Monday, July 18, 2011

Finding Art for Your Apartment

What is Art to you?

Article taken off movingtoday.com

Finding Art for Your Apartment

Everyone has a different definition of art, but one thing is certain - whatever is beautiful or compelling to you qualifies. Finding art for your apartment can be an adventurous hunt or a surgical strike. Read on for ideas of how to adorn the walls of your apartment with artistic delights.

What’s your artistic style?
Look around your home. Perhaps your style trends towards the modern, with sleek metal and light-colored wood furniture. Contemporary prints or photographs would blend well with this style, or even industrial pieces: metal railings and window frames can create a modern urban atmosphere.

Are you a classical art fan, or one of the “found art” variety? Perhaps you enjoy a rustic country or retro environment instead. Old signs, magazine ads and classic posters can all work with these styles.

Mix and match elements of your favorite milieu. You can even create room themes to match your mood or the room’s function: soothing impressionist paintings for the bedroom; vibrant, vintage fruit and food prints for the kitchen; and forest scenes in prints, posters, photographs, oils or watercolors.

Where to find art
You can find art almost anywhere you want to look. If you’re looking for an original piece, try visiting local galleries. On a tighter budget, you might try antique stores, thrift shops, or eBay. Prints of classic photographs and paintings can be found in chain stores or online. Since art can be anything that hits you where you live, you might discover that a rusty old sign or a scarred piece of wood may speak to you as powerfully as a Picasso or Renoir. Be open to whatever appeals to you in order to create a look that’s all your own.

Other types of wall decoration
What adorns your wall doesn’t need to be in a conventional frame or hung on a single nail. You can use the entire wall as a palette. How about a montage of things that you care deeply about — photographs of friends and family, fliers from shows or exhibits you want to remember, or a collection of old clocks? These beloved objects can surround you with familiarity and create a unique atmosphere in your apartment. You can also use temporary wall art stickers to create new looks as they suit your mood.

Do remain aware of the terms of your lease as you add art to your apartment walls. You will want to be able to return the unit to its original condition if you move.

Finding art for your apartment can be like the icing on the cake of your design adventure. Whatever style of art you choose for your walls, be sure it reflects your true passion and taste, creating an atmosphere that makes your home truly your own.