Buying Art for a Friend

There are just too many reasons for us to buy gifts for friends and loved ones. Birthdays, weddings, festive seasons, house warming parties…the list goes on. The next time you’re about to start gift shopping for friends and have no idea what to buy, why not consider buying art? A beautiful art piece displayed in your friend’s home will not only beautify the place, but also be a nice conversational topic for his visitors.

That being said, buying art for someone else can be quite tricky. The last thing you want is to buy something that doesn’t fit the décor of your friend’s home. In the end he might end up quietly putting the art piece away into the store room. To avoid that happening, you have to make sure that the art you buy must compliment the décor of his home.

Here are some tips to help you make the right buying decisions:

1. Arrange for a visit

If you have never visited your friend’s home, try to arrange for a meet up, so that you can have a sneak preview of the place. While you are there pay close attention to the decorative theme of the house. Is it modern contemporary, minimalist, or maybe Victorian? Perhaps your friend is well traveled, and has collected antiques from all over the world. Maybe he likes Asian styles, as evidenced by the furniture and decorative ornaments around the house. Pay attention also to the color theme. Are the walls colorful with bright primary colors, or is it in pastel earthy colors? These considerations will affect your decision on the kind of art you will buy.

2. Identify an area for the art

While you are in the house, identify a wall where you might want the art piece to be hung. It can be quite challenging to find suitable space to hang art - even more so if the wall is already decorated with other art pieces. Remember that you don’t have to buy a very large piece that occupies the entire wall. You can have a small art piece that can share the wall space with other pieces that are already there. You just need to pay attention to the theme of those art pieces.  For example, if those pieces are black and white pictures of architectural buildings, then you have a pretty good idea on the type of art to buy that will match nicely with the others.

3. Take note of the color theme

A rule of thumb is to take note of the 2 strongest colors in the room, and then choose art that has those colors in them. For example, if the room has a lot of brown and beige, you can select art that has these 2 colors in them, but it’s ok to have an additional splash of red or yellow in it. After all, you want the art to stand out and tell a story, so don’t pick something that blends so well until it becomes un-noticeable.

Take note of other things in the room that may be attention grabbing. For example, if there is a beautiful Persian rug at the center of the room that the owner is very proud of, then choose an art piece with subtler colors than the rug so as not to steal attention away from it. Having a room with rugs, curtains and art pieces all shouting for attention can throw the entire room out of balance.

4. Pay attention to the décor style

It is important to find art that will match the décor style of your friend’s home. If the house has a Victorian style to it or has a lot of old antiques, pick something that will match closely with that style. Floral themed paintings or scenes of the countryside can never go wrong. Protect it with an antique styled frame that will add a nice old charmed look. Remember that the frame you choose is also part of the art piece, so do not ignore it. A frame with intricate details and carvings will work nicely with a Victorian or old cottage house.

For a modern home with contemporary styled furniture, you’ll be practically spoilt for choice when it comes to contemporary art. For a room that’s colorful, pick something that’s black and white. For a room that has neutral colors, choose something that will stand out and grab attention. The important thing to note is that you want the art to be noticed. Remember also, that contemporary or abstract art, doesn’t have to mean anything. Different people will interpret it differently. So don’t be too hard on yourself when it comes to choosing the right art for your friend.

5. Think about the size

If you intend to purchase a large art piece, make sure there is enough wall space to put it. It may seem common sense, but coming from an interior design point of view, large pieces are more suitable for rooms with a lot of space and have high ceilings. If your friend is living in a small space, then certainly large pieces may not be suitable. In this case, get a smaller piece, or better yet, get a set of small, similar looking themed art pieces that can be grouped together when displayed. On the other hand, if your friend is living in a home with a lot of space, buying art that is too small will make it look out of place and out of proportion.

So there you have it - just some basic guidelines to set you in the right direction. Remember, if all else fails and you really cannot find a suitable space to hang art, you can always put your art piece into a photo frame and display it next to other photographs. Nothing is impossible. Just a little experimentation can work wonders.