Art is an important thing to consider when decorating your NYC apartment, or any home. It lends personality to a space — especially rental spaces, which are often blank slates. Some find the idea of starting an art collection to be an intimidating prospect. However, there are many websites offering affordable art which can bring a unique look to your home.

Minted

Minted‘s art marketplace makes them a great resource for affordable art prints from independent designers. Some of the art they sell is limited-edition, which is nice because this way it won’t be something that a lot of people have. Minted offers their prints in a range of sizes, so it shouldn’t be hard to find something that fits both your budget and your space.

Society 6

In addition to many other home accessories, Society 6 sells affordable art prints in many different styles. It offers framing, as well as the option of buying the print as a stretched canvas, which can be a great and different look. You can search their large selection by art type and color, so that helps to narrow down the options. Many artists choose to sell their prints through this outlet, including NYC-based Sarah D. Tolzmann of Note to Self.

Etsy

As a source of affordable art, Etsy is unparalleled! Their selection is vast, and they offer a huge amount of typography prints, painted pieces, photography … basically, any type of art that you can think of. One popular Etsy artist is Jessica Durrant, who paints watercolors in an ethereal, feminine, and unique style. In her Etsy store, she sells extremely affordable prints — check out her rendition of the NYC skyline.

Lifestyle Blogs

Many blogs have branched out into selling art prints on their own sites as well. The Everygirl, a popular lifestyle and career website for young women, offers typography prints, as well as a series of simple letterpress drawings of national monuments like the Eiffel Tower and Big Ben. Letterpress can be an expensive feature, but The Everygirl’s prices are very reasonable. They also offer a few beautiful photography prints of Paris. Made by Girl is a lovely print shop (the e-commerce counterpart to Jen Ramos’ Made by Girl blog), and sells fun, feminine prints that have been featured in many magazines and websites. Their “LOVE” prints are particularly popular, especially since they work in a variety of spaces, such as nurseries, home offices, and more.

Stationery Sites

Many stationery sites that sell gorgeous paper items also sell art prints. Rifle Paper Co. and Sugar Paper are two great examples. Rifle’s whimsical and distinctive art prints are based on illustrations by the site’s co-creator Anna Bond. Sugar Paper’s aesthetic is feminine, but absolutely chic and simple.

In short, you don’t need to visit galleries or buy original paintings to start an art collection. You can always do those things when the timing is right, but in the meantime, don’t let those walls sit empty! Peruse the websites above and pick out a few pieces that appeal to you. You may be surprised to find how much these pieces of art inspire and uplift you on a daily basis.

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