Most people furnish their apartment and leave the walls completely blank. Or worse — they throw up a generic Amazon print that 10,000 other apartments have.

Here's what I've learned curating affordable art:

1. Start with one statement piece. Don't try to fill every wall. One strong piece in your living room does more than six mediocre ones scattered around.

2. Size matters more than you think. That 8x10 print you ordered looks like a postage stamp on a big wall. Go bigger than you think you need. 24x36 minimum for main walls.

3. Color match to your furniture, not the other way around. Your couch isn't going anywhere. Pick art that pulls from colors already in the room.

4. Original > print, always. You can find original work from emerging artists for $50-200. That's the same price as a framed Target print, but it's one of one.

5. Buy what stops you scrolling. Forget what "goes with your aesthetic." If a piece makes you pause, that's the one. Your taste is the only rule that matters.

I started The Canvas Club to make this easier. Every month I curate affordable originals and prints from artists I believe in, and deliver them to members.

If you're tired of bare walls, come check it out.