Gallons of paint. Endless furniture rearrangement. A renovation requiring Joe, Winnie and I to live with his parents for three months. You would think all of this would make the house feel complete, but something didn’t feel right. We chalked it up to us settling into the new space. After all, we hadn’t been there consistently the entire summer and we went to Europe for two weeks. Once we got back home it was a flurry of business travel and the holidays.

Even as the dust settled and we started 2016, we couldn’t shake this feeling. Instead of something missing, maybe it was due to too much stuff. So I Marie Kondo’d my way through the house, ridding it of various stuff that no longer sparked joy. After a few carloads to the Goodwill, the house was much cleaner but a little more sparse. And then it clicked. For all the furniture, clocks, lights, mirrors, books and various decorative knick knacks, not one piece of art was on the wall. Nothing. But Kate, I see all the images on your Instagram feed with art on the wall. Well, yes and no. We have plenty of “shooting art”, pieces that are rotated on an as-needed basis that I use in various rooms, but there is nothing permanent on the walls.

It’s not that we don’t want art, we just can’t seem to agree on what pieces to purchase and then where to put them. So, back to square one. Do we ignore that feeling and continue on with clean, once-comforting-but-now-slightly-claustrophobic, white walls, or do we get into multiple “discussions” about finding the right piece. Win-win!

A friend of mine recommended we talk with Tappan, an online art gallery focused on connecting some of the best emerging artists with collectors and assist with curating collections.

The service was easy enough. Both Joe and I took turns combing through their online gallery selecting images we both liked, and once we had a large “wishlist”, we sent images of our space, along with measurements, for recommendations from the team. As an admitted control freak, and someone that has worked as a stylist, it was strange and I felt a bit sheepish, giving carte blanche to an outside service that I provide myself.

In the end I realized we needed this impartial third party to help us out. I can style and design for others, but when it comes to myself. Nope. I’m far to close to the project to have any real perspective and think about the larger picture. It boggles the mind how many services are out there that seem specifically designed to prevent fights, ahem, discussions between couples. This being one of them.

We’ve had the art on the walls for a few weeks now, and that nagging feeling that something is missing is mostly gone. We’ve had the art for a few weeks now, and I’m starting to be able to relax. Just a little.

Look for more images and pieces in the upcoming months on the blog and on Instagram.

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Images: 2nd Truth Photography

Kate Arends

Kate is the founder of Wit & Delight. She is currently learning how to play tennis and is forever testing the boundaries of her creative muscle. Follow her on Instagram at @witanddelight_.