How to choose abstract art for your home (and actually get it right)
(8 min read)
Let's start with this, most people feel a little lost when it comes to abstract art. Not because they lack taste, but because somewhere along the way they got the idea that there's something to understand as if there’s a code to crack or some hidden meaning to make sense of.
There isn’t, there's nothing to “get”.
To me, abstract art is more interesting than a meaning. It offers a mirror into yourself where you decide what you see. The painting meets you exactly where you are and gives you something different every time you look at it. Whether you like it or hate it, it’s bringing something out within you.
So if you've ever stood in front of a piece and thought "I just don't get it”, try replacing that with "I wonder why this makes me feel the way it does." That single shift changes everything and it's where choosing art for your home begins.
Start with feeling
Most people approach buying art the way they approach buying throw pillows. They pull up their paint swatches, measure the wall and start hunting for something that "matches." And look, there's nothing wrong with wanting your home to feel cohesive. But when you lead with the room, you end up with decoration. When you lead with a feeling, you end up with something that holds more depth not only to you, but for your guests. It’s palpable when you walk into a space and there’s emotional intention not the “hot picks from Amazon” in someone’s storefront. (Let’s face it, everything is starting to look the same lately).
The better question isn't "will this go with my space?" It's "does this do something to me?"
One of my collectors described it better than I ever could. She walked into my art show at Old Town Cellars in Park City and noticed a painting across the room, a piece called A Study in Green No.2. Before she'd consciously processed what she was looking at, something had already happened…
"I noticed A Study in Green as soon as I walked in. It was across the room and it zeroed in on me, as if I was in a tunnel, calling me to it. Love. Heart. Depth. Life captured in the strokes of a moment... The energy that emanated from it spoke to my heart, and I knew I wanted it. It still speaks to me every time I look at it, which makes my heart light up with happiness."
Mykee T, Collector, on A Study in Green No. 2
That is what art is supposed to do. Not to match the curtains, but to call to you from across a room. When you feel that, even just a little bit, listen.
Abstract art isn't unfinished, it’s open ended
Here's something worth knowing before you start looking: abstract art isn't realism with the details left out. It's a completely different conversation. Where realism tells you what you're looking at, abstract invites you to decide. The artist isn't telling you what to see, they're making room for your interpretation, your associations, the things you carry that you might not even have words for.
For what it's worth, when I paint, I do have a narrative in mind. Every piece I make comes with a poem, a window into what I see when I look at the work. But you're never required to read it. It's there if you want to go deeper. If you'd rather bring your own story, that's not missing the point, it is the point.
So when you're looking at abstract work and something in you responds, even if you can't articulate why, trust that.
The size thing most people get wrong
Scale is probably the most practically important decision you'll make and also the one most people underestimate. A piece that's too small on a large wall doesn't just look awkward, it disappears or looks a little lack luster. It turns a painting into a postage stamp and robs it of any presence at all (unless you have multiple small pieces). Bigger almost always reads better than you think it will.
PRACTICAL GUIDE
For a sofa wall, aim for a piece that spans roughly two-thirds of the sofa's width, so a 7-foot sofa wants something in the 56 - 60 inch range. For a large open wall without furniture anchoring it, go even bigger. Entryways usually look great with tall, vertical pieces. Living rooms with high ceilings can carry large-scale pieces that would overwhelm a smaller space. When in doubt, cut paper to size and tape it to the wall before you commit.
If you're working with an interior designer, this is exactly the kind of conversation worth having early. Scale decisions affect everything else such as furniture arrangement, lighting, how the whole room breathes. Large original paintings aren't an afterthought. In a well-designed room they're often the starting point almost like wearing that statement shoe or jacket. It’s not there to work well with your outfit, it’s there to make you stand out… a conversation starter if you will.
Color is a conversation with your space
A lot of people assume that choosing art for a neutral room means choosing neutral art. Soft grays, muted tones, something that blends in. But the rooms that feel the most alive are almost always the ones where the art does something. Creates a focal point or introduces something the rest of the room doesn't have.
Bold, high contrast, saturated color, gestural marks… doesn't fight a neutral interior. It can actually anchors the room. Neutral is almost like the blank canvas for a vibrant piece. It gives the eye somewhere to land and the room a reason to hold your attention. Think of it less like matching and more like a conversation. The neutral walls give the painting room to speak. The painting gives the room a voice.
If you're nervous about color, start with one painting that genuinely excites you and let the room respond to it. You may find the room needs less “decoration” than you thought.
Why originals carry something a print can't replicate
This deserves its own post and it'll get one. But briefly, when you buy an original painting you're not just buying an image. You're buying the physical record of a moment. The actual layering of material, the decisions made and unmade, the marks that happened once and can never be exactly repeated. There's a presence to an original that you feel before you intellectually understand it.
Prints have their place. But if you've ever stood in front of an original and felt something shift in the room or yourself, it’s like the art is speaking to you. What’s even more amazing is the artist physically touched the piece, it spent time with them in their studio, they had a conversation with it. I know it sounds odd, but it’s like having the written lyrics to your favorite song by your favorite recording artist, it can’t be replicated the same way.
Trust the pull
The collectors who are happiest with their art are the ones who choose pieces that still stop them in the doorway years later. They’re the ones who can put down their phone and stare a piece over and over again. Amazon mass produced prints rarely do the same.
Original abstract art invites a kind of response more than almost any other medium. It doesn't ask you to see something specific, it asks you to be present. To notice what it does to you and then decide whether you want that feeling in your home every day.
If the answer is yes, you've already chosen correctly.
If you're looking for original abstract work with pieces made with intention, material depth and a point of view, you can explore the current collection or reach out about a commission. Each painting ships with its accompanying poem.
Ready to bring a piece home?