The 6 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Buying Art

Filling your home with art is, if we’re being honest, a pretty vibes-based proposition. Seating and lighting are much more straightforward: You can know in a moment if a sofa is comfortable or your living room is too dark. Art? Famously subjective.

That said, thanks to e-commerce and social media, we all know more about what’s out there and how everyone else is displaying art than ever before. “Historically, the art world was heavily centered around a relatively small group of established names and traditional gatekeepers,” explains Lndn Gray founder Tyler Straub (whose curated collection of prints and framed art is catnip for designers and shoppers alike). “Now people can discover artists globally whose work aligns much more specifically with their personal taste, aesthetic and interests.”

“Covering your walls with art that looks like it was collected over time does not need to be complicated, nor does it take a big budget — it just needs to be thoughtfully put together,” says Artfully Walls founder Cathy Glazer (whose pro-beloved portfolio of online offerings is similarly gallery-worthy). Tyler and Cathy won’t tell you what to love, in other words, but they’ve seen a thing or two as they’ve provided adornments for walls the world over — and they have pointers for avoiding rookie missteps.

1. Don't Neglect a Room’s Visual Balance

“Evaluate your room’s layout, including doorways, windows and ceiling height. The goal is to select art that complements these elements without creating competing focal points,” Cathy advises.

Height plays into that as well. “Hanging artwork at eye level — typically 57-60 inches from the floor to the center of the piece — creates an optimal viewing experience,” she says.

2. Don’t Rush to Cover Your Walls All at Once

It is perfectly alright — lovely, even — to acquire art slowly. “One of the biggest misconceptions about great interiors is that they come together overnight. In reality, the most compelling spaces are often the result of years of collecting, editing and discovering pieces that have personal meaning,” Tyler notes. “I always encourage people to resist the urge to fill every wall immediately just for the sake of making a room feel ‘finished.'"

So, how does a space begin to come together? “When you're starting from scratch, focus on finding one or two pieces of art that genuinely resonate with you and build from there,” he says. “Art should tell the story of who you are, and stories are rarely written all at once.”

3. Don’t Stick to a Single Style

If you’re dead set on revisiting one era or motif as you add furniture and art to your home, you should by all means follow your bliss. Tyler's two cents? “I think art should complement a home's design rather than simply match it. If every piece in a room comes from the same era or follows the same aesthetic language, the space can start to feel overly predictable,” he suggests.

Instead, “Some of the most successful interiors create tension between different styles,” Tyler offers. “A contemporary abstract painting can look incredible in a room filled with midcentury furniture, just as a vintage piece can add warmth and history to a more modern setting. Color can be a useful thread that ties things together, but I generally encourage people to prioritize emotional connection over strict stylistic consistency. If you love a piece, you'll almost always find a way to make it work.”

4. Don’t Ignore Ceiling Height and Viewing Distance

Your home’s basic proportions will give you hints about how to proceed with selecting and arranging art. “Large, open rooms can support oversized pieces that become focal points, while smaller spaces may benefit from a thoughtfully curated gallery wall,” Tyler says.

5. Don’t Skimp on Scale

Inexperienced art buyers often make the mistake of purchasing pieces that are too small for the walls they’ll occupy. “People tend to underestimate how large artwork needs to be to create presence in a room,” Tyler says. “As a general guideline, artwork placed above a sofa, console or bed should occupy roughly two-thirds to three-quarters of the furniture's width.”

Happily, you don't have to rely on guesswork there. “Before purchasing, I would use painter's tape to outline [an artwork’s] dimensions directly on the wall. It's a simple trick that helps you visualize scale and proportion in real time.”

6. Don’t Buy Art You Think You “Should” Want

This point bears repeating. “Art tends to be a very personal decision for most people, as it’s a matter of personal taste above all else,” Cathy says. “We believe that the art you display in your home should first and foremost be art that you enjoy and makes you feel good when you look at it. You should not feel the need to follow certain trends or what you think ‘might be right’ for the space."