What Are Art Prints? The Ultimate Guide to Wall Art & How to Use Them in Your Interior Design
Buying art prints for your home is not only a smart investment, but also a stylish one when it comes to your interior design. As an East Texas interior designer, I love to source original artwork when I can, but I recognize that it’s not the most cost-effective option for everyone. So, let’s do a deep dive into wall art: What are art prints? How can you use them to elevate your home decor? Where can you find them? Find all my pro tips here.
What Are Art Prints?
There is a huge misconception surrounding the word “print.” Most people hear that and think of a flimsy, generic poster that doesn’t quite match the luxurious style they may be going for. And don’t get me wrong, those definitely exist, but you may not know that there’s a whole other side to the art print world! And that side is filled with stunning, gallery-quality reproductions that hold their own next to originals.
Art prints are reproductions of an artist’s work printed out, as to make the piece more attainable and more affordable. The quality of how they are printed is what really matters for your home design. Some of the highest quality pieces are printed on thick, textured paper or a canvas, and these look fantastic and so close to the original piece. As an interior designer who often uses art prints, I’ve come across some that are printed in such high quality that they’ve even fooled me!
Why I Love Incorporating Art Prints Into Interior Design Projects
It’s no secret that adding wall art to your space is sure to elevate your design. It’s a great way to add self-expression or a pop of color to your rooms. With originals being sometimes unattainable, art prints make a great option for your wall art for these reasons:
Affordability Without Sacrificing Impact
You can get a large-scale piece that makes a statement for a fraction of the cost of an original. When you're filling an entire home with art, art prints give you room to be creative and thoughtful with every space, rather than draining your entire decor budget on one piece!
More Flexibility to Mix Styles and Mediums
Prints open the door to a wider variety of styles, artists, and compositions. You can mix in abstract, photography, figurative work, and vintage pieces without feeling financially overcommitted. This flexibility makes it easier to create a layered, lived-in look that feels curated and personal.
Support for Artists
When purchased from the right vendors, art prints still support the artists behind the work. Many independent artists sell limited-edition or open-edition prints as part of their collection, which helps them reach a broader audience and grow their practice. So yes, you’re still contributing to the art community when you purchase prints!
They're a Beautiful Addition to Any Room
A great print isn’t a “placeholder” until you get a “real” piece. Art prints can be a stunning forever piece in your home if you find one with the right quality and style.
How to Find High-Quality Art Prints
If there’s one interior design tip to share about art prints, it’s that quality matters. Just like with anything else in design, the quality of materials is important! You want a piece that is made with premium papers and museum-grade inks, not a flimsy, pixelated art print. That’s why I’m very picky with my recommendations to clients and look for these things to find the best quality:
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Giclée or archival-quality prints
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Matte or textured paper (avoid glossy if you want it to feel elevated)
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Thoughtful framing options or the ability to frame it well yourself
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Work directly from the artist’s shop, small batch vendors, or curated print boutiques
5 Art Prints Perfect for Your Home
This Giclee print on canvas is a neutral figurative art print that captures the graceful simplicity of the human form through soft, muted tones and elegant brushwork. The artist's delicate use of neutral colors creates a soothing and timeless aesthetic, allowing the figure to emerge organically from the canvas.
Continuous is a framed Giclee print that features bold, black geometric lines that create a striking contrast against a minimalist background, offering a perfect balance between structure and space. The sharp, clean lines intersect and overlap in a harmonious yet dynamic composition, drawing the eye in with their precise angles and thoughtful placement.
This abstract Giclee art print of Grand Central Station reimagines the iconic space through a unique lens, capturing the essence of movement, light, and architecture. The image distorts and fragments the familiar elements of the station into abstract forms and patterns, making it a piece that will capture anyone’s attention.
If you love expressionist art, this Giclee print is for you. This one-of-a-kind piece fuses sweeping brushstrokes, layered textures, and a dynamic palette of deep charcoals, pops of brown, smudged blacks, and a pop of Ochre in a way that brings movement to any space.
Featuring an abstract interpretation of a woodland landscape, this print blends soft brushwork with earthy smudges of brown, black, and warm neutral tones. The result is a moody, atmospheric painting that feels both grounded and ethereal.
Brittney Lane | Longview, Texas Interior Designer
Hopefully, after reading this, you’re no longer asking “What are art prints?” Once you choose your art prints, you’ll need to follow this guide to learn the correct height to hang your art! If you’re looking for even more art prints, click here to see the whole collection. For more artwork inspiration, follow along on my Pinterest to see how I’m using art prints in interior design. Ready to book a consultation with an East Texas interior designer? Click here to inquire today.
