If you're used to managing every aspect of your interior design project yourself or with your team, you may be on the fence about hiring an art consultant to source and curate the art you need for your project. Working with a consultant, however, can actually save you time and money while giving you access to difficult to find pieces. Here are 5 simple reasons why you should consider working with an art consultant on your next interior design project.
1. Time is money
As an interior designer, you know that finishing your project on budget and on time is fundamental to maintaining a great relationship with your client. Depending on the scope of the project you may have hundreds of items to purchase as well as construction to oversee. Relieving yourself of the added pressure of sourcing the perfect artwork, can be a very smart and strategic move. An experienced art consultant will be quick to understand your design aesthetic, and have pre-established relationships with artists and galleries. They will also have a finger on the pulse of the art world, and all this whilst working within your budget. A consultant can work their magic behind the scenes, while you can focus on all of the hundreds of other things you have to do in order to get your project through to the finish line.
2. You can get the best deals through your art consultant
Many designers are reluctant to hire an art consultant out of fear that it will lead to higher costs for the projects. However consultants will have established relationships with galleries and artists, benefiting from trade discounts, they will also possess a true understanding of the value of a work of art, always negotiating the best deal on your behalf. It is therefore not uncommon for the services of an art consultant to pay for themselves, with the added benefit of having their expertise. “You do not pay any more to purchase art through an art consultant than if you walked through a gallery,” says Jennifer Perlow, PS Art Consulting “The difference is I’ve been in ten galleries in the last two months.”
3. Make the whole process of buying art a breeze
Identifying key locations for art, researching and contacting artists, organising shipping, framing and hanging can suck a lot of time away from other aspects of an interiors project. Imagine instead, being sent a well-researched proposal based on an understanding of your needs and within your budget. This takes the stress and pressures out of buying art and leaves you with the ‘fun’ part of choosing your favourite pieces from well-vetted and trusted sources. Here at Artelier, we maintain a database of 5000+ artists in all genres that we have carefully researched over the past 10 years. We have a team of art researchers who spend hours looking at artist portfolios, everywhere from art fairs to galleries to social media and art magazines, carefully selecting the best for our database. This means that when you come to us with your interior design scheme, we can quickly research our extensive database and find you just the right selection of artists for your project.
5. Discover great talent and avoid disappointment
The art world can seem overwhelming at the best of times, but with dozens of new online galleries popping up every day and hundreds more artists, it can be tough, even for seasoned designers to separate the wheat from the chaff. Most art advisors, however, will have close connections to galleries, artist and dealers and will have exclusive access to works reserved for top clients. Art consultants will also have a highly trained eye which can help them immediately tell if a piece is worth the investment, if another artist is producing similar works more affordably or if something is overdone or gimmicky
Bonus: Exceed your client’s expectations
Having an expert working behind the scenes to source the perfect art for your project while saving you time and money means you will be well on your way to exceeding your client's expectations. The extra time you gain will mean you can be more focused in other areas of the project that require your expertise, ultimately helping you deliver on time and on budget.
So there you have it 5 simple reasons why you should consider hiring an art consultant for your next interior design project. If you like what you heard and would like to consider working with us here at Artelier, why not have a browse around the site and see some of the work we have done for previous interior design client, and if you like what you see then don't hesitate to get in touch.