Art is subjective and incredibly personal. Often it’s almost impossible to articulate exactly why you’re so drawn to something or find meaning in the the shapes, colours or composition. What is wall worthy to one may be utterly bewildering to another. But therein lies the beauty - art can be whatever you want it to be.

Hanging art up makes such a difference to a home - I remember when we moved into our house back in 2021 the expanse of white walls we had to fill felt so daunting. We hung or propped up what we already had, lots of which were quite small - some vintage oil paintings, framed postcards and a poster of Robert Doisneau’s The Kiss which we found in a parent’s loft - but having gone from a flat share to a house, it didn’t go very far.

Committing to artwork is a marriage of personality and practicality - something that you love enough to look at everyday and that you feel reflects you somehow, but also crucially that works within your budget, which in my case, post renovation and furnishing our first home, was limited. Rarely do you end up with the ‘perfect piece for the perfect place’. Instead, it’s about finding something that looks nice and does the job (maybe just for now), learning what works to accentuate a space and what doesn’t, what you like and what you don’t.

Although I’m biased when it comes to the aesthetic of second-hand artworks (I’d much rather an old painting than a commercial print), it’s also true that I found it to be the most cost-effective way of acquiring artwork. I think it also allows you to lean into the fun of it, to experiment and try out different styles. Too often the idea of buying art is accompanied by the word ‘investment’ and that can make it feel very intimidating. Being able to pick up original paintings and drawings second-hand allows you to be a bit more open minded, to develop your taste and most importantly to have fun! Plus, if you can get something nice to hang on your wall for under £50 - win win. They’re also often already framed and can be hung straight on the wall, which makes such a difference. No messing around.

I will also say though that of course it’s important to support burgeoning artists if you can and there are some wonderful places to do so, Wondering People, McCully & Crane and Partnership Editions to name but a few. At the latter you can pick up a framed print for £150 - £350 such as this one by Harry Wade, which is a great price. But especially if you’re looking for larger works or original works they’re usually around the £600 - £1,000 mark which was (and still is let’s be honest) too costly for me.

Coming up, I’ve shopped around for works split across three price categories <£50, <£200 and <£400 and I’ve also shared tips on the best places to find art in each price category. ‘Affordable’ is a subjective term but I’ve really tried to keep things on the lower end of the spectrum. I hope you see something you like!

ART <£50

For this price, I think you’re generally after wall fillers so you can’t afford to be too fussy. A lot of it might feel a little bit random, especially when you’re not looking at it on a wall and it’s out of context, but try and look past that because I think you’d be surprised how great a lot of these would look hung up. For this price you probably won’t know much about the origin of the piece either, a lot of works without a date or signature are priced low.

I especially love the top central canvas with whitewashed buildings and also the ruins bottom left which is apparently in Spain but reminds me of old mines on the Cornish coast. Yes, I’ve included a mirror in the mix but you’ll see why later.

Left to right, top to bottom: Cotswold barn painting - £35, Spanish landscape on canvas - £40, Spanish harbour on canvas - £39.99, Landscape oil on board - £15, Cottage watercolour - £28, Decorative antique mirror - £34.79, Fruits on canvas - £25, Torrequebrada Spanish seascape - £25, Man in hat - £29.95, Spanish landscape on canvas - £40, Contemporary watercolour - £36.80

• Most of the above were found on eBay which is a great place to find cheap bits and pieces but if you’re not in a rush you’ll find the best bargains at vintage fairs, car boot sales or in charity shops and antique emporiums. I’ve found really beautiful things (in really good quality wooden frames) that I love for as little as £10 - £20.

• If you are on eBay (or Etsy) I usually search for ‘vintage painting’, ‘vintage canvas’, ‘vintage lithograph’, ‘vintage portrait’, ‘vintage landscape’.

• I would really really recommend buying things that are already framed (unless you don’t mind a loose canvas or board which I’m a fan of) and to not be too fussy about the frame because boy is it such a time saver. I used to buy loose drawings and then hunt for frames at charity shops but it was such a slow process and they’d just sit in a box because I’d never get round to actually framing them.

• Re-mounting things is also a cheap way to give something a quick upgrade, like the little watercolour below I found in a charity shop.

• I think another great tip, if you’re working with slightly quirky artworks is to hang things as a pair so it doesn’t feel like such a statement - pair an older painting with a more modern piece, or with a wall plate or a mirror as per Beata Heuman in her Swedish home below (right).

• I also appreciate it can be difficult to commit to an artwork when you’re buying it online and you haven’t seen it IRL - I always take a photo of the space and then use Canva to mock up how different artworks might look on the wall. But also I think good not to sweat too much, if something speaks to you then trust your instinct plus it’s fun (and useful) to move things around lots and try things in different places.

ART <£200

The pieces in this price bracket feel a little less quirky, a little more intentional - a step up from a wall filler shall we say. There are some really interesting pieces that should appeal simply on face value not just because the price feels too good to turn down - for this price too there’s often a signature or a bit more information about the provenance/ who the artist was, even if they were relatively obscure.