Defining the Cost of Your Project, An Aspect of Selecting the Correct Wall Decor

The question of original art pricing and your budget is an important consideration when selecting appropriate wall decor. Recently in the summer of 2004, a Picasso original titled "Boy with a Pipe" fetched $104 Million at auction. You read correctly, $104 Million! Although an extreme example, the selling price for Picasso's piece has again rekindled the debate of 'how much is too much for art?'

This question goes beyond what a person can afford. The primary consideration when answering the question of 'how much is too much' is how YOU value artwork and how much you can afford. Learning how you perceive the value of art is an important first step in answering this question. Let us take a look at Molly and how she determined her perception for the value of art.

Molly's first action was to revisit her local galleries. A good test of how you value art is to consider the pricing of original work and duplicate prints of various artists’ work at the local galleries. While viewing the art, establish how much you like a piece and then look at the pricing. What is your reaction? Are you gasping for breath at the price (experiencing sticker shock) or are you pleasantly surprised at the pricing?

Did you notice a difference in the pricing of duplicate works versus the original works? An original piece by an artist will cost substantially more than a print by that same artist. That pricing rule will often hold true across different artists. There are of course exceptions.

As an example, a very well known and collected international artist releases a limited edition print of one of their paintings. The prints sell for more than most originals of the local artists in your local gallery. The primary factor driving the price difference in art is the difference between the reputation of different artist's work. The local gallery artists are locally recognized, whereas the other artist is internationally known. This difference has a huge impact on the pricing of an artist's work.

Also, notice the difference in pricing across different sized paintings. It seems reasonable that the larger the print the more the piece will cost. Two major factors affect the higher price: higher material costs and more time needed to complete the project.

So how does this relate to your wall decor project? First, do you appreciate the difference between original and duplicate prints in the galleries? If you do, you won’t mind paying the extra premium assigned to original art and you will understand that an original mural or art piece will cost you considerably more in most cases than a printed wallpaper mural or art print. Also, you now understand that larger murals will cost much more than smaller framed art prints.

Once you understand and appreciate the pricing for artwork, the final aspect of how much you are willing to pay is your budget. Simply, how much are you able to afford? In most cases, artists will not be able to finance their work, where as some galleries may be able to finance your purchase or at the least accept credit cards. When commissioning a mural or custom art piece, a client will be required to pay a portion of the total cost of the project prior to the start of work and the balance of the total cost upon completion of the work. Payment policy will vary across decorative painters, so you will need to check with each artist about their policies.

After revisiting her local galleries and several online galleries, Molly felt comfortable paying the premium for a custom wall mural. The idea of having an original piece of work from an artist excited her. She was certain the piece would be beautiful and because it was original may even increase in value, maybe even to the level of Picasso's "Boy with a Pipe"!

Whether or not you decide to purchase an original art piece, you have several options for wall decor to choose from. The final portion of this article introduces the various options available.

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