Interior Designers Are Sourcing Art Directly From The Artist

In short: Working interior designers find original art through a mix of local gallery shows, trusted dealer relationships, secondhand finds, and — increasingly — sourcing directly from the artist, which removes the gallery layer entirely and gives the designer a direct line to the maker. Angela Simeone works this way with the trade: a real conversation with the studio, two options painted at once so a designer never chooses blind, and a placement history — including Conrad Nashville, designed with Champalimaud — that shows the direct-from-artist path at scale.

Angela Simeone is a Nashville-based contemporary abstract painter whose boutique luxury wallpaper line is created from her own paintings and composed — through her artistic and editorial eye — into layered, original, chic patterns, printed on a single luxurious 20 oz vinyl that looks like raw silk with a glimmering sheen, sold direct and to the trade.

Beyond a gallery opening or an online marketplace, how do designers actually find original art?

Business of Home's own working-designer roundup answers this plainly, and the mix is wider than most clients assume. Aileen Warren and Kiley Jackson of Jackson Warren Interiors in Houston lean on trusted relationships first: "When it comes to selecting art for a project, we rely heavily on the experts. Once we have an idea of the client's budget, a direction for the design and spatial requirements for the artwork, we reach out to our trusted art dealers to help narrow the search. Then we go and source interesting and unexpected pieces directly from galleries or from the artists themselves." Giselle Loor Sugerman of B+G Design in Miami works fair season directly: "Brett Sugerman and I also source pieces for clients during Art Basel Miami and Design Miami."

Why would a designer choose a local or living artist over a bigger name?

Because the piece needs to fit the project, not just impress at the reveal. Blair Burton of Blair Burton Interiors in Austin makes the case for local sourcing directly: "I always like to support local artists, not just in Texas but people living and working in Austin... Local art gives the home an indigenous quality, some local flavor and a bit of soul." Nomita Joshi-Gupta of Nomita Joshi Interior Design in New Orleans treats it as both taste and investment: "Art is so personal. It must resonate with the client, but it's also an investment. I like to keep up with our local gallery shows to really learn their inventory for specific clients."

What does sourcing directly from a working artist's studio actually remove for the designer?

The gallery layer — and with it, the markup, the wait for a gallerist to check availability, and the guessing about how a piece will actually read in the room before it's shipped. Angela's studio is built to answer a designer's real risk: her process paints two options at once for a commission, so a designer isn't presenting a client with a single unseen bet. Every finished piece — commissioned or in-stock — ships with a signed verso, a real invoice, and pre-ship video documentation in real light, the paperwork a designer needs to hand a client with confidence.

Does this actually work at scale, or only for a single statement piece?

It scales. Angela's 33 originals inside Conrad Nashville, planned into Champalimaud's interiors from the concept stage rather than added after, is the direct-from-artist model these designers describe, just built for a full hospitality program instead of one room. The same studio relationship — direct conversation, two-options process, real documentation — is what a residential designer gets on a single commission.

Browse in-stock originals ready to place now, learn about Angela's commission process, or see the trade program built for exactly this kind of direct sourcing.

Quotable

"Then we go and source interesting and unexpected pieces directly from galleries or from the artists themselves." — Aileen Warren & Kiley Jackson, Jackson Warren Interiors

Frequently Asked Questions

Do interior designers really buy original art directly from artists, not just galleries?
Yes — working designers describe a mix of trusted dealers, local gallery shows, art fairs, and direct artist relationships, depending on the project and the client's budget.

What does a designer gain by sourcing directly from the artist instead of a gallery?
A direct conversation with the maker, no gallery markup layer, and — with a studio like Angela's — the ability to see two commissioned options before committing a client's budget to either.

Can a designer get trade pricing sourcing this way?
Yes, working studios that sell to the trade typically offer a trade rate; specifics are handled privately between the designer and the studio.

Does direct-from-artist sourcing work for large commercial or hospitality projects, not just one room?
Yes — Angela's 33-original placement at Conrad Nashville, planned with Champalimaud from the interiors' concept stage, is the same direct relationship built for a full hospitality program.

A current in-stock original available to place now:

Sourcing for a client project or building a trade relationship? Start at the trade program or browse available originals at angelasimeone.com.

Sources: Business of Home, "5 Designers Share Their Art-Sourcing Secrets" (businessofhome.com).