Wall art adds life and depth to your restaurant. However, in this time of money crunching and limited budgets, finding wall art that fits the budgets and appeals to your clientele can prove to be a challenge.

However, saving money on wall art doesn't mean that you have to sacrifice quality or style preferences. Consider the following suggestions to get the most for your decorating money:

1. Take advantage of quantity discounts that some wall art sellers offer.

2. Save money on shipping costs by ordering wall art from a supplier that offers free shipping.

3. Put your creative genius to work and make your own wall art.

Action Steps
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Look for quantity discounts on wall art

When you are outfitting an entire restaurant with wall art, finding a company that offers discounts for large orders can save you a considerable amount of money. Some companies offer discounts based on the total amount of money you spend and others base the discount on the number of items purchased. Of course, there are some companies that offer discounted wall art regardless of the monetary amount or number of items purchased.

I recommend: Everything Furniture offers discounts based on the total dollar amount of your order prior to shipping. This company is a good option for businesses that are outfitting multiple offices or rooms. You can find discounted office wall art at ivg Stores. This company offers discounts of up to 30% off regular retail prices. Some items include free shipping, which increases your savings.

Shop online at stores that offer free shipping on wall art

If you decide that traditional wall art is the best option for your food service business, look for a company that offers free shipping. The savings can add up quickly, especially if you are purchasing over sized wall art that has to shipped via a specialty carrier.

I recommend: 1-800ARTWORK.com sells wall art for different industries. An added bonus of ordering from this company is that ground shipping is free. ArtisanHouseOnline.com sells 3-D wall art for businesses. While the prices reflect the impeccable quality of the art, the company offers free ground shipping to help businesses absorb the costs a little better.

Create your own wall art for the restaurant

Purchasing prints or pre-framed wall art can get expensive. If your restaurant is on a limited decorating budget, purchasing posters and framing them yourself is one way you can save money. Many posters are high quality reproductions of prints that look nice on the wall. As an added bonus, the frame protects the art and is easy to clean, unlike the finish on traditional wall art.

I recommend: Shop for Art sells over sized posters that can be framed and hung on the wall. With an average price of under $50 per poster, this company can save you a lot of money. PosterFramesCentral.com offers wholesale priced poster frames. This company offers quantity discounts and free shipping.

Decorating your business with wall art is a great way to add a sense of style to your surroundings while creating an atmosphere that customers and employees will enjoy. Of course, you don't want to buy just anything, so thankfully there are a lot of websites where you can find wall art information, including lists and directories of various styles.

Here are some things to consider when you're planning to purchase wall art:

1. Decide what kind of art will best fit the decor of your business. Are you looking for fine art prints or art of a certain style or color?

2. Find out if a wall art provider offers framing services. Having framing done separately can be expensive.

3. Determine a budget for wall art since. The prices for wall art can vary from less expensive prints to very expensive original art pieces.

Action Steps
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Look through a wall art directory

Browse online wall art directories and lists that specialize in selling wall art to find exactly what you're looking for. You can either purchase separate pieces or buy a collection of themed pieces to give your business space a uniform look.

I recommend: Visit both AllPosters.com and Art.com to find a full range of wall art, from fine art prints to specialized pieces. Both sites offer collections of wall art so that you can decorate your business space by theme, and they also having framing services available.

Use three-dimensional wall art for a unique and distinctive look

Three-dimensional, or sculpture, wall art is a great way to revitalize the look of your business. There are many kinds of sculpture wall art available such as metal, wood and iron.

I recommend: Browse the wall art list at Home Decorators Collection or the one at Wall Decor and Home Accents to find many styles of sculpture wall art made of metal, wood and other materials.

Choose photography or tapestries as wall art

Using tapestries as wall art is a decorating idea that's been around for centuries and one that still adds a touch of elegance to any space. Photographic prints are another great choice. You can buy nature, black and white, sepia or any of the other many kinds of photographic prints available as wall art to create a sense of beauty and interest to your business decor.

I recommend: Visit The Tapestry House to find tapestries in many kinds and categories that are sure to meet the decorating needs of your business setting. You can either view its wall art list or do a search for the kind of subject you're looking for. The Wall Art Store lists photographic prints by subject or type (black and white, color, sepia) so that you can easily find what you’re looking for.

Rent wall art from a museum

Many museums will rent you art from their collections. It's a cost-efficient way to decorate your business and to keep your office looking fresh with changing displays.

I recommend: See the rental programs from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Seattle Art Museum.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Since there are so many types of wall art available, deciding what specific kind you want can be confusing. Your decisions should be based not only on the style of wall art you want but also on the size and ambiance of it. Something especially loud or busy can be distracting in a business setting.

Wall art is a reflection of your taste and personality, so find something that not only suits your budget but that also speaks to your style as well. Some people prefer black and white photography, others are drawn to traditional oil on canvas, while others prefer abstract art gracing their walls. You'll find some people who prefer old movie posters, some who like a seascape water color, and others who will scour a flea market all weekend to find the right architectural piece to accent the wall. The list goes on and on.

When choosing your wall art, take into account your budget, your taste, but also consider a few other considerations. Make sure that your wall art compliments the other colors that you have in the room. You also want to make sure that the piece doesn't overwhelm the room, so make sure that the sizing is appropriate as well.

To find out more about wall art types and styles:

1. Think about giclée posters and prints as an inexpensive alternative to traditional original works.

2. Think about 3-dimensional wall art to bring depth to your next piece.

3. Go with traditional pieces for any home or office.

Action Steps
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Consider giclée posters and prints for your next wall art purchase

Giclée is a process that creates high quality ink-jet print. It is most often used in galleries and print shops to give customers higher end prints that will last longer than run of the mill posters.

I recommend: Purchase something in the giclée medium from Bellacor. Refine your search by price or by primary color. They also offer free shipping on orders over $75. Art.com sells over 200,000 museum quality giclée prints for you to add to your collection. These are great if you are looking to find a reproduction of a movie poster or other famous print.

Go for 3-dimensional wall art

Fill your workplace with wall art that has depth. Consider architectural pieces or go with sculptural designs that will accent any business or home.

I recommend: Think about architectural fragments from LAMPS PLUS to add depth and character to your wall. Consider a period of history that interests you like the Gothic period or the renaissance, or you could make your selection based on culture that fascinates you. Check out the metal sculpture pieces from Wall Decor and Home Accents. Great for any home or business, they come in many, shapes, sizes and themes.

Go with traditional painting wall art

Whether you prefer watercolor, acrylic, pastels or oils, consider traditional framed artwork for your home or office.

I recommend: Find original art paintings from The Daily Painters Art Gallery. They have over 140 artists and feature over 30,000 paintings for sale. Find a large variety of paintings at Wall Art For Less. They offer high quality artwork for less, and they give you free shipping.

Not only does understanding certain areas of art lingo help you purchase the right kind of artwork for your business, but it can save you a bundle of money. For example, paintings often sell for more money than lithographs, and lithographs generally sell for a great deal more than prints. Knowing this prevents you from unwisely spending your money. Once you understand what sort of artwork you want for your business place, using the correct term for it will help you find what you need more quickly and easily.

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Painting

Although the term is often misused, the word only applies to images that use actual paint on canvas, which is tightly woven fabric stretched over wood, or on some sort of paper. Typically, paintings are one of a kind and come with a frame.

I recommend: The Smithsonian Institution gives a more detailed description of paintings and tells how best to care for them.

Lithograph

A lithograph is an authorized copy of an original painting printed by machine. It can take great care to create a lithograph, and you may find them sold in limited numbers.

I recommend: WiseGEEK explains in detail what a lithograph is and the process for printing one.

Print

A print is also a picture printed onto paper and is often a copy of an original painting. Unlike a lithograph, however, the quality isn't as high.

I recommend: The Philadelphia Print Shop explains the various types of prints available and the processes used to make them.

Canvas prints

Canvas prints are copies of paintings printed on canvas instead of paper. Sometimes canvas prints have painted details or use a textured canvas to make the print look more like a painting.

I recommend: EHow explains a do-it-yourself way to create canvas prints.

Mural

A mural is a painting created directly on a wall. Although some wallpapers attempt to create the look of a mural, a true mural is one of a kind, accomplished with paint.

I recommend: Demolli Fine Art Studio explains what murals are and offers many fine examples.

Poster

A poster is a print usually designed to attach to a wall without a frame. Movie posters like the art designed for showing movie goers which films are playing at a theater, are one type of poster. Today, you can purchase nearly any famous painting and many paintings that aren't famous in poster form.

I recommend: Entertainment Weekly explains how to buy collectible movie posters.