A Beginner’s Guide for Choosing Art for Your Home

On my first day of university, I walked into my empty dorm room, plopped down my bags and before putting my sheets on my bed or unpacking my clothes, I pulled out a print of Monet’s water lilies and tacked it above my bed. Whenever I got too stressed out and needed to calm down, looking at the print always took me to a serene place.

The power of art is not to be under appreciated and while visiting a gallery or museum is an exceptionally beautiful experience, turning your home into a personal showroom is even better. Having a great piece of art can transform a room from stale to stellar—however, choosing the right piece is a meaningful and personal struggle. While selecting art for your home is largely based on personal preference, as with most decor, there are some guidelines we recommend following to maximize your space’s potential. If you’re looking for ways you can decorate your home with art, we’re here to help.

Keep reading for our tips for choosing art for your home, plus shop 15 original affordable art prints we love under $200.

Rule 1

The dollar sign does not dictate value. You can get a great piece of art for a price without spending a months worth of salary. If you like the art and it speaks to you, it’s valuable.

Tessa Neustadt Rio Maggiore Art Print 19

Cult Paper Rock On Art Print 19

Christina Hicks Painted Hills Art Print 19

Rule 2

The style of the room should match the art. Ergo, if your room is filled with antiques, consider a Victorian-style painting with an antique frame. If you have a modern flair to your home, it may be wise to invest in pop art with a sleek frame.

Wilder California Mountain Cactus Art Print 19

Camilla Perkins Gentleman With Egret Art Print 19

Max Wanger Diver Art Print  29

Rule 3

Size matters. If an art piece is too large, it will overwhelm and if the art that is too small, it will get lost and look out of proportion.

AnthropoligeArtfully Walls Top Knot 35 Wall Art  171

Rule 4

Color is key. When selecting art for a particular room, make sure the art pieces incorporates at least two or three colors that are dominant in the room.

Artfully Walls Red And Blonde Wall Art 138

Leah Reena Goren Surfers Art Print  29

Morgan Phillips Dusty Road Art Print   19

Kym Fulmer Crashing Waves Art Print 29

Rule 5

Where art is placed is important. Art should typically be hung so that the center of the painting is at eye level

While rules are good to follow, they should be considered guidelines only— so get creative as you want. Before running of to your closest art dealer to shop some wall art, scroll down for my curated list of pieces. I know you’re busy so I went ahead and separated them in the four major categories of art: abstract, animals, figure and nature – so you can select which type of art is most fitting for you! Extra bonus: most of these are free shipping.

Amy Carroll Estella Art Print  19

Getty Images Prince Live In LA Art Print  115

Myan Soffia Sunny California No. 2 Art Print 19

Fleuriosity Flourishing Lungs Art Print  19

What’s your art style? Tell us in the comments below!