how to choose art for your home with minted.

*this post was created in partnership with Minted.

There’s this bit of wall in our master bedroom. It’s between two windows at the end of our bed and it’s been empty for two years. For two years that blank bit of wall has been staring at me, taunting me, asking me to do something with it, and for two years I’ve just been staring right back. Because truthfully, I had no idea what I wanted to do with that space. I knew I wanted our room to feel light and airy, like a retreat, and everything I thought of for that space just didn’t seem to fit into that vision. I tried on a lot of ideas in my head but nothing felt right so I moved it to my creative back burner and worked on other areas of the room where I had a clearer vision. Creative Procrastination, I call it, but more on that later…

Once my vision for the window treatments was solidified in my head, it became clear to me what I wanted to do with this space. I wanted one big piece of art. Something simple and beautiful that spoke to my soul, and I ended up with this limited edition piece by Kate Ahn called A Mother’s Embrace. I am completely in love with it.

Art is one of the best things you can add to your house to really give it character and make it your own. I am always so fascinated by the pieces people choose to add to their homes, and feel like it tells the story of who they are inside almost more than anything else they can do with their space. It’s also a really great way to personalize your home without just plastering family pictures on every wall, which can end up feeling like too much personalization, if you know what I mean. Artwork gives the soul space to breathe, and is another way to express your family’s style and personality.

But, the process for choosing art for your home can be really intimidating. Trust me, I know. I don’t have any trouble knowing what to buy or how I’m going to style it when it comes to pieces for my closet, but I second-guess the heck out of myself when it comes to selecting pieces for my home. For some reason it feels like there’s much more at stake with home design, and if I’m going to look at something every day, I really want it to fit.

My parents always had beautiful artwork in our home growing up, beautiful Thomas Kinkaid pieces, images of Christ, and lots of landscapes. Looking back I realize, that my mom incorporated artwork into basically every room of our home and it always made our home feel curated, intentional and loved. Everything I want my home to be. The process for finding and buying great art is so much easier now than it was when I was growing up. There are so many great resources for finding unique and limited edition pieces and you can have them on your doorstep in often just a few weeks.

My favorite place to source art is Minted. I love that they carry beautiful unique pieces from independent artists, and that choosing a frame and mat for your art can be done in one simple step. I love that I can see how my piece will look in the frame I select right when I order it, rather than going through the headache of running around town trying to find a framing shop. Minted literally has thousands of beautiful pieces of art and it’s easy to browse and shop by theme and style, so finding something that’s perfect for you is actually quite fun.

Knowing where to source your art is only half the battle, so here are some ideas and things to consider that I have found make it much easier when actually selecting the art for the space.

First, pay attention to proportion and scale. Make sure you measure the space you are choosing artwork for. The size of the space will dictate the size of the art piece. Second, consider the cohesiveness with the room. The art should reflect what is going on in the space, so make sure the colors in the art are repeated through the room. Because I went very neutral in our bedroom I knew I wanted something done in black and white utilizing the use of white space to keep the airy feel. I chose a warm wood frame to that pairs well with the warm bamboo shades. I feel like the art you choose (especially the focal art) should sort of bring the whole room together. I ordered this Afterglow piece for the girls’ room remodel I am working on, and I love that it’s airy and brings out the pink and gold tones I am doing in their room.

Third, look for pieces that speak to you. My mom gave me some of the best decorating advice several years ago after we built our home in Arizona. It was twice the size of our first home, and very empty. And while it was beautiful, home styles in Arizona are not known for their over abundance of character. There were a lot of big blank walls. She told me not to over-think my design style, but instead just look for things that sparked joy. (This was way before the Marie Kondo thing, so my mom was ahead of her time.). She said look for a piece or a fabric or colors that you don’t have to overthink, that just make you feel joy and that my style would naturally emerge from that. I approach choosing art in the same way, I know if I don’t instantly go “Ah! That is it!” then it probably doesn’t belong in my home and on my walls. The art you surround yourself with should absolutely spark joy. And by waiting until you find pieces that move you, you’ll naturally discover your style.

Bonus, create a mood board for your room that includes the art your considering. It’s a great way to ensure that the piece fits and feels cohesive.

Now go forth and curate!