Three Places in London I Return to Every Year to Buy Art

After years of searching for and buying art in London, both for my studio clients and for my own home, there are three places I find myself returning to almost every year.

For me, art is not simply the final step in “dressing” the walls once the interior design is complete. The right piece adds depth, character, colour and a sense of warmth that is difficult to achieve through furniture and accessories alone.

Good art creates an emotional connection with the people who live in the home. It says something about their taste and personality, and sometimes it can also become a valuable long-term investment. Of course, not every artwork will increase in value, so I always believe the first consideration should be choosing a piece you genuinely love and will enjoy living with for many years.

Catto Gallery

Catto Gallery is located on Heath Street in Hampstead and represents more than sixty international artists, with exhibitions and artists rotating throughout the year.

It is a small, welcoming gallery that I enjoy popping into whenever I happen to be in the neighbourhood. You can browse at your own pace, discover newly exhibited artists and, occasionally, leave with an exciting piece you had not planned to buy.

Hampstead in general is a wonderful area for art lovers, with several interesting galleries within walking distance of one another, and Catto is an excellent place to start. Most of the works are priced below £10,000. There are, of course, more expensive pieces too, but the selection makes it possible to find high-quality original art at relatively accessible prices.

יצירת אומנות שנבחרה ונרכשה בגלריית קאטו, עבור לקוחותי בפרוייקט הפנטהאוז בסנט ג'ונס ווד

Affordable Art Fair

Twice a year, the Affordable Art Fair comes to London: to Battersea Park in the autumn and Hampstead in the spring. Each fair brings together more than one hundred galleries from around the world, showcasing work by over a thousand artists, generally priced between around £500 and £8,000.

My favourite time to visit is the Private View, held on the evening before the fair officially opens. The atmosphere is more relaxed, the lighting is good, and there is often an opportunity to meet artists or gallery owners and hear directly about the ideas and stories behind the work.

I usually arrive with a notebook, walk through the stands and mark three or four possibilities for each client I have in mind — and sometimes something for myself too. A day or two later, I return with the client, or sometimes with a friend, with a more focused shortlist that makes the decision much easier.

At weekends, the fair is also very family-friendly. It is a lovely opportunity to introduce older children to art and even let them choose a print for their own bedroom. There is also a free wrapping station and a convenient delivery service.

Royal Academy Summer Exhibition

Every summer, the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition opens at Burlington House on Piccadilly. It is a long-standing tradition and an open-submission exhibition, where artists from around the world can submit their work to be considered by a committee of Royal Academicians.

Around a thousand works are selected and displayed together, including painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, architecture and video. The walls are filled with artworks hung closely together, from floor to ceiling, in a style known as a Salon Hang. The result is rich, energetic and sometimes slightly chaotic — and that is exactly part of its charm.

Almost all the works are available to buy. Alongside very expensive pieces, there are many works priced below £5,000, prints for under £1,000 and sometimes even pieces below £250.

For me, these three places offer the perfect combination of inspiration, discovering new artists and the opportunity to buy an original piece of art that can become part of a home for many years.