Finding the Right Artwork for Your New Home
You just got the keys. The boxes are everywhere. And somehow the walls feel louder than anything else in the house.
I hear this a lot from new homeowners. The furniture is easy. The art is not. You want something that feels like you, not something that came off a hotel wall.
Here is where I always tell people to start.
## Don't shop by room. Shop by feeling.
Before you think about your living room or your entry, think about how you want to feel when you walk in. Calm. Energized. Like you're already at the beach even when you're not. That feeling matters more than matching your couch.
## Original work changes a room differently than a print does
A print is a copy. It's the same thing hanging in a thousand other homes. An original painting has texture you can see change with the light. It has a story. It's the only one of its kind, just like your home is the only one of its kind to you.
## Local matters more than people think
If you're in Manhattan Beach, Hermosa, Redondo, Palos Verdes, or anywhere in the South Bay, working with a local artist means you can actually see the painting in person before it goes on your wall. You can talk about scale. You can talk about color. That conversation is part of what makes a painting feel like it belongs in your home instead of just being placed there.
## Start with one piece
You don't need to fill every wall on day one. Pick one painting you love. Let the room build around it. I always tell new collectors the same thing. The right piece finds you when you're not trying so hard to find it.
Some paintings just want to be lived with.