As a follow up to suggestion #2 (Cover bare walls with inexpensive artwork or photography) on my recent blog post, 10 Inexpensive Ways To Spruce Up a Small/Shared Office, here are some specific suggestions to actually help you FIND cheap (but not cheap looking) artwork for your office.
Remember, your office is an extension of your brand so make sure the artwork/photography you choose accurately reflects this.
1- Tap into the talent of your kids or even the talent of other children in the community: As soon as most children enter nursery school there is a very good chance that they will bring home all sorts of art projects. A nice frame can make even the most simple drawings come to life...while simultaneously "humanizing" your company image.
If you don't have kids of your own, perhaps you can visit a local school/community center and offer to feature their children's artwork in your office. You can make it a policy to only take a few pieces at a time, and return the old artwork as you pick up new pieces. In addition to getting some nice (free) artwork for your office space, you will also be building goodwill in your community.
2- Utilize online marketplaces such as Craigslist, E-Bay, Oodle, Etsy, etc. to find great deals on all types of artwork and collectibles. Spending a few minutes surfing around on these sites can save you a ton of money on some very impressive pieces.
3- Look for ads in your local classifieds announcing office/home liquidation or estate sales. As many companies/individuals move from location to another (for whatever reason), they will sometimes look to sell their artwork as opposed to bringing it with them. When this happens there are often great deals to be had.
4- Purchase a bunch of art supplies and invite a bunch of friends over for an "artwork party". While I am not advocating drinking, perhaps a few bottles of wine will help to get the creative juices flowing. Worse case scenario, you will get a fun evening out of the deal.
5- Visit stores like IKEA, Target, K-mart, etc. that offer inexpensive (but very nice-looking) prints. Take the inexpensive prints to a discount framing store and get a nice looking finished product on the cheap.
6- Check out stock photography sites such as istockphoto.com or dreamstime.com to find some extremely nice artwork/photography that can be purchased for well under $20.00.
7- Visit any street fair or local arts and crafts shows and you are sure to find some great artwork at reasonable prices.
8- Try using a site like blockposters.com. Their site lets you create any size wall poster from any size image.
9- In addition to the suggestions above, here is a list of a few websites I found that offer reasonably priced (but nice-looking) artwork.
Content Source: e-how.com
If you have other suggestions on how to find cheap (but not cheap looking) artwork for an office space, openofficespace.com would love to hear from you.
Check back for a few new interviews on Officebytes TV coming later this week.
I completely agree with your comment that your office is an extension of your brand. You should make sure the artwork and photography you choose accurately reflects this!
If I could add one more website to your list of places to get great corporate art ideas it would be CanvasPop.com. I'm Jenn from CanvasPop and we can create art for your offices from your photos or even your company logo, or branded materials.
Check out a review on The Office Stylist for some great ideas. http://blog.canvaspop.com/2010/08/custom-corporate-art-review/
Posted by: CanvasPop | 08/13/2010 at 11:23 AM
Thanks for commenting on our blog Jenn. Just checked out canvaspop.com and was blown away. I plan on writing a follow up post in the next few days highlighting your service...very cool.
Posted by: David | 08/13/2010 at 12:04 PM
Excellent advice! Many times your own kid's artwork is overlooked. Something as small as a hand-print of a child can make a difference to your space.
I'd also like to suggest another site to add to your list. http://www.gallerywallart.com - we offer ready to hang hand-painted canvas art for all types of spaces. Check it out!
Alan
Posted by: http://www.gallerywallart.com | 11/06/2010 at 02:42 PM
Most art usually comes from our daily experiences. Kids artwork is something that can actually make a difference.
Posted by: Marc Azada | 08/28/2011 at 07:59 PM