How to Find Your Art Style: A Guide to Choosing Artwork You Actually Love
Something beautiful catches your eye in a shop window. Something shiny glitters in the sun at the park. The water shimmers at sunset. The striped tablecloths at dinner make your heart sing.
What is it that draws us in? Is it the pattern, the color, the story—or some combination of all three?
Does something we bring into our home need to hold meaning, value, or connection? Or can it simply exist because it gives us a feeling of joy, peace, or serenity?
As a first-time homeowner, I’ve found myself asking these same questions. What naturally grabs my attention? How do I want a space to feel? What do I want my home to say about the people who live inside it? And, most importantly, where does art fit into all of that?
Trust me, I know a blank wall or an empty room can feel overwhelming. It can quickly leave you wondering, What is my style? And once you begin asking that question, choosing artwork can feel even more intimidating.
But I’m starting to think finding your art style isn’t really about defining yourself by a specific design trend or aesthetic. It’s about paying attention to what you’re already drawn to—and understanding how artwork can play a meaningful role in creating a home that feels like you.
Your Art Style Might Already Be There
Before asking yourself what kind of art you like, start by looking at what already catches your attention.
What do you photograph when you travel? What colors keep appearing in your closet? What have you saved to your Pinterest boards or Instagram folders? Maybe you're drawn to sunsets, old architecture, handwritten notes, bold patterns, imperfect pottery, clean lines, flowers, vintage photographs, or inspirational signs.
There are clues everywhere.
Your taste exists far beyond the artwork hanging on your walls. Art is simply another way of expressing it.
If you're trying to figure out how to find your art style, start by noticing the things you return to again and again. You don't necessarily need to understand why you like something. Sometimes the fact that you stopped to look is enough.
3D Paper collage
10” x 2” x 10”
Very light gray paper
Framed in a black matted frame, shadow box
Phrases extracted from journals, notes, and letters. These compositions consist of reimagined letters I've preserved, revealing a vulnerability within their expressions. Reflecting on the circumstances that prompted their creation, I trust you'll discover a shared sense of relatability.
Start With a Feeling, Not a Style
We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to define our aesthetic.
Am I bold? Modest? Traditional? Vintage? Eclectic? Vibrant? Calm?
But maybe there's an easier question:
How do I want to feel when I walk into this room?
Do you want your bedroom to feel peaceful and quiet? Your kitchen to feel clean and collected? Your living room to feel warm, welcoming, and energized?
Artwork has an incredible ability to influence the feeling of a space. Color, texture, scale, subject matter, and even the amount of empty space within a piece can change the energy of a room.
So instead of beginning with What artwork matches my house? try asking What do I want this space to feel like?
That answer might tell you much more about the art you should bring into it.
You Don't Have to Know Anything About Art to Buy Art
I think one of the biggest misconceptions about buying original art is that you need to understand art to collect it.
You don't.
You don't need an art history degree. You don't need to recognize the movement or technique. And you certainly don't need to have an impressive explanation ready when someone asks why you bought it.
Sometimes you simply love it.
If you walk away from a piece and keep thinking about it, pay attention to that.
As an artist, I know the story and intention behind the work I create. But one of my favorite things about making art is knowing that someone else may see something entirely different in it. A color might remind them of a place they've traveled. A line might feel familiar. A piece might bring them a sense of calm that I never consciously intended. Funny enough, I have even been sent pictures of my abstract paintings hung completely upside down.
I simply create the work, but once it leaves, its true story begins.
Your Home Doesn't Need One Art Style
Your home doesn't have to fit perfectly into one aesthetic—and neither does your art collection.
You can love a contemporary abstract painting and an old family photograph. A clean geometric piece can live near something handmade and imperfect. Something you found while traveling can sit beside a piece from an artist you discovered online.
In fact, I think those contrasts are what make a home interesting.
It's Okay to Leave the Wall Blank
This is something I'm actively learning as I create my own home: you don't have to fill every space immediately.
There is so much pressure when moving into a new home to make it feel finished. An empty wall starts to feel like a problem that needs to be solved.
But a blank wall isn't a problem.
Sometimes waiting gives you the opportunity to find something you actually love rather than buying something simply because it fits the dimensions above the sofa.
Visit galleries. Wander through art fairs. Find artists online. Pay attention when you're traveling. Save things that catch your eye. Let yourself sit with a piece before deciding.
Collecting art slowly gives your home the chance to become a reflection of your life rather than a snapshot of what was trending the year you moved in.
Original Acrylic Painting, Varnish Finish
2019
40” x 30”
This delicate painting is airy and whimsical. These soft colors are carefully curated to bring peace and tranquility to your space.
Wire backing ready to hang, varnish to keep color vibrant!
Afterpay now available. Email me with any questions.
Let Your Home Be Collected
I'm realizing that creating a home isn't all that different from creating a piece of artwork.
You build it in layers.
Some decisions are intentional from the beginning. Others happen because you stumble across something unexpected. Sometimes you add something and immediately know it belongs. Other times you live with a space for months before realizing what's missing.
And your taste will probably change.
The artwork you choose today doesn't have to define your style forever. Your home can evolve as you do.
So if you're standing in front of a blank wall wondering what kind of artwork you're supposed to put there, maybe forget about the wall for a moment.
Look at the things you already love.
Part of the joy of creating is the journey—the space in between, the moments lived, or the quiet place that allows you to wonder. It’s about staying curious, observant, and connected to what brings a spark to your heart.
Those sparks? Those are worth collecting.