I've attempted every avenue imaginable to procure art on a budget that doesn't look trashy or cheap. I've never found a good piece of art at a flea market or a thrift store but they have plenty of nice frames.
This is easily the most affordable and effective option:
- Go to your local thrift store/charity shop and look for the nicest frame. Ignore the art inside. The reason rich people's walls look good and others don't is the frame. A professional framer will charge £1-£200 for a glass frame fit to size in a nice wood. When people turn these frames over to thrift stores, they don't seem to know the difference and will mark them as cheaply as the other crappy frames. A plexiglass frame from Amazon will make ANY art look plastic-y and cheap. I bought a beautiful glass frame the other day for £9.
- Measure the artwork inside and type/filter the measurements on an online poster or print store.
Combine the two and you will have artwork that looks like it cost much, much more than £20 - £30
For reference, I framed the poodle and the swimmer this way. The swimmer cost me £25 in total: https://i.redd.it/cri2koqegd6b1.jpg
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