A piece of art can be decorative or collectable or both. A piece of decorative art is something that is solely intended to be displayed to compliment a room. A piece of collectable art is artwork that will likely maintain or increase in value. I've spoken with other artists and collectors who will judge and label artwork as purely decorative and I have sometimes begged to differ.

It seemed to me that artwork sometimes get pigeonholed. Not always, but it does happen. Sometimes artists will call a piece of artwork decorative if the creator's pieces were being acquired and used to decorate their home.

This does not mean the artwork is purely decorative. In fact, no one can be 100% sure that a piece of original artwork will always be purely decorative art.

Collecting and decorating with art is a very personal choice. An interior decorator may be mostly concerned with decorating or staging a home or room whereas an art collector or enthusiast may select artwork solely based on how collectible the piece is. Or, someone may decorate with collectable artwork. People often buy artwork based on emotion. Someone may fall in love with a print of an unknown because it evokes an emotion within them that is enjoyable. Or it may match their couch.

Using artwork for purely decorative purposes is an art in and of itself. Staging a room can be tremendous joy. Rooms can be staged by color or theme. Rooms can be decorated to produce feelings of excitement, peace and calm, mindfulness, or any emotion including the bittersweet feelings of nostalgia. Decorating with art can help define a room's purpose.

Did you ever consider that the artist who creates the piece of art you love is a healer? Decorating with artwork is healing. Sitting in a room with a lovely piece of artwork to gaze at can quiet or excite the mind and stimulate the body's chemistry. Did you ever consider that artists are chemists? When we have feelings we release powerful hormones such as endorphins. The next time you consider adding a piece of artwork to your collection, think about how the piece makes you feel. Does it excite you? Does it make you feel at peace? Does it remind you of a fond memory? At this point, when one experiences the benefits of feeling good, collectability means little. When a piece can elicit both emotion and potential increase in value this is a bonus.