Designer Ashley Ferguson has one core belief: original art is for everybody, not just clients with unlimited budgets. The barrier isn’t price — it’s intimidation. Once you know where to look and trust what your own eye tells you, a real collection costs less than most first-time buyers assume.

A $1,600 Find That Made the Room

On a recent project in Almirante, Ferguson sourced a vintage 18th-century French depiction of the Three Graces for roughly $1,600. It became the anchor of the home’s primary bathroom — a room with no fireplace or built-in millwork to organize it. The painting did the work furniture usually does: giving the eye one place to land instead of scattering it across tile and fixtures.

When the Perfect Piece Doesn’t Exist

When nothing on the market fits a space, Ferguson paints the piece herself — a reminder that a collection doesn’t have to be entirely acquired. Sometimes the missing piece is one you make.

The Sourcebook: Where to Shop Original Art, Whatever Your Budget

If you’re just starting out, look to curated platforms and independent dealers rather than mass print retailers. Sites like UGallery, Uprise Art, and Chairish all sell real original pieces — not reproductions — well under $1,000, often under $500. We went looking for the kind of small, curated shops Ferguson herself favors: places with a defined eye, not big-box print warehouses.

• Tappan Collective — an LA-based online gallery founded in 2012 by Chelsea Neman Nassib, representing around 100 emerging and mid-career artists; known for transparent pricing (rare in the art world) and curated “Edits” — themed collections like Moody Palette or Minimal Forms — plus complimentary art advisory if you want a second opinion.
• The French Art Shop — a small France-based dealer of antique French and European oil paintings, priced roughly $460–$2,200, with free worldwide shipping and all fees built into the price.
• UGallery — a curatorial gallery (not an open marketplace) founded in 2006, with new hand-selected art added weekly and free shipping and returns so you can live with a piece before committing.
• Uprise Art — a small New York gallery with a genuine “Art Under $800” collection alongside pricier work, plus complimentary art advisory if you want a second opinion.
• Chairish — a marketplace built entirely of independent dealers and small galleries nationwide; original paintings turn up from under $100 to a few hundred dollars regularly.
• Artspan — an artist-owned community with a dedicated “Originals Under $500” collection, bought directly from the working artist.

Try It Yourself

If you can’t find the piece you’re picturing, consider making it. A weekend art class is a low-stakes way to experiment with color and composition — and a real chance to walk out with something worth framing. Even an imperfect piece, hung with intention, tells a more interesting story than a stretched canvas ordered in bulk. There’s a particular kind of pride in pointing to a piece on your own wall and saying, I made that.

Frequently Asked

Where can you buy affordable original art?
Curated platforms and independent dealers — not mass print retailers. UGallery, Uprise Art, and Chairish all sell original, one-of-a-kind pieces well under $1,000, often under $500.

Is buying original art more expensive than buying prints?
Not necessarily. Several galleries, including Uprise Art and Artspan, stock original one-of-a-kind pieces under $500 — often cheaper than a framed print from a big-box retailer.

How do I start collecting art with no experience?
Ferguson recommends starting with prints, then moving to originals once you’ve lived with a piece you genuinely love. Patience matters more than expertise.

Credits:

Written by Kacey Perez | @the.house.studios

Photography courtesy of Ashley Ferguson Interiors | @ashleyfergusoninteriors