How Do You Know When You’ve Found the Right Artwork?

We’ve looked at a lot of art over the years.

And one thing we’ve learnt is that choosing a piece isn’t always as straightforward as we imagine it will be. Sometimes you see something and know immediately. Sometimes a work takes a little longer to reveal itself. And sometimes, without quite realising it, you keep going back to the same piece.

That’s usually worth paying attention to.

We don’t think there’s a right or wrong way to choose art. Your collection should be as individual as you are. But if you’re wondering whether a particular work is the one, here are a few things we’ve found useful.

Start with the feeling

Before you think about the artist, the price, the size or where you might put it, simply ask yourself:

Do I want to keep looking at this?

You don’t need to know why. You don’t need the vocabulary to explain it. You don’t even need to know anything about contemporary art.

Sometimes a work connects with something in us before we can put that connection into words.

Trust that.

Don’t rush the decision

Not every artwork is love at first sight.

Some reveal themselves slowly. You notice one thing today and something completely different the next time you look at it.

So look again.

If you find yourself returning to the same work, wondering about it or noticing new details, there may be something there worth exploring.

Art is something you live with, not something you tick off a shopping list.

Imagine it beyond the wall

Of course, size, scale and space matter. But we like to think beyond the room an artwork is being bought for.

Would you still love it if you moved house? If the sofa changed? If you redecorated?

The best pieces tend to travel with you.

They become part of your life rather than simply becoming part of your interiors.

Forget what you’re supposed to like

This one is important.

It’s very easy to be influenced by what’s trending, what you see on Instagram, what your friends are collecting or what seems to be having a moment in the art world.

But you’re not building someone else’s collection.

You’re building yours.

You might love something that nobody else understands. You might find yourself drawn to an artist you’ve never heard of. You might put a traditional work next to something completely abstract.

There are no rules.

In fact, we think the most interesting collections are often the most personal ones.

Ask yourself how you want to feel

Art can change the energy of a space.

A painting might make a room feel calmer. Another might bring colour and optimism. One might intrigue you every time you walk past it. Another might remind you of a place, a person or a particular moment in your life.

So instead of asking only, “Does this look good here?”, ask:

“How do I want this work to make me feel when I live with it?”

That’s a much more interesting question.

Then, get curious

Once something has caught your attention, go a little deeper.

Who made it? What is the artist exploring? What medium have they used? How was it made? When was it created?

Understanding an artist’s story or the thinking behind a work can completely change the way you see it.

But there’s an important distinction:

Let the information deepen your connection with the work. Don’t let it decide whether you connect with it.

You don't need an art history degree to collect art.

You need curiosity. And your own point of view.

And maybe that’s the real test

The right artwork isn't necessarily the most expensive one, the most fashionable one or the one everyone else tells you is important.

It’s the one you find yourself looking at when you walk past.

The one you notice differently six months later.

The one that still makes you feel something years after you bought it.

Because ultimately, collecting art isn't just about owning something beautiful. It's about choosing something you want to keep a relationship with.

And if you can imagine living with it, and still wanting to look at it years from now...you may have found the right one.