As much as artists would like to think that buyers chose their work based on the art alone, in most cases the buyer is also influenced by the setting in which the art will be hung. I have heard stories of buyers using colour swatches from their living room couch and paint chips of their wall colour to help them decide what piece of art would be suitable for their room. Buyers also want to know if the size of the artwork will “fit” properly in the space they have available. Context matters.
Often artists will let a buyer test drive a painting by letting them hang it in their home for a period of time before making a buying decision. However when you are selling online, this option is less practical. Another option that is being used on art websites is to show the prospective buyer on their computer screen what the art would look like hanging in a variety of settings, be it a living room, bedroom or office. The buyer would chose the artwork they are interested in and a sample room to “hang” it in. The user is then able to drag the artwork to the desired position on the wall. It’s probably better if you see for yourself. Click here to hang this Klimt print (above) in one of the rooms available at OverstockArt.com.
Generally the rooms you can chose from are not exactly what you have in your own home. The furniture is different. The wall colour is different, the lighting is different. So to overcome this, some sites like OverstockArt.com allow a visitor to upload a picture of their own room! Then the buyer has a much better appreciation for how the artwork would look in its desired location. This is an impressive application. It gives the purchaser more confidence that they are making the right decision to purchase the piece.
You will find this technique of allowing buyers to see the art in a virtual setting used on E-bay, reproduction houses, and individual artist sites. This is one way artists can distinguish themselves online and engage the customer in a different way. Just imagine having your art in these pictures.
Left: A Claude Monet hung virtually in my office.
Hi Allen,
Love reading your blogs…. this one in particular! How does one get a selection of virtual rooms for their website?
Cheers
Sharon
Thanks, Sharon.
You could photograph your own rooms, friends’ rooms, hotel rooms and lobbies, corporate lobbies and board rooms, rooms in model homes, or any others that catch your eye (with permission, of course). Alternately you could Google, say, “stock photos of living rooms” but be prepared to sift through a lot of images to get what you want.
Allen
Love this application………I’m going to try this.
I have seen the virtual room application on other artist’s website and it really does make a difference in presentation. I always wondered how it was accomplished!! Now I know – thanks Allen