Starting Fresh: The Potential Of A Blank Wall

So where to start?

If you are looking at a blank wall in your new home and having a minor crisis, you aren’t alone. The potential of a blank wall comes with its challenges and can really put your taste to the test. Interior choices are usually based in some capacity on functionality and usability. But art is almost entirely an emotional decision. “You don’t want to look at a piece in a year’s time and be like, oh yeah, I’m over that now,” notes Ms Stavrou. But if you are looking at a space and wondering how to make the first step, Ms Stavrou suggests thinking about size and shape. “Do you want one large artwork, or do you want a series of three to build out the wall. A handy tip is to get out some masking tape and a measuring tape and play with some mock ups of different size artwork on the wall.”

Not all art costs an arm and a leg, and you don’t necessarily need to splash out on a piece for every space in your home.

“I always recommend not to impulse buy and to actually take your time. Especially when you have just moved into a house, you are kind of still working around your style and what you want to do with it. You might need to tie in with existing pieces that you already have or your existing furniture.”

So while you are settling on your statement piece or deciding, you can always have fun with more affordable prints. These pieces can take centre stage for the meantime until you find something more suitable, but can always move to a space with less limelight later on.

Ms Stavrou notes that if you are going to invest in a piece, it is great to put these pieces in high traffic areas. “That’s the first thing that people see when they walk into your home and you want that to be a key piece.”

Similarly, if you really love a piece, a high traffic zone will likely mean that you get to enjoy it more as well. Give that piece the love it deserves!

Trends in art are a little difficult to pin down sometimes as art is such a personal venture. But there are popular mediums that are on the rise that can be useful to look to, to help make that first step.

Ms Stavrou recommends two avenues to look into; abstract pieces and photography. “Abstract is our most popular category at BlueThumb, and people tend to have very personal and evocative responses to abstract work.”

Photography is also an exciting and growing medium in the residential art world. Ms Stavrou notes that a photographer just received Bluethumbs big annual award, signalling that photography is on the rise.

But at the end of the day, Ms Stavrou encourages people to come back to what speaks to them. Not rushing into that decision is key in making sure the piece you invest in is the right one.