How to navigate the art market for clients (without infuriating the artists)

A decade or two ago, it wasn’t uncommon to see interior designers whip out fabric swatches in galleries, asking the owners if they had something to match the plaid sofa they’d just bought. Or the paisley drapes. Or whatever. Unfortunately, the perception that art is little more than an accessory-with perhaps a slightly more elevated status than a throw pillow-does persist in certain circles. But most agree that overall, Americans are more visually literate than ever, thanks to the blurring of lines between art and design, not to mention the success of fairs like Art Basel Miami Beach and Chicago’s own Artropolis. With that has come a more sophisticated understanding of fine art.

Since founding Patti Gilford Fine Arts 30 years ago, art advisor Patti Gilford has seen attitudes about art and its function change dramatically. In the early days, designers would complete an interior, realize it was missing something (its soul?), then seek her services to fill the gaps. “Art was very much an afterthought,” she says. “But there’s been such a shift since then. Now I see more designers making art a priority. And more often than in the past, they’re working with architects to support that priority, carving out niches or designing feature walls devoted exclusively to art.”

With her team, art advisors Katie Fizdale and Pamela Staker, Gilford initiates projects by meeting with designers and architects to better understand their vision. “At the same time,” says Staker, “we meet with the clients to learn about their tastes. The goal is to marry both parties’ interests, finding art that enhances the interior and adds meaning for the clients.”

To be sure, art advisors do more than find the right art. Gilford and her staff consider matters of scale, context, and lighting—and they work to create a meaningful dialogue between pieces of art throughout the space, a form of art in its own right. Given these numerous criteria, Gilford cautions designers to steer clear of armchair consultants who like art but lack expertise.

Gallery owners appreciate that expertise, encouraging designers to work with art advisors where appropriate and possible—and particularly for clients building serious collections. Their reasoning: Although designers are often passionately engaged with the fine art world, they don’t necessarily have the background or time to navigate the vast market proficiently.

Chicago designer Douglas Levine works frequently with art advisors, but he’s also managed the process of selecting and buying art himself. “There’s no one best approach,” says Levine, who in some cases factors art into his clients’ budget from the start. He recalls one project for which he found a Man Ray sculpture even before the architecture was complete. “To juxtapose this very modern, metal sculpture,” he says, “we added traditional architectural detailing, which created this beautiful mixture. And it all started with a piece of art.”

It’s rare that a sculpture would dictate the design direction for an entire home, but in this instance, the client was receptive. “It all depends on the client,” says Levine, “and every client is different. There are so many factors involved, including their taste, budget, and what’s appropriate for the space. I will say, though, that it’s not about matching the drapes.”

In 2004, Monique Meloche, owner of moniquemeloche gallery, co-curated a show with Levine that threw the spotlight on that very notion. In the two-part exhibition—titled “Winter Experiment: I need something for over my sofa”—the curators displayed art in purposely discordant, unexpected relation to several sofas within the space: One tiny little painting, for instance, hung at the very edge of an enormous, nine-foot couch. “Unfortunately,” says Meloche. “I think that cliché is still a reality. Art is still too often the last thing interior designers think about.”

Her primary appeal to designers: Consider art early, and consider it while you’re simultaneously mulling over furniture and finishes. Meloche isn’t suggesting that it’s crucial to buy art before you select the credenza that’ll sit beneath it. (Although stranger things have happened). But she does advise designers to visit galleries with clients from the start, even if no one intends to buy. Narrow it down first, she adds, since your most conservative, old-guard clients likely won’t value the avant-garde overmuch. (Again, stranger things…)

“By visiting galleries early, you’ll not only gain an understanding of your client’s taste in art,” says Meloche. “But that understanding will also inform the other aesthetic choices you’ll make for the interior. You’ll have a more complete picture.”

Linda Warren, founder of Linda Warren Gallery, would agree. She suspects that designers often have closer ties to art than many of their clients. “So it becomes important for the designer to get passionate about this aspect of their work. Designers shouldn’t be afraid to expose clients to galleries where they see art doing something different.”

In so doing, clients’ misperceptions about art, invariably, will crop up. Frequently, for instance, people tell Warren that while they appreciate contemporary art, their home is traditional. “And I say, so what?” says Warren. “The greatest collectors of all time don’t constrain themselves to the style of their furniture. When a traditional room with antique furniture features a contemporary collection, the mix is phenomenal.”

Ultimately, there’s an even more entrenched misperception out there, says Warren. Many clients—who after all hire “decorators” to “decorate”—view art as a function of decoration. “Art will do plenty to a space from an aesthetic standpoint,” says Warren. “But it’s not a way to decorate a space. Decorative art is a quick read: It’s a flower, it’s abstract—it works with a flat idea and lacks substance.”

It also lacks power—whereas substantive art can endow a space with layers of emotional, spiritual, and intellectual meaning. “Art is so important to the human spirit,” she says. “And if it can transform the spirit of the people within a space, it can transform the space as well. I’d like designers to realize that art can potentially do a lot more for a room than a beautiful table or lamp. Because when the spotlight is on something meaningful, even a mediocre home becomes magnificent.” i4