How to buy art with Noodle Gallery’s Monica Kerr-Coster

Posted : December 15, 2021

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If you have a couch and some blank space on a wall over top of it, chances are good you’ve stared long and hard at that spot in your home and thought about artwork that you might want to see there. Or maybe you know you want something there, but you don’t quite know what.

When it comes to fine art and furnishings, there are so many choices and options. Overwhelming? Maybe. Does it have to be? No. Monica Kerr-Coster, the Noodle Gallery Mistress, can confidently walk anyone through her five basic points to think about when buying art.

The first and most important key point to think about when purchasing artwork for your home, is that you buy something you love. Her sage words should ring true in anyone’s mind. Think of it this way – you are the one who is going to have to look at this piece of art every day on your wall, so it has to be something that you really enjoy viewing. Monica cautions that a lot of people get caught up with purchasing something because it’s a good investment. Art in your house that makes you cringe, no matter who the artist is, is not a good investment. Fall in love with the piece first.

The second key point for purchasing artwork for your home is thinking about the size. Size matters. Monica advises that it’s most helpful if you have a spot in your house that you are thinking about that you want to fill. Her rule of thumb for buying artwork for above furniture such as a couch or a big desk is you want to buy a piece that is about two thirds the size of the piece of furniture you will be placing the artwork over, if you are buying just one piece. You don’t have to fill up a large wall space with just one piece of artwork, you can take a number of different pieces and create a gallery wall space.

Monica’s third point to think about when you’re purchasing artwork for your home is to look at colour. Look at the colour of the wall that you’re purchasing the artwork for and get a piece of work that has the same type of colouring, but in a different shade. Also, think about the accessories you have in your room. For example, pillowcases or a chair covering with a purple hue would be complemented by a piece of artwork that has purple tones. It can really help match and bring out the different shades.

The fourth key point Monica offers when purchasing artwork for your home is to not be afraid to mix and match styles. For example, you can take a very traditional piece of furniture like an antique desk and have it paired up with whimsical and fun art. Whether it’s a modern piece of art that’s paired with vintage furniture or a very traditional type of artwork with modern furniture, be courageous and try.

Art at Alton Mill

The fifth and final key point about purchasing artwork for your home that Monica wants prospective buyers to have as a takeaway is to look at art and view it from a seasonal perspective. For example, Monica is keen on bright hues and floral designs for spring. This month’s featured artist at Noodle Gallery is Stephanie Fehrenbach. Stephanie does textured oil paintings that are abstract, very dreamy, romantic with a lot of floral and bright pops of colour. Stephanie’s work feels very springlike into summer.

Noodle Gallery

Two regular artists at Noodle Gallery are Michael Compeau and Jessica Lin. Michael’s pieces are very autumn-like, with yellow, orange and warm brown hues. Jessica’s colours, while they are serene and tranquil, are cooler hues with winter feels. These are some of the things that you would want to be looking at during those seasons. Monica says that a lot of people feel flushed with the thought of not having a place to store the artwork for different seasons. A tip that she recommends is you can move artwork around from room to room depending on the season. The room that’s most frequented or utilized  would display the “in-season” artwork. The room that is least visited at that time frame would be the home for the other artwork.

With these tips in mind, Monica hopes that anyone can feel empowered to want to look at art that they love as decorative pieces in the home. Art isn’t about pleasing others, it’s about pleasing yourself! If you ever want to talk about inspiration, be sure to visit Noodle Gallery and visit Monica when it is safe to travel again.

By: Kathryn Dickson


Learn more about Monica below!

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