Art in interiors. How to choose a painting or a sculpture for your Spanish apartment or house?

Art has always complemented the arrangement of space. It can decorate living areas, make communication areas more attractive, complement the arrangement of bedrooms and even kitchens. In recent years, we have observed a shift towards conscious selection of objects and accessories that not only decorate, but also co-create the interior. Paintings, modern graphics, collectible photographs or valuable posters also find their place in holiday apartments and houses in Spain.

How to choose a painting or graphic?

Paintings have accompanied interiors for centuries. The oldest ones date back 35,000 years and were found - nomen omen - in today's Spain. If this topic interests you, search Google for Altamira. 

Paintings fit both classic arrangements and monochromatic or eclectic interiors. In recent years, the popularity of minimalist graphics, which fit perfectly into modern spaces, has been growing. If we have a narrow, vertical surface, it is best to choose a vertical painting or several smaller ones, placing them one below the other. A square painting or several smaller ones arranged in a square shape or a tondo, a round painting, will work well on a square wall. In turn, rectangular, horizontal spaces can be highlighted by choosing a work of art in a panoramic form.

What should be on the paintings that hang in our interiors? This is a very individual matter. For me, a work of art should "speak to us". Arouse emotions: delight, surprise, even anxiety. However, remember that a painting hanging in a museum or art gallery is perceived differently than when the same work hangs above our sofa. When buying a painting for your home, remember that you will be looking at it for the next few (a dozen or so) years. So think before you click "pay" whether this beautiful bullfighter in red and gold, which you associate so much with Spain, will not start to irritate you in a moment when transferred to our home. It is worth giving yourself time to think. Some galleries make life easier for their customers: they do not ask them to imagine the painting in their own home, but rent it out so that customers can "try on" the painting in the interior.

If you are not sure what would suit your interior or you do not know where to look for good local artists, it is worth using the help of a specialist. An Art Advisor will help you with this. We have also been offering this service to our clients for some time now and we already have several very satisfied owners of paintings by Spanish painters.

Sculptures in interiors

Although over the years art has increasingly appeared in residential interiors, we still rarely see sculptures in apartments and houses. And that's a pity, because their placement can give the interior a distinctive character, evoke positive emotions and have a positive effect on the well-being of people interacting with art. Sculptures in private spaces can, but do not have to, be extravagant. You do not have to order several-meter-high statues right away! If you want to place sculptures in your space, you should match them to the available space, the taste of the owners, and their technique, material or form should match the style of the interior.

An interesting form for garden owners can be so-called outdoor sculptures. They can be placed or, for example, hung between trees. A properly selected and illuminated sculpture can be a fascinating element of space and a beautiful decoration of the garden.

Investing in art

The art market has been growing rapidly in recent years. Works by renowned artists, both past and present, are selling for astronomical sums. To understand the potential of this market, just compare two numbers: in 2013, the value of the online art market alone (!) hovered around USD 1.9 bln. In 2024, it increased to USD 9.32 bln.

Therefore, when choosing works of art for your interiors, combine business with pleasure. Check how the artist who fascinated you is listed on the market, whether the prices of their works have the potential to increase, and whether buying a painting or sculpture will be a good investment.

If you don't know anything about art and don't want to spend time researching the market, entrust this task to an advisor. A good advisor will find works for you that will not only match your interiors, but will also become a safe investment.