As far as we’re concerned, there’s nothing quite as exciting as purchasing a new rug for our bedroom or picking out new throw pillows for the couch. Furnishing and decorating your home is a super fun project (all the joy of clothes shopping without having to try anything on!), but it’s unfortunately a super expensive one as well. Even if you’ve saved up for a big move or room re-do, one trip to West Elm can knock out your budget for a few months. If you’re someone who loves interior design, that can be a frustrating position to find yourself in — when you’ve dreamed up the way you want your space to look but don’t have the money to finish it off for quite some time.
There are a lot of stores and brands that you probably turn to for budget-conscious furniture or decor, but when it comes to artwork, pieces from big box stores often look what they are: cheap and mass-produced. Many of us would love to support artists at a local art gallery, but it’s difficult to justify spending $600 on a painting when we’re still without a dining table.
One source for affordable and stylish artwork you may not have explored before is Etsy. The online marketplace is a treasure-trove of beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces — but we’ll admit, searching for what you want can be intimidating and exhausting. Lucky for you, we did the hard work already. Below, we’ve rounded up 12 of the best Etsy shops that specialize in affordable artwork that’s still high-quality and attractive, from vintage illustrations and posters to acrylic paintings.
Vintage Illustration Prints
Prints of vintage illustrations are having a big moment in home decor right now, especially those that feature herbaria or botanical specimen collections. From herbs to flowers to fruits, the illustrated plants (and sometimes animals) have a bit of an old-school textbook vibe, but the monochromatic color palettes and aged white backgrounds make them the perfect accent for minimalist decor — plus, they make a great gallery wall in a grouping of any number. Prints like these are also super affordable since the shop is printing a copy of the original illustration. It’s still high-quality printing and paper, but without the added cost of being truly one-of-a-kind.
Belle Botanica
Belle Botanica has the one of the widest selection of vintage botanical prints we’ve seen and the prices start around $15. Want a better deal? Snag one of their gallery-wall-ready sets of like-colored or like-species prints, like this one.
Decor Maison
Decor Maison’s shop also has a wide variety of vintage botanical prints, plus some original watercolor paintings. We love the collection of black and white botanical illustrations for a more neutral look.
French Vintage Prints
French Vintage Prints’ selection goes beyond the botanical genre with vintage illustrations of animals, cars, maps, and even shoes. Most of the shop’s offerings are originals — often pages right out of an antique book — but the prices are still very affordable.
Vintage Posters and Maps
Vintage posters are a great way to bring big-impact art into your home at an affordable price. The bright colors and bold graphics of vintage travel posters make great focal points in your space, and although not unique, can still be special to you if the location is meaningful to. Movie and fashion buffs can also find some beautiful vintage movie posters and magazine covers on Etsy — our one suggestion for narrowing down your search among these is to steer clear of any that feel super recognizable. Choosing lesser-known posters will preserve the special antique quality of the poster instead of it feeling like something you could have picked up at Target.
Wall Arty
Wall Arty has more than 4,000 items in their shop, but the biggest collections are the travel and sports posters, along with some unique vintage food and drink advertisements. Each design can be printed on poster paper, canvas, or an adhesive sticker paper, and prices range from $18 to $75.
Wall Arty has more than 4,000 items in their shop, but the biggest collections are the travel and sports posters, along with some unique vintage food and drink advertisements. Each design can be printed on poster paper, canvas, or an adhesive sticker paper, and prices range from $18 to $75.
Encore Print Society
This shop also has a large selection of vintage posters starting at $10. We especially love their unique collection of art deco and mid-century ads and posters, like this Australian railroad ad.
Watercolor Prints
Watercolor paintings and prints make up one of the largest sections on Etsy, so it can be tough to find what you’re looking for. Watercolor paintings are often on the smaller side, so they can be the perfect addition above a side table, or in groups to create a gallery wall or grid.
Louise Art Studio
Louise Art Studio’s work includes abstract and geometric paintings that run the gamut in color palettes. You can purchase one of her original watercolors for around $150; or one of her prints, which are typically $30 or less. This pair of abstract beach scenes is really beautiful.
Annette Bennett
Annette Bennett’s shop features “farm animals with attitude,” which is definitely our favorite category of animal art. From cows and goats to dogs, her watercolor prints of personality-filled barnyard animals would make a lively addition to anyone’s home, with prices ranging from $25 to $330, depending on size and material.
Watercoloria
Watercoloria features a wide selection of nature-inspired watercolor prints, but we’re particularly fond of their collection of Chinoiserie art, which includes a lot of ginger jars and vases like these. The best part? All of the shop’s products are available for instant download, so you don’t have to pay for printing or shipping through the artist. Simply take the file to your own print shop to have the art printed at basically any size you want.
Acrylic or Oil Paintings and Prints
Often the most expensive category of art work, unique acrylic and oil paintings become extremely attainable thanks to Etsy connecting us to artists all over the globe. Many artists sell original pieces (or offer custom commissions) at a higher price in addition to a wide selection of more affordable prints in whatever size is best for you.
Clare Elsaesser
Clare Elsaesser’s paintings primarily feature women in some sort of action, almost always hiding their faces. If you’re looking for a unique piece that won’t look like anything else you have, Clare’s shop is the perfect place to look. She sells a few originals at a time, but her wide selection of prints are priced $25 to $500 depending on the size.
Duealberi
Duealberi’s Etsy shop is full of fun, colorful abstract paintings and prints. Their impressive original pieces are mostly $400 and up, but the beauty of Etsy is all of the reproduced prints available of their large-scale paintings at a fraction of the cost. Even as a print, a piece like this one is sure to be an investment that stays with you for years to come.
Leah Caylor Fine Art
Leah Caylor’s work fits a very specific category: black and white abstract acrylic paintings. All of her Etsy shop pieces are originals, so the prices are a bit higher, but given the size (24 inches wide is the smallest her paintings come), it’s still a good deal for original, fine art.
Pamelam
Pamela Munger sells original acrylic and oil paintings, most of which are in a muted color palette, a smart choice to ensure your artwork outlives your current style. Her shop’s collection is fairly small, but a range of sizes means her one-of-a-kind pieces are available at everyone’s price point.
