Tips & Ideas To Help You Find The Best Art Prints For Your Workspace
A home office can be used on a part-time basis, maybe for sorting out the bills & home finances.
But if you run a home business, then it could be a room or space in the house where you spend most days.
Having a nice environment to work in is important, as not only will you find it more enjoyable, you will also be more productive.
Art prints are one aspect of creating a wonderful work environment.
How do you find the best art prints for a home office? There's a few things to consider, budget being one of them, as well as the style & image you're trying to portray for your business or decor.
Because there is so much wonderful art out there, here's 16 things to consider that will help you to choose the best artwork for your particular office space.
1. Who Will Be Using The Office?
Before we delve into finding suitable artwork, who'll be using the office space?
If it's solely your domain, then you'll have the luxury of choosing what you desire.
But perhaps it's a shared workspace by the family.
This may mean some compromising on subject matter & styles of art.
But don't let that deter you from finding wonderful office art that everyone will love.
Sometimes it's the limitations that push us to create something amazing.
You may have images of your children's favourite comic heroes, the husbands 1966 Mustang muscle car, a beautiful landscape, but using a common style of frame can create more coherence.
2. Personalise Your Workspace
The great thing with working from home & having your own office is you can decorate the space as you wish.
Creating a work space that's personal & has some meaning to you is far nicer than spending your day somewhere that you don't connect with.
As well as choosing artwork that you love & find meaning in, you can also frame & present any awards or certificates you may have.
Just because it's an office space doesn't mean you need to use corporate style art either.
Paintings or drawings that your children have done can look great when mounted & framed nicely.
Personalisation may not always be completely possible, which leads to the next point.
3. Art Prints Can Help With Home Business Branding
If you actually run a business from home, your office may also be a space where you meet customers or have presentations.
In this instance, you'll want to create a professional first impression & instil confidence in your clients.
Although it's still possible to create a space that's unique to yourself & you're happy spending your work days in, it still needs to set the right tone for any customers.
As mentioned, awards or certificates that your business has achieved are perfect for adorning the walls & impressing any potential clients.
But you'll also need to use artwork that represents your brand.
This can be the subject matter of the artwork.
For instance, if you're an architect, then beautiful fine art images of architecture or even historical photographs of iconic buildings could be ideal.
Also consider your brand colours.
If you don't want imagery of anything specific, then more abstract art in your business colours will sit really well.
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4. Art Prints & Office Decor - The Perfect Match
Let's face it, just because it's a home office doesn't mean you can't create something wonderful.
It needn't just be a functional & practical space, you can put as much love & creativity into it as you would any other room in the home.
But if you're inheriting a space & you're not redecorating, then having artwork that suits the existing décor will work better than having wall art that's a bit of a mis-match.
This not only relates to the subject matter of the art, but the framing as well.
Generally, art is considered as accent pieces, so the colours within the art, as well as the frames, should match other accents in the office.
Some home offices can have a couple of chairs or even a small sofa, so matching to these will work.
It could also mean matching to the carpet or flooring & even things like the light shade, desk lamps or other items.
Perhaps the existing furniture isn't the latest wiz-bang office chair, work station or funky filing cabinet.
Office furniture can be expensive, so you may not want to update it all just yet.
So certain print mediums & frames may not only be a mis-match for the style of the office, but highlight that the furniture is looking a bit dated too.
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5. Add Style To Your Office With Art Prints
Following on from matching the existing décor, any room works better when there's consistency.
Do you want a certain décor style or theme?
In a sense, your home office could almost be your own man-cave or she-shed.
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For a fabulous range of styles, motivational & office related art prints, check out Canvas Cultures.
As I've already mentioned, just because it's an office doesn't mean it can't be fun or even stylish.
Perhaps a minimalistic look, or maybe a beach vibe will keep you motivated!
Like using accent pieces, your home office doesn't need to be completely decked out like a surf shop to have a coastal or any other feel.
It's possible to hint at the theme by the subject matter of the artwork.
Frames also play a big part in injecting a certain style or flair.
Whitewashed wood frames are a great match for a coastal décor, vintage or ornate frames can work well too for introducing a touch of elegance.
The main thing is to be consistent & not have too much of a mix of styles.
Although, if you're looking for that Bohemian or eclectic vibe, them mixing & matching would be the exception in this case.
6. Motivational Art To Get Those Creative Juices Flowing
We've all seen & probably even own some motivational art prints.
You know the ones, they have uplifting & motivational quotes such as " Love, Dream, Create", " Life Begins At The End Of Your Comfort Zone " & other such sayings.
Although some of these sentiments are valid, to be honest, I find some can be a bit corny & even tacky, so apologies if I offend anyone!
But, there is some foundation to having these on the walls in your office.
Most of our lives are governed by our subconscious thoughts & most of the time we're not even aware of it.
Just like eating the right foods, what you feed your mind through your eyes & ears most definitely affects your outer reality.
So seeing positive & uplifting sayings whilst in your workplace will sink into your subconscious & can benefit you to become more productive, creative & successful.
7. Inspired Artwork For A Productive Workspace
Following on from the concept of motivational art prints, choosing art that inspires you will also help to create a wonderful home office environment.
Art that stirs you're imagination will help get those creative juices flowing.
This could be a landscape painting that you get lost in, or a photograph of an endless horizon.
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Just as our bodies need rest, it's now well known that quietening the mind can actually boost productivity as well has helping to strengthen intuition & generate ideas.
Taking a break from the computer & simply sitting for a while contemplating a beautiful image or photograph may be what you need to start some fresh ideas flowing, or simply revitalize your mental processes.
8. Minimalist Or Bright & Bold?
Exploring the concept of how art influences our mental capabilities even further, do you choose minimalistic art styles or bright, abstract & colourful work?
Depending on the work you're doing, you'll want artwork that compliments or creates the best mood.
If you're doing analytical work such as accountancy, bookkeeping or analysing data, more serene & less distracting art may be a better option.
This could be minimalist art or serene landscapes, to calming seascape photography.
If your work requires generating ideas & having a good imagination, like a graphic designer for example, then colourful abstracts may be more beneficial.
9. Adding Colour With Art Prints To Create The Right Mood
If you've decided that colourful art is what you're home office needs, then what colours should you choose?
Colour psychology is a well researched field & there's plenty of evidence to show how certain colours can affect our moods & feelings.
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Obviously you'll need to make sure the colour art you choose suits your décor, but here's a quick run-down on some main colours & their psychological affect.
Red - a very dynamic colour, often associated with danger. But in a home office environment, a good colour choice for keeping you energetic & mentally alert.
Blue - paler blues can be very relaxing, but it's also a colour that helps to create focus. Blue also instils confidence, that's why many corporations use blue in their logos.
Green - the colour of nature, it's another calming colour that also promotes growth, security & prosperity.
Yellow - a happy colour that's associated with sunshine. It's an uplifting colour, so fantastic for keeping your spirits up when working through your tax returns or other less than enjoyable paperwork!
Orange - a mix of red & yellow, it shares some of the same qualities. It's energetic, but can also add warmth, especially more earthy tones.
Brown - another nature colour, it also brings a sense of calm. But it's also a colour that evokes a sense of reliability & security & even hints at conventionality.
Grey - a colour that can express formality. Darker greys represent strength & solidity, whilst lighter grey can be quite calming & neutral.
Black - this can be a colour that reflects power & authority, but dominantly black artworks can also bring a touch of sophistication.
White - artworks which are predominantly white will create a fresh & airy feel. Maybe a good choice if your office has darker walls & needs a sense of more space.
10. Artwork Composition To Suit The Office Space
Composition is how visual elements are arranged within the artwork, whether it's a photograph or painting.
The orientation of lines within an artwork can also have an impact upon how it makes us feel.
Horizontal lines, such as in a landscape image, can imply rest & tranquillity.
Vertical lines, such as in architectural photography, evoke power & strength.
Converging lines, such as a road disappearing into the distance, or again, architectural images, can bring a sense of drama as well as liveness.
Curved lines, which can be found in many landscape images, bring a softness & more serene feel.
11. How Much Art Is Too Much?
How much art you need can be dependent on how big your office is, as well as how much wall space you have.
There's nothing that hinders a productive mindset more than a cluttered room.
So perhaps 1 or 2 well chosen pieces may be more conducive to a productive environment than being surrounded by visually noisy walls whilst you're trying to concentrate.
If you have a few awards & certificates that you'd like to display, then this can be done effectively by arranging them as a gallery wall.
This will look much tidier than having them spread about on various walls.
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This leads nicely to our next consideration ..
12. Finding The Right Sized Artworks For Your Workspace
Home offices can be a small nook in the corner of a room, or an entire room may be a dedicated office space.
So to some degree the office size may determine the artwork size .. but not necessarily.
Lighter colours can make a small space appear more open, so by placing 1 large artwork in a light colour on an appropriate wall can give the illusion of opening up the space.
Of course this works in reverse if you have a large office that feels unwelcoming.
A large artwork in warm colours will help create a more intimate space.
Using too many smaller artworks in a small office is going to just create a more cluttered feel, so less, but bigger artworks may work much better.
Same in a large office space, small artworks can appear lost & don't create a statement.
Whereas a single large artwork not only gives the space definition & purpose, but the artwork as well.
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13. Switch It Out - A Change Is As Good As A Holiday!
You've heard the saying " a change is as good as a holiday ".
No need to become bored or stagnant in you office space, perhaps choose art that can be switched out.
By choosing frame styles & colours that inject some style into your office décor, images & photographs can be changed every now & again to keep things interesting.
The great thing is you'll always have your frames.
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14. The Practical Side Of Choosing Office Art Prints
No use spending a small fortune on an amazing print that may look fabulous, but is sitting on a wall that's exposed to hours of natural daylight.
It will simply fade & deteriorate over time.
This could also be true of awards & certificates that may not be replaceable.
Using UV resistant frames may be necessary, or consider more durable art such as metal or acrylic prints.
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15. Finding Budget Friendly Art Prints
You really don't need to break the bank to get some great art on your office walls.
If you entertain important clients & need to make a good impression, then perhaps more expensive pieces may be worth the investment in the long run.
But if you're simply just wanting to brighten up your office to create a more pleasurable space to work in, then there's many options for finding fantastic & affordable artworks.
Quality canvas prints are always fabulous value, but there's some stunning metal & acrylic prints out there too.
Framed photography can be more expensive, but it does look wonderful.
16. Why Not Use Digital Art?
Last but not least, don't forget your screensaver.
Especially if you have 2 or more monitors, why not have some beautiful images displayed on the monitors you're not using?
You can even set up a slide show, but of course don't make them too distracting, otherwise you'll never get any work done!
Final Thoughts
I feel because a home office is a dedicated room, or space in the house, it's a wonderful opportunity to inject your own personality & create unique décor.
As another saying goes: " A picture paints a thousand words. "
Because art comes in so many styles, colours & sizes, it can really express & represent aspects of your personality & style.
Who knows, you may enjoy working in your office so much you're happy to do some overtime!
I really hope you've found value in this article & please feel free to share.