Should You Buy the Art You Think You Are Supposed to Want?
Last updated: 15 October 2026
In short: Buy the painting you keep thinking about, not the one a trend or a color scheme says you should want. Artfully Walls founder Cathy Glazer says the art you display should first be art you enjoy, and Sotheby's David Schrader notes that when markets move, people fear missing out. A simple test is to wait a week. The painting you still see is the one your eye already chose.
Why do buyers end up choosing what they think they should want?
The sixth mistake on HGTV's list of art-buying errors is "Don't Buy Art You Think You 'Should' Want." Cathy Glazer, founder of Artfully Walls, gives the reason in plain terms: "Art tends to be a very personal decision for most people, as it's a matter of personal taste above all else," and "the art you display in your home should first and foremost be art that you enjoy."
The pull toward the expected choice is strong because the expected choice is easy to defend. A neutral palette, a famous name, a size that matches the furniture: each is a reason you can give a guest. Enjoyment is harder to explain, and it is the only reason that lasts.
Why does a rising market make the eye hurry?
Artnet News, in a market report looking ahead to 2026, quoted David Schrader, then Sotheby's outgoing private-sales head: "When markets move, people don't want to be left out or miss the opportunity." It is an honest description of how fear of missing out works on a room full of collectors, and it has nothing to do with whether a particular painting suits a particular wall.
The same report quotes dealer Emmanuel Di Donna on the recovery: "We've hit bottom and now we are coming back up." He adds, "It's going to take more work. We are certainly not back where we were, but it's better than a year or two ago." His own horizon is long: "I am not looking at the next six to eight months," he says, and he looks instead to the next five to ten years. A painting bought for a wall is a decision of that length, a daily companion, and a calendar of market moods is a poor way to make it. This is not financial advice. It is a case for choosing the work by eye.
How do you tell what you actually respond to?
Fernando Pessoa, writing as Ricardo Reis, put the standard in five words: "To be great, be whole." Taste is the same discipline on a smaller scale. A collection that is whole feels like one person's attention, whatever the styles.
Try the one-week test. Save images of the three paintings you are considering, close the tab, and write down what you remember of each without looking. The one you can describe by color, by edge, by the way the light moved is the one your eye chose. If you can only recall the reason it was supposed to be a good idea, you have found the scheme speaking.
Tyler Straub of Lndn Gray frames the same patience for a whole house: "I always encourage people to resist the urge to fill every wall immediately," and "Art should tell the story of who you are, and stories are rarely written all at once." Epictetus would have approved: "Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants." An empty wall is a reasonable thing to own while the right painting finds you.
Can a painting be made for your room and still be loved for itself?
Yes, and the two aims help each other. A commission begins with a conversation about the wall, the light and the colors you already live with. Then the painter makes two options at once, so you choose between two finished directions and your own reaction does the choosing. Paintings travel rolled to a framer near you, who stretches them, and they arrive ready to hang.
If you are a designer or art consultant placing work for a client, the Trade Program is the place to start, so the client's own reaction can lead.
→ Browse the current work: Paintings available now · Start from a conversation: Commissions · For designers and art consultants: Trade Program · Meet the painter: Angela Simeone
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if I actually like a piece of art?
Try a one-week test. Save images of the paintings you are considering, close them, and write down what you remember of each. The one you can describe by color, edge and light is the one your eye chose.
Is it a good time to buy art?
Dealers quoted by Artnet News describe a market recovering but not back to earlier levels, and one looks ahead five to ten years rather than six to eight months. A painting bought for a wall is a decision about a room. This is not financial advice.
Should I fill every wall at once?
Lndn Gray founder Tyler Straub advises the opposite: resist the urge to fill every wall immediately, because a collection that tells your story is rarely written all at once.
Can I buy art that suits my room without it feeling like a decorating scheme?
Yes. Choose the painting by eye first, then check it against the wall. A commission starts from the room and gives you two finished options to react to.