Art is subjective: what’s beautiful to one person can very easily be hideous to another – and vice versa. The most important thing about buying art is that you buy it for yourself; and not because it’s fashionable at time of purchase or because someone has told you that you should buy it. Art is an investment, it’s about you and it’s a process: a process with an end goal of finding the right thing to look incredible in your home and that you’ll treasure forever. So, how do you pick art for your home?
CONSIDER YOUR BUDGET
Without stating the obvious, it’s incredibly important to consider your budget before you even start to think about the type of art that you want to buy. Budget is something that’s surprisingly commonly overlooked – people get overexcited and then end up in debt up to their eyeballs. Your budget is something that you should never be ashamed about and something that you should never compare to others. If you’re a real gentleman you will never discuss budgets and price anyway, but it’s still important to remain realistic and true to yourself.
STICK TO YOUR STYLE
Beyond making sure you’re not in debt for the rest of your life, the next most important part in picking artwork is that it’s in keeping with everything else in your home. Choosing something that doesn’t fit or that just isn’t to your taste – just because your friend likes it – will look wrong. You want to buy art that’s going to slot perfectly into your home; something that’s going to stand out without looking out of place but also that’s going to slot in without getting lost. Buy something that you like, that you want and always make sure that you’re being true to your taste and your style.
THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE
If you’re making an art investment it’s important to consider how you’re going to feel about the piece in 10 years time. It’s all well and good if it fits into your bachelor pad now; but what happens a decade down the line when you’re married with kids and you’ve spent a lot of money on this piece that no longer fits into your life? You need to think about art as an investment much like jewellery or a watch – it needs to be timeless and you need to ensure that you’re picking something that you’ll be happy with for the rest of your life.
NEVER SETTLE
The problem with investing in art is that it quite often happens when someone has moved into a brand new home and is desperate to fill the space. This, gentlemen, is a trap that you must not fall into. You must take your time over art – especially if you’ve put aside a big chunk of money for it. A gentleman should never settle for anything less than what he deserves and every man in this world deserves decent art on his walls. While we’re on this subject; please, please, please don’t settle for something from Ikea in the interim. With the risk of causing offence – and sorry for that – this is the fastest way to devalue the interior of your home. An empty space is going to look better than a pixelated image of the New York skyline.
BE REALISTIC
The final and most important point to make is that you need to be realistic. Everyone would love to own a Damian Hirst or a Picasso but unfortunately that’s a lot easier said than done. It’s important to consider all of the above and remain tactful with the end goal in sight: a beautiful piece of art that you love and that you can afford. Stick to your guns and remain realistic in the process and we can almost guarantee that you’re going to come away with something fantastic.
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