Art for Your Maybe-Not Forever Home
Families seem more transient now than ever, likely because of the pandemic, virtual-work capabilities, and a globalized economy. While there is a freedom associated with not having to commit to one house or geographic location indefinitely, there is also the emotional load of lingering questions: “Are we living in the best possible place?” “Would we be happier living somewhere else?” “Is this my forever home?” I’m guessing many people can relate to this rabbit hole of thought. Ultimately, every home decision then boils down to “is it worth it if we may, someday, move?”
There’s no right answer here, but my opinion is generally YES: it is worth investing in your home. No one really knows whether they’ll stay in one house forever, but spending the time, money and effort that you have to make it feel right has three major benefits:
It provides you with countless emotional dividends;
It typically increases the value of your home;
It teaches you what you do and do not like for future reference.
Plus, being present with your current choice and situation is emotionally more stabilizing.
For all of these reasons, I support buying art for your home even when you’re unsure whether you’ll be there forever. Art also has the added benefit of both increasing the value of your place (which is why people want staged art before listing their homes) AND being something tangible that can be transported anywhere. I know the big follow up question: “What if art from my old house doesn’t work in my new house!?”. First, aside from super site specific or extra large artworks, most art will work scale-wise within a new home. After helping clients with MANY new homes these past 2 years, we’ve seen how impactful hanging old art in a new home can be. Once the art is up, the place immediately “feels like home”. Second, if your art doesn’t work in a new place, there are still options. Quality art bought thoughtfully (more on that here) likely has a resale market, and holding the work uninstalled until you do have the right place - after a renovation, in an office, in a future home - is also perfectly acceptable. Meaningful pieces tend to stay in your life one way or another.
In short, it’s easy to get caught in a sea of questions about your future whereabouts that makes any home decision a harder call. Instead of worrying about the what-ifs, stay present. Investing in your home and the meaningful pieces you surround yourself with can be part of your family’s story wherever you reside.