I am cleaning and gutting my late mother's home. She was an amazing artist who had incredible drawings. Her house, on the other hand, is filled with chotchkes, walmart prints, and crap from Christian bookstores.

I have been following some tik toks and I've seen advice to up your game with actual art, and it has really stood out to me as I've been going through her house. I even found an old, evangelical book telling Christians to forgo mediocre Bible decor in favor of great religious art, which was hilarious to find tucked amongst chotchkes.

It doesn't have to be expensive, but if you are looking to do it more cheaply, you will have to do more hunting.

Whatever style you are going for: Scandinavian, eclectic, maximalist, French Country ... you can do it with actual art.

Awesome decor examples:

Actual pictures of yourself and/or your loved ones.

Actual pictures you personally took or someone you love took or were taken on some event you actually attended when you were there.

Actual original art some human made

Mirrors.

Actual quality antiques or items of serious interest

Properly framed things or things that are presented with thought and consideration

Tasteful, quality, unique religious iconography if that works for you. We have a badass metal sculpture of St. Michael that we inherited in our doorway. I have never seen a St. Michael quite like this one.

Vases or other pottery or glasswork made by small artisans

Indigenous art purchased directly from indigenous artists, such as a really beautiful, quality Hopi Katchina I purchased

Cool art you or a loved one made and took the time to frame. I'm going to be framing some of my mother's art.

Edit: also, things that are from your travels or say something about you

Avoid:

Prints from places like target, walmart, Christian bookstores, Bed Bath n Beyond, etc

Anything giving hotel, motel, or corporate energy

Generic pics of places like Paris taken by some photographer you don't know from a time you weren't there

Posters that aren't framed or things presented without thought and consideration

Aging pictures. Use UV glass over your actual art to protect it. I'm heartbroken over an original piece of art I had that I failed to protect

Prints of Starry Night, Klimt, basically prints of the greats that everyone has. If you are absolutely obsessed with a certain classic, like Starry Night, you can find cool original art that incorporates and celebrates Starry Night that will not just be a poster of it that everyone has on their dorm wall

Chinzy religious iconography

Indigenous-inspired corporate art that doesn't profit indigenous artists, like generic dream catchers

Generic vases from a supermarket