Expert art advice everyone can afford: Hiring your own personal curator is on the rise. And it's not just for those with deep pockets - prices start at £20, says Olivia Lidbury
- Here's how you can consult your very own art curator to spruce up your home
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Having an art adviser sounds like a luxury reserved for the one per cent – but it isn't, if you know who to call.
Thanks to an uptick in enterprising art lovers, you can now sidestep the realm of intimidating galleries (and the art dealers who will only get out of bed for five-figure deals) to discover unique and affordable pieces from emerging talent.
The issue isn't a lack of accessibly priced art – Desenio, Fy! are examples of great websites – but knowing where to go to find bespoke pieces that will enhance your walls without costing the earth.
'Art concierges make it easy if you simply don't have the time to trawl through thousands of art galleries online,' says Hettie Reatchlous, who three years ago launched fine art consultancy Art Untamed (art-untamed.com).
Art advisers such as Reatchlous scour graduate shows, studios, galleries and auctions to source affordable and original pieces for clients.
Framing posters is an affordable way to add art to your walls. Group as a set for a cohesive feel. For similar prints try artfullywalls.com; prices from £20 unframed
Reatchlous honed her eye working for an art dealer, but fielding requests from friends with more modest budgets, who didn't want to settle for generic Ikea prints, was what inspired her business.
'Often art is the final bit of the puzzle,' she says of the first-time buyers and renovators seeking her help to fill their walls with gallery art at a fraction of the price.
So how does it work? Often, potential clients needn't even leave their house; after a 30-minute phone consultation, Reatchlous prepares a (free) proposal that might contain up to 50 suggestions.
She then mostly takes sales fees from the artist, not the buyer (it all depends on the scale of the project).
The no-fee model is also employed by curated art platform Partnership Editions (partnershipeditions.com), which represents 90 international artists on its website.
A print typically starts at £75, but there's no minimum spend required to merit a phone call from their advisers.
'We love talking about art and our artists,' says Laura Ridpath, the company's trade lead, 'and can make most budgets work.'
What if you don't feel confident about discussing art? Don't worry.
Don’t get too hung up on one style and cover the wall with it – art looks more expensive when it has an ‘acquired’ feel. Start with a print full of texture and/or colour to create a focal point in a room without dominating the space, and build your collection from there. For a similar print try kingandmcgaw.com; prices from £65
Mix wall art with sculptures and ceramics to animate quiet corners as well as chests of drawers and side tables. Art from a selection by Ali Bassett at partnershipeditions.com; prices start from about £75 unframed
If space is at a premium, positioning artwork in vertical rows draws the eye upwards. Prints by Rebecca Sammon at partnership editions.com; prices start from about £75 unframed
Displaying a colourful piece of art on a neutral wall will add a gallery feel. Print by Bensley & Dipré at art-untamed.com; consultations are free
If your surroundings lean towards maximalist, introduce clean and graphic artworks that blend with your décor without distracting from it. Print by Caroline Popham, from a selection at art consultancy projectsonwalls.com; prices vary according to project
'People sometimes feel a bit silly telling us they like very famous, very expensive artists because they're not going to be buying a Matisse, but it's helpful to know what their favourite style of artwork is as we can source similar for less,' Ridpath says.
While Partnership Editions might signpost existing artworks online to clients, it also sources unseen pieces still drying in the artist's studio.
If commitment to buying is the issue, the answer might lie with Interrupted Art (interrupted.art), launched by former Tate buyer Stephanie Crosland-Goss a year ago.
Members pay £66 per month for the loan of a piece – hand-delivered within 90 minutes' drive of its premises in Southwest London – which they can hang in their home for ten weeks.
The value of each can range from £600 to £4,000, and 50 per cent of clients end up buying what they've borrowed. 'It's about access, enjoyment and using it to discover different types of fine art,' says Crosland-Goss.
Your new and improved gallery wall awaits.
