Making a House a Home with Colorful Art
When it comes to making a house a home, nothing does the trick more so than hanging things on the wall. Of course, family photos are the most personal touch one can add to the walls. But beyond that, art can certainly provide the perfect finishing touch. The colors, the media, the style, the symbolism… all of these aspects of art can speak powerfully on and within the walls of your home.
Buying art can be intimidating. Where does one even start? And does it have to be expensive? And do you have to go to one of those stuff art galleries?
Well the good news is that there are now many reasonably priced, affordable places to buy art online. And for me, online browsing always provides a no pressure way of shopping, as I can peruse things at my pace – think about a purchase, mull it over, compare options – without a salesperson hovering over me.
The flip side is that some of these art websites can be a bit overwhelming just because of the sheer volume of pieces they have. So, before you get bogged down on any of these websites, consider at a minimum what styles and color palettes you are interested in. That will make the task at hand more manageable and even enjoyable!
Without further delay, allow me to introduce you to 15 of my favorite online sources for affordable, colorful, modern art…
15 Best Online Sources for Affordable Colorful Modern Art
1. Artfully Walls
Artfully Walls is a good place to start, as they make the experience fairly simple. They don’t have original art, but they do have great prints. Furthermore, they offer framing.
What I especially love is a unique feature of their website… In the gallery wall section, they have pre-designed gallery walls for various styles. You can simply get inspiration, or purchase individual pieces, or even purchase the entire gallery wall at a discount.
Our picks: Muffin Top / Sun Showers / NY 1806
2. Etsy
Now, let’s just admit the obvious: Etsy can be overpowering, just because of the sheer size of this marketplace. But if you have the patience to cull through the various shops, you can find some real gems!
One artist whom I have grown via Instagram (Caitlin Peters) has some of her original art on Etsy. Her otomi inspired paintings are charming, and her abstract art is mesmerizing. Check it all out here.
3. Gray Malin
Now, let me give a little caveat to this one… Notice I said “affordable” and “reasonably priced” (not “inexpensive) – and those are relative words. Gray’s photography is not inexpensive, but it certainly presents a great value!
Gray Malin is arguably one of the best fine-art photographers living today. His sunny, travel-oriented photos have drawn comparisons to Slim Aarons. While some of his large-scale pieces can get pricey, his smaller pieces a great opportunity to invest in some brilliant photographic art!
I have quite the collection of his – and I have quite an ongoing wish list for more! His perspective definitely speaks to me.
Our picks: Lawn Flamingo / Party at the Parker / Bondi Beach
4. High Fashion Home
I may be a bit biased towards this local Houston store, but they also have a fabulous online presence. Where I think High Fashion Home really fills an art niche: large-scale canvas art. If you’re looking to fill a big wall, but can’t afford something original, their abstract colorful art is a great option.
Our picks: Color Quilt / Color Fascination II / That’s What I Was Thinking
5. Inaluxe
Inaluxe is a fairly new-to-me site, but I just adore their quirky collection of prints! Bright, colorful, mid-century modern, somewhat Scandinavian inspired — these are all adjectives to describe their delightful collection. Check it out for yourself!
Our picks: Wonderful Day / Atmosphere Abstract / Drift Abstract
6. Jonathan Adler
We all know Jonathan Adler to be a go-to for that Palm Springs, mid-century modern look – particularly for furnishings and accessories. But did you know they have a well-curated art section as well? The art changes fairly frequently, so be sure to keep an eye on the section. The specific selection will vary, but all the art will fit into that Jonathan Adler mold we’ve come to love!
7. Minted
Sure we all know that we can order invitations and stationery and paper goods at Minted, but did you know you can order art too? I’ve found Minted to be a particularly good source of art for children’s rooms. I like that you can personalize some of the art with a child’s name and such. I have this pinwheel art and this crayon art with her name on it in the nursery.
Our picks: Pinwheel 1 / Sun River / Behind the Veil
8. MoMA Design Store
When looking for art, why not trust people who curate art for a living? The Museum of Modern Art has a great online store. While selection is limited, you can rest assured that the merchandise they do carry has passed a stringent set of selection criteria.
What’s not to love about having a Matisse or a Warhol? Even if it is just a print.
Our picks: Matisse: Les Velours / Delaunay: Plate 14 / Diebenkorn: Ocean Park No. 68
9. One Kings Lane
I’m sure you already know One Kings Lane as a destination for all sorts of wonderful home decor goods. But did you know that they have an extensive art collection? In fact, at the moment, the art section has almost 8,000 items!
Granted, you may not think “modern” and “colorful” when you think of One Kings Lane, but in fact they do have that style! And you can filter your search easily to see just those. And I’ll let you in on a little secret… you can often find Gray Malin photos at OKL – and sometimes discounted!
10. Saatchi Art
This site is great for the budding collector. I love that it gives people access to original art, starting as as low as $200. It’s also a great resource for learning about art and artists. In fact, they have a wonderful team of art curators online available to help you curate options based on your style and preferences.
Our picks: Lineas Opticas en Colores 1 / As From Another Century / Moon Aura – 04
11. Serena & Lily
Serena & Lily is another online home decor website for which you might not automatically consider a source for art. But indeed it is! I’ll be honest and admit that I was surprised (in a good way!) at how much I loved their art selection when a friend referred me there several years ago. The art collection stays on track with the brand itself with coastal, colorful, modern, eclectic options.
12. Society 6
Words that come to mind when I think of Society 6: unusual, eclectic, interesting. This site offers a variety of products from prints to tapestries and lots of things in between. Their mission is to empower artists worldwide through their platform. The artists create, Society 6 produces the products and fulfills the orders, and the artist profits.
13. Tappan Collective
I would call Tappan Collective the hub for emerging artists from around the world. They do a great job of giving art collectors to an ever-growing roster of emerging artists. And before you start seeing dollar signs, let me reiterate that many of the options are indeed affordable. Pieces start at only $100.
My favorite section to browse is this section full of bright colorful prints.
Our picks: Flowers to Make Up for Death / Algae 02 / DVT
14. Tictail
Mari and I had the chance to visit this gem when we were in NYC a few years ago. In fact, you might remember it from our NYC mural guide.
Founded in Stockholm, Tictail is another great source for emerging artists from around the globe. They also carry a wide array of art formats — original art, prints, sculptures, and more.
Our picks: Maleri / Candy Mix / Crying Flower
15. Tiny Showcase
The concept of this site is completely different from the rest – and I love it! Here’s how it works: Every Tuesday, they release a new limited-edition print by an independent artist. The prints are usually fairly small, but so are the prices! Prices can be as low as $20!
I just adore this piece released in June – and it is only $26! Can you believe it?
Our picks: Flowers / Distant Strains / Fund a House Project: Jeffrey Wright
A Few More Things
There you have it! Now you have no excuse for blank walls in your home! You now are armed with a vast number of resources for affordable, modern, colorful art online. Which is your favorite? Do you know of another site that fits in this category? Let us know!
Are you an art lover like I am? Would you like to learn more about art collecting? Are you interested in taking your art collection to the next level? If so, you might be interested in an upcoming article highlighting the artists whom I admire and collect.
Love this post! I could spend hours browsing these sites. Thank you so much for sharing! Looking forward to your upcoming artist article.
Thanks for saying that, Cayla! I could too. So many beautiful things to peruse.