Art selection remains personal

"In art, as in love, instinct is enough." Anatole France (born François-Anatole Thibault), (1844-1924), French author, "Le Jardin D'Epicure" (1859)

Q: Can you offer some guidelines for buying and using art at home? I realize that's a very open-ended question, but it's very confusing to visit galleries and even retail stores when trying to buy art for your home. Is it supposed to match something or can you just buy what you like? We look forward to your comments.

A: Ah, art -- appreciation of it is so very subjective. As many folks as there are on the planet, that's how many opinions you will get about "what is art," "what is good art," "what does good mean" and "how to live with art."

And, as you know, there are also many forms of visual art -- two-dimensional, three-dimensional, etc. -- as well as thousands of mediums. It's no wonder that people get so confused when trying to find art pieces for their homes.

I'm one of these people who believe there should be some relativity to the art in your home, and other things in your home. However, having said that, I also believe that if you have a certain style in your home, your choices of art will reflect that.

But then again, there is the oil painting from your Aunt Bettie and the prized finger painting from your child and your attempt at pottery. It's all art -- and it all needs to be displayed. What happens to that?

Let's look at how some folks display their art. I'll address hanging wall art in another column. That's not an exact science either and gives a lot of people heartburn!

First, let's look at your personal art: Aunt Bettie's oil painting, your collection of butterfly images and the flat bowl you made at a pottery party. Because these are all personal to you, the ideal place to show them off is in your personal space.

I knew a lady who did, in fact, collect butterfly prints and images and her husband collected something very different -- something like fishing flies in shadow boxes or something like that. They agreed these were not collectibles they wanted to display in their living room or other public spaces, and so they decided each would have his or her own wall in their bedroom and each could address the wall any way he or she wanted. So, they each hung their personal art on their own walls.

This worked for them. And while it may not work exactly like this at your house, you get the idea. Find your own little space. If you're lucky enough to have your own dressing room or office, use that to your advantage.

To answer your question, "Should art match something or can you just buy something you like?" yes and yes. Remember style; if you have a contemporary, sleek space, you will probably gravitate to modern or contemporary art pieces. If you have a country home, serene landscapes or still life paintings may be your thing.

True art collectors often provide a very white or monochromatic background to show off their art. This usually includes white upholstery or at least fabrics with no patterns and, oftentimes, white walls. The space then takes on a gallery look and feel. Having this clean palette allows the owners to collect a wide variety of wall art, and none of it really clashes with the other.

If collecting art is not your thing and you are just looking for something to decorate your walls, there are many options. Retail outlets such as Pier 1, Cost Plus World Market and Z Gallerie offer a wide variety of already framed, relatively inexpensive wall art to match any color scheme or design style.

In art, as with any other aspect of decoration and design, the choices are many, and always remember there is no design police. The key is to make your home your own by having it be a reflection of you.

Carolyn Muse Grant is the founding president of the Architectural & Decorative Arts Society, as well as an interior design consultant/stylist specializing in home staging. Her Inside Spaces column appears weekly in the Home section of the Review-Journal. Send questions to creativemuse@cox.net.