Buying a home was one of the most exciting and stressful things I think Matthew and I ever did. There was so much that we had no idea about, and a lot we learned in the process. Looking back, there are several things that I wish we had known and done beforehand that maybe would have made our lives a little bit easier. I know so many of you are in a similar stage of life so I thought I’d put together this post in hopes of giving you something to think about regarding one of the biggest purchases you’ll probably ever make! Because once you get certain things out of the way, you can start thinking of the fun stuff… decorating!
I’m so excited to finally share Corinna’s nursery with you all! In true second child fashion, this room wasn’t my highest priority and I didn’t finish it until after Corinna was born. Oops! First-time moms were finishing their child’s nursery at 20 weeks and I was over here thinking, “Yep, I need to get on that!” There was so much pretty nursery decor I found but I really wanted to take advantage of using pieces from Augustine’s nursery. I was so happy with how her nursery turned out because it incorporated the items we already had with some new updates that felt special for her. The room is probably my favorite in the house right now and I love sitting in the chair holding my littlest baby.VIEW POST
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Where to Buy Affordable Art
Between renovating the kids bathroom, the guest bathroom, and designing baby Corinna’s nursery, I’ve realized that I can’t seem to get enough of decorating and designing! It has been so much fun picking out the furniture, decor, and colors to create each room. However, one thing I have noticed when redecorating is the importance of including art and how it has the ability to tie the whole room together! There is so much art out there to chose from, so it can be challenging to find exactly what you’re looking for, and even better, at a reasonable price. I’ve found some affordable art pieces that can be the perfect additions to any living space!
When looking for art, it can be hard to know exactly what your room needs until you see the perfect piece. A great place to start looking for some inspiration is Etsy! Etsy is an online marketplace for artists to sell their work, and is full of a ton of unique and creative pieces! I found these beautiful, antique vintage fruit illustrations, perfect for a rustic kitchen or dining room. I like that you can make a big statement with a gallery wall, but on a budget! I’m also into this simple black and white wall art, with the perfect positive reminder: “Think Happy.” And even better, it’s only $8! I think this would look so cute in a home office or baby nursery.
Art is also the perfect gift for friends or loved ones! Etsy has so many customizable pieces of art that make the best birthday, wedding, and anniversary gifts, like this custom star map. It is such a cute idea! You give the artist the time and date of an important event {like a wedding} and the star map can be customized to show what the stars looked like that night! We made a similar one for Augustine’s room {with his birth date} and love how it turned out. Etsy has so many other types of pieces to choose from, so it’s definitely worth checking out next time you’re at a loss for a gift or feel like your room is missing something!
If you’re feeling a little uneasy about buying from artists that may not be super well known or necessarily trusted, Etsy has a really helpful comments and review section, where other buyers can discuss the quality of the product. Since there are so many different artists and art pieces to chose from, it helps to know what other users thought of it so you know what to expect when you make a purchase!
Another great retailer for unique and trendy art is Minted. Minted, similar to Etsy, is an online design marketplace. They have high quality art in all forms from artist from around the world. The cool thing about them is that users can decide what designs they like the most by crowdsourcing art through monthly design challenges, and then Minted will produce the winning work. I have found some really stunning pieces on here, like this abstract “Protea” painting. Minted also shares work from incredibly talented photographers, I love this affordable “Days in Paris” photo.
Lastly, two of my favorite stores to purchase art, which incidentally are some of favorite clothing retailers, are Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters. I often forget they both have really great home sections, and sell some lovely art pieces at super reasonable prices. If you’re looking for something a little different than your typical painting or photo, check out this Crystal hanging wall piece and Diamond hanging wall weave from Urban Outfitters! If you’re going for a more bohemian themed decor, Urban Outfitters is for sure a place to check out to find any chic, innovative and fun pieces to bring the whole room together! They also sells some great prints, like this Dreamy House photo and Wave print.
Anthropologie is another go to for art and decor, and they often feature a lot of skilled artists and leave a fun brief description of them in the product listing! When looking at paintings, I like learning a bit more about the artist and their background, as it helps make more sense of their unique creations. I love the colors and style Link & Loop Wall Art can really add to any living space! Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters often have greats sales you can check out too. I picked up this stunning French inspired mirror from Anthropologie on Black Friday after having it on my wishlist for years!
I have been loving picking out art for my house, and its great knowing there are places out their to find some really unique pieces without splurging too much!
I know finding affordable art can be tricky! But luckily online shopping makes it so much easier these days! Where are your favorite online shops for art? I’ll keep updating my home decor shopping page as I find more great pieces!
Welcome to M Loves M! My name is Mara and I created this lifestyle site in 2009 as a place to share my love of fashion, beauty, food and entertaining. I moved from Southern California to Idaho and love adventuring with my husband Matthew, our two children, and our dog Ginger. We're also pregnant with baby #3, due this autumn! I strive to create a site that’s relatable to women, while also being inspirational. I’m so glad you stopped by!
