Moving out of my last apartment felt like a fresh start. You may remember my pistachio green kitchen and blush-toned bedroom; I spent the majority of lockdown trying to find joy in the 500 square feet in which I lived, and I did so by painting everything.
Shortly after life opened up again I started to resent my apartment. It had kept me safe, yes, and I loved certain things about it, but it suddenly felt like a time capsule of the things I had experienced up to that point: fear, loneliness, hope, depression, anger, and a lot in between. I suddenly felt like I had to get out as fast as I could if I was ever going to be able to look ahead.
Seeing all of the things from my old place in my new one felt weird, like a puzzle that just didn’t fit. I was going through a bit of an aesthetic evolution, I think, and it showed in the furniture I sold and bought in its place: I traded a tulip dining table for one handmade of heavy wood and floating track shelving for low walnut bookcases, for instance. Less color, more warmth.
Almost two years later I feel like I’ve completely settled into a place that feels like me except for in one arena: ART. I’ve collected things over the years and there are a handful of pieces I will hang on my walls no matter what (ie. two paintings by my grandpa) but anything that doesn’t have any sentimental value to me just doesn’t make sense here.
I decided to pay attention to what I liked about the art in some of the inspiration images I was saving. For one, scale: I have a focal wall in my living room that requires hanging something really big and all of the 8x10’’ art prints I’ve amassed over the years just won’t do it. Second, density: I love when frames are hung close together or at weird heights, like they were placed wherever they could fit. And third, eclecticness (is that a word?): I prefer a mix of mediums, frames, and textures over something that feels ultra-cohesive.
Unfortunately, this look doesn’t come together in a day of online shopping. Or in my case, it doesn’t even happen over a 2-year period. For things to really feel collected they have to be collected, and for me that means that I’m looking for things that are old and have history, or that I’ve found at a flea market, or that an artist I love has made themselves.
So while I’m still on my forever quest to find the artworks that will someday make my home feel full and lived-in, I’ve curated an assortment of pieces from around the internet that are good contenders. Not all of it feels right for me right now, but maybe it’ll feel right for you.
Ahead, 24 pieces of art I love (with commentary, obviously):
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