, my chances of having originals are slim to none. So I'd get a print because the artwork still makes me happy to look at.
For a big statement piece like as the focal point of a room I would probably use a print to start with and then keep my eyes out for something by a local artist I could replace it with, but I wouldn't bother with something I didn't like just because it was original instead of a print.
Your house should make you feel good - if a print from a website helps with that, go for it.
(I also specifically buy less expensive prints for areas of the house that are hard on artwork, like I bought a print to hang in the bathroom because it needed the color but all the moisture is likely to damage stuff over time. Likewise the kitchen if I had a place for art there, or even a really sunny spot since sun can damage things.)Kelly Coughlan thanked KD
Katie
8 år sidenI also love classic art, including Van Gogh and Monet. I can't afford the originals and am happy with a few posters.Kelly Coughlan thanked Katiesuezbell
8 år sidenInstead of pictures of people or places or things that have no meaning to you, consider searching for "pressed metal interior wall art".
http://i5.walmartimages.com/dfw/dce07b8c-d377/k2-_5c1982ee-0866-49ca-92f0-8faa629cd7f9.v1.jpg
http://www.decorlove.com/ideas/contemporary-metal-wall-decor/
Kelly Coughlan thanked suezbellKD
8 år sidenI generally take art suggestions in the same vein as 'serving suggestion' on a food package - something to give me an idea of what to look for, but rarely the real thing. So if someone edited in a piece of artwork and I liked the general look, unless I really loved that specific piece I would try to figure out what made the art look right and then look for something similar.
Also some people get so tied up in knots about things that I do think a print can be sort of a gateway to finding other art later - you finish your dining room with a print someone suggests, live with it for a while and start feeling more confident and then maybe find something yourself.
(That said, with two photographers who dabble in other media and a creative 11 year old in the house, our style here can be pretty eclectic, especially as we might like one photo best at one point but prefer something else in a couple months. To cope with that I have planned in some gallery areas with picture ledges and one hallway will eventually get a picture rail system so it is easy to swap stuff around. They are also in areas like the hallway where there is less other stuff going on with the decoration so it can handle if sometimes the artwork looks a bit busy.)Kelly Coughlan thanked KDlibradesigneye
8 år sidenSidst ændret: {last_modified_time}8 år sidenLook - I have been guilty of recommending art. com. Do I think everything they carry is good? No. Do I like that they print fine art onto canvas in large sizes? Yes. I've learned about new-to-me classic fine artists there. I like being able to sort by size and type of art when I am trying to find a sample of colors and style to throw up as options .. .. I also recommend etsy for original art, though I don't like everything there either. I also have recommended an art calendar when you need multiples and cut the pieces apart to mat and frame them for a grid hanging. I'd like to have a large art budget .. but the art. com site will be above some peoples budgets and under others . .
Art should be subjective and personal, and that means what I think is good isn't necessarily what you think is good. indeed, I think it is a great thing to shop for on holiday - a great way to commemorate a trip, one of the few times you have that kind of relaxation with a spouse to go shopping . ..
Kelly Coughlan thanked libradesigneyeKD
8 år sidenI also like the idea of collecting art on trips. My brother got my parents a lovely little vase when he and his family were out west and it is a nice thing to see and be reminded of their adventures when you spot it.
I think one thing to remember is that art can seem very intimidating - people have ideas of galleries as snooty places and all art must be expensive and so on, and then you start worrying about how much you should pay for it and if you are being taken advantage of or if you are being too cheap... As a result I think art isn't even really a thing a lot of people think about as something to have in the home besides a few family photos (which are hardly ever in decorating magazine pictures) and maybe a cute saying on a sign. So prints from wherever can be a low pressure way to get used to the idea and build confidence in picking things for your home.
(I also am guilty of framing pages from calendars or even sometimes a set of note cards. I actually have stuff like that in my closet behind the clothes, so as I am putting stuff away or looking through my options I get a nice little surprise now and then. It also works as a place to stick stuff I like that doesn't fit in other places because you never really see anything as a whole composition anyway, so you can't tell this brightly colored flower completely clashes with the muted seascape a foot away because there are three dark shirts between them. :D But since they are hidden and change at whim, I don't usually want to spend a lot, so calendars and cards are perfect. Not too big and not too expensive.)Kelly Coughlan thanked KDkathleen MK
8 år sidenTo quote Dad , the artist who taught me more about art than all my art professors, " if you like it is Art if not forget it!" Get what speaks to you and fits the space. if it looks good it doesn't matter where you bought unless you plan to auction it at Southby.
I would suggest going to local art events like Cottonwood Art festival in Richardson next weekend. you will find artists selling good giclee prints of their originals. A local print or frame shop can do one of your snapshots or a child's drawing if you want something personal. And don't be afraid to do your own canvas.Kelly Coughlan thanked kathleen MKjmm1837
8 år sidenI have all sorts of quirky stuff picked up on trips or when working abroad - wall hangings, copper trays, that sort of thing. I love going to shops that sell old prints and maps - lots of interesting things in there, and if not quite one of a kind, they at least aren't something that you'd see in your neighbors' houses. I've bought paintings in street markets and at local craft exhibits for very little. I don't like mass produced stuff all that much and I do like making "art" out of things that you don't necessarily expect to be on walls. But I think the whole point here is that, if you like something, and it speaks to you, be it an original, a print, or a cutout from a magazine, enjoy it and put it up. Just don't buy "wall art" as though it were a cushion that needed to match your sofa. It ought to be something more.
Kelly Coughlan thanked jmm1837
PROPoovi Art
8 år sidenSidst ændret: {last_modified_time}8 år sidenI am an Artist and i create original art for customers at very affordable low prices. If you want custom artworks based on your own idea, that is absolutely possible here.
Here you can explore and collect high quality artworks.check my online shop for more original pieces....
https://www.etsy.com/shop/PooArtGallery?ref=profile_shopname
Kelly Coughlan thanked Poovi Art
drdeb1234
8 år sidenSidst ændret: {last_modified_time}8 år sidenI'll just add (and apologies if this point has been made), buy something YOU think is fabulous, and you would like to look at every day. That is, NOT something that just "matches the pillows". That will make the difference between a great, interesting personal home, and one that is attractive but rather generic and dull, like a waiting room or hotel room.
Kelly Coughlan thanked drdeb1234Liz H
8 år sidenI totally believe that you should decorate your home in any way that gives you joy, and if that includes hanging reproductions of whatever, so what? But the original poster was essentially asking if people would think she had poor taste for using products from art.com, and I think that the answer to that depends on who "people" are and what she hangs. If she hangs a print of the Mona Lisa over her fireplace and I happen to visit her, I will indeed form an opinion about her taste. If she doesn't care about my opinion because she adores the Mona Lisa, well...awesome!Kelly Coughlan thanked Liz H
auntthelma
8 år sidenSidst ændret: {last_modified_time}8 år sidenLike PirateFoxy, I have framed pages from calendars and even postcards. We live in an artist colony and the artists send postcards advertising their upcoming shows. I will frame the postcard because I can't afford the original! :)
We also buy prints from the local artists and have a big collection of quality prints.
There is a controversy in the town about the couple of 'galleries' that sell what the artists call, 'schlock art.' Painted in a factory by people who can paint what they are told to paint. I have two of them. Even though they are not local artists or (arguably) artists at all. One hangs in my very sunny breakfast room because I needed a piece there and wouldn't put anything valuable there because I know the sun will fade it.
The other, I bought to fill a space in a room that NEEDED a big piece. Like your dilemma. Someday, I will see a 'real' piece that fits there and the 'schlock art' will go to the yard sale pile.
My long winded point is, buy what you like that you can afford and someday, maybe you will see the 'real' piece that belongs in that spot. Or, you may be happy with your print/reproduction/mass produced piece. No sin in buying what you can afford.
Kelly Coughlan thanked auntthelma- PRO
Terrence Howell Home Staging and Art
8 år sidenI'm an artist, collector, and home stager. My best advice when shopping for art is don't be a impulse buyer when it comes to art. Buying art is kinda like online dating. Go back and look at the piece a few times. In other words go on 2-3 dates before you make a hasty decision. Ask yourself, can I live with this painting for the next 3-5yrs or will it end up at this summer's garage sale. If you're just buying it because it matches the sofa/ love seat set then don't buy it. Trust me you'll get tired of it in a year. If you're on a tight budget you can get away with 2-3 matt and framed paintings for under $1500.
Just my 2cents
Kelly Coughlan thanked Terrence Howell Home Staging and Art 
Rebecca Hicks
8 år sidenI just ordered an 18 x24 Audubon glicee print from Art.com today. I have many really nice antique bird prints and I am hoping to put this in the mix. I typically only buy original art---pastels,watercolors,oils etc. but every once in a while I find something that is a great reproduction that I can put with my other pieces. It elevates the ordinary to something special. Buying art----cultivating art----takes time. Sometimes you have to educate yourself. Go to galleries, look at art magazines or check out local art groups. I have a lot of art and I would never buy art that I did not love. I also would never buy art to match my furnishings.
Kelly Coughlan thanked Rebecca Hickslibradesigneye
8 år sidenI have a pair of wonderful abstract prints from art.com that I had wood mounted and they hang in my master bath. Norm Wyatt Eco I and II - It is a bathroom, they add a lot, they weren't cheap but not expensive so I'd worry over the humidity. When I redid my bathroom, they were sort of the cherry on top .. art.com is a fine place to buy if you know what you like and how to use them .. just like other art purveyors are
Kelly Coughlan thanked libradesigneye
PRODavid Milnes : Photographer
8 år sidenYou should put art on your walls because you like it. End of. Have a look on crated.com as another alternative. Many artists on there will even come up with something bespoke for you, myself included. Shameless self-promotion alert
Kelly Coughlan thanked David Milnes : PhotographerCHRISTIAN Boswell
5 år sidenWould you not listen to a Beatles song you loved simply because everyone else has it? Of course not. Art is meant to be loved and shared. Regardless of medium.
Holly Stockley
5 år sidenPrints of the works of famous masters always have, to me, the air of the college dorm room.
It really depends on how much you want something that resonates for you, and how much legwork you want to do.
I think it's certainly worth looking around at local artists before you commit. My aunt does all sorts of very large oil canvases for corporate clients. That's not really a good fit for most people. But on occasion, she does a small run of signed and numbered prints - mostly of watercolors. They're lovely and more accessible. Worth a thought.I even recently discovered that one of the artists who licenses her stuff to Hobby Lobby has a bunch of both prints and original paintings available at a local vintage market. Cute stuff and much more fun with the dimensionality that comes with actual oil paintings.
Personally, I prefer something of that nature than a print that - as mentioned above - matches the sofa. Full disclosure: No, I have nothing from Overstock, Wayfair, TJ Maxx, Homegoods, Art Van or Target. Not so much as a throw pillow. Which is more because my style is too far off the beaten path for me to find things I like at that will work for me at those sources. And because I'd rather haunt flea markets and vintage sales for well-made older pieces and do a bit of restoration work. To each, his own.
Kelly Easton
2 år sidenSidst ændret: {last_modified_time}2 år sidenI realize this question is quite old but someone may benefit from the responses.
My suggestion for this quandary (the need or desire for nice art on a tight budget) is to shop VINTAGE! I have found my favorite art in antique and thrift ,stores. You can find "real" art and not break the bank. And if you do find a piece of art that you really like but don't like the frame, you can always get a frame more suited to your taste online. Another thing i have done...I found a print I loved on Etsy that was fairly inexpensive and I bought a nice brass frame from Crate & Barrell (or CB2, not sure which) and now this simple inexpensive print looks like a million bucks. When you do it this way you are able to get a larger piece of art for your money. Keep in mind, I did shell out a few bucks for the frame due to it's size but I now have a good size piece of art that hangs above my king size bed and it looks beautiful.
Another idea...order your print, even if it is a mass produced print, but look for a unique antique/vintage frame (depending on your taste.) I love antique stores and I often see frames that I fall in love with. I used to think, 'well, I don't have anything to put in it so i don't need it', and I wouldn't purchase. It never failed that I would end up wishing I had. Now when I am antiquing and see a frame that 'I love', I purchase it because I know that eventually I will use it. Great quality frames for a great price sell fast so if you see something you love, grab it because chances are it won't be there when you go back.
It has taken time for my personal design style to come to fruition. I have fallen prey to fads in the past only to give away or donate those items a year or two later. Now that I am comfortable doing what I want, regardless of what everyone else may be doing, it seems so effortless and enjoyable rather than something I struggle with. And just a word of advice....
Don't be afraid, no matter what your decor style is, to add in a few antique/vintage pieces here and there. It adds a ton of personality and character to your home and can really warm up a space. It is perfectly ok to think outside of the box and to set "the rules" aside. Do what YOU love and it will come together and look fantastic. As I have grown and matured so has my design style. When I shop for home decor of any kind I am picky. I do not purchase things impulsively or purchase things just to fill a space. If you don't love something then save your money until the right piece comes along. Personally, I stick to things that are timeless. Things that are not locking me in to any specific style and that won't, one day, be considered dated.
I hope this little bit of advice helps someone. And remember, as we grow and evolve so do our personal styles and tastes. Don't be afraid to change things up. Do what YOU love and have fun with it!
k.
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