A new home comes with a lot of empty wall. That makes art one of the most useful housewarming gifts you can give, and one of the few that will still be there in ten years, long after the wine has been drunk and the candle has burned down.
It is also a gift that can go wrong. Art is personal, and nobody wants to feel obliged to hang something they don't like. The trick is to choose in a way that lowers the risk. Here is how.
Decide how well you know their taste
Be honest about this first, because it changes what you should buy.
- You know it well. You have seen their last home, you know the colours they wear and the things they collect. Buy a real piece for the wall.
- You know them, but not their decor. You know their interests: they love space, or cats, or a particular city. Buy something tied to the interest, in a smaller format.
- You barely know them. A colleague, a new neighbour, a partner's relative. Buy something small and useful that carries art without demanding wall space.
If you know their taste: a piece for the wall
Choose the room first. Living rooms and hallways are safest, because guests see them and people are happy to show off a gift there. A bedroom is more private, so only choose for it if you are close.
Then choose the format.
- A framed poster is the best all-round gift. It arrives in a solid wood frame, black or white, with hanging hardware. It is a finished object from the moment it is unwrapped, and it feels like a proper present. See the framed posters collection.
- A canvas makes a bigger statement and also arrives ready to hang. Keep it to a medium size, around 16 × 20 to 24 × 36 inches, unless you know exactly which wall it is for. See the canvas art collection.
Avoid giving a very large piece as a surprise. Size is the one thing you can't guess, and a five-foot canvas that doesn't fit anywhere is a burden.
Safe subjects when you are not sure
Some kinds of artwork suit almost any home.
- Landscapes. A misty forest or a quiet lake offends nobody and suits most colour schemes. Blue Mountain Fog is the safest piece in our catalogue.
- Their city. A skyline of the place they live, or the place they came from, means something straight away. We have Chicago and Nashville pieces.
- Soft abstracts. Colour and shape without a subject, which fit in with most furniture.
- Black-and-white pieces. They go with every colour scheme.
Riskier subjects: skulls, anything very dark or gothic, strongly psychedelic pieces, and anything with text or a joke on it. They are great for the right person and awkward for the wrong one. Only choose them if you know.
If you know their interests: go smaller
When you know what someone loves but not what their home looks like, give the interest in a format that doesn't need a wall.
- A desk mat for someone setting up a home office or a gaming corner in the new place. It is useful from day one. See the desk mats collection.
- An unframed poster in a small size, such as 11 × 14 inches. It is inexpensive, and they can frame it to suit their own decor, or pin it by a desk.
- A tapestry for someone moving into a first flat or a rented room with bare walls and rules about nails. It covers a lot of wall and hangs without fixings.
If you barely know them: small and useful
- A keychain for the new keys. It is a neat idea for a housewarming, and it costs about $15. See the keychains collection.
- A set of two or three button pins tucked into a card.
These say you thought about it without presuming to decorate someone's home for them.
Match the gift to the kind of move
- First flat or first rental: a tapestry, posters, or a desk mat. Budget-friendly, renter-safe, and easy to move again.
- Buying a first home: a framed poster or a canvas. Something lasting, to mark the occasion.
- Moving in together: choose something neutral enough for two tastes, such as a landscape or a city they both love.
- Moving to a new city: a skyline of the place they left is a thoughtful reminder of home.
- Downsizing: keep it small. Wall space is the thing they have less of.
Ask, or involve them
There is nothing wrong with asking. "I'd like to get you something for the new place. What colours are you going for?" is a kind question, not a spoiled surprise. You could also send them a link to two or three pieces and let them choose. People are usually delighted to be asked, and you end up with a gift that gets hung.
Timing
Every Kiyo Arts piece is made to order. Allow 2 to 7 business days for production and 3 to 7 business days for US delivery, so 5 to 14 business days in all. Order two to three weeks before the housewarming. If you are sending it straight to the new address, double-check the address, including any flat number, because a package can't be redirected once it ships. Bear in mind too that in the first weeks after a move, people are often not home to receive deliveries.
A few things to know before you buy
- Returns are accepted only for items that arrive damaged, defective or incorrect, so choose carefully. This is another reason to go for a safe subject or a smaller item if you are unsure.
- If you order different product types together, they may arrive in separate packages.
- A handwritten note saying why you picked the piece matters as much as the piece.
The short version
- Know their taste: a framed poster or a medium canvas.
- Know their interests: a desk mat, small poster or tapestry.
- Barely know them: a keychain for the new keys.
- When in doubt: a calm landscape, or their city.
For more ideas by price, see art gifts under $25, $50 and $100.