Bravo’s Top Design winner Nathan Thomas features his winning design in the February edition of Elle Décor.

You’ve finally made it through Escrow, all the boxes are unpacked, but something is nagging at you–the blank walls. Choosing artwork for your new home can be an overwhelming and expensive task.

To help find your style, try focusing on pieces that really speak to you, that make you smile every time you look at them. If you shop with this principal in mind, you will end up with a house adorned with a collection that enriches your life and never ends up in the garage. To get inspired, start by taking a trip to the SF MOMA or the De Young and see what you gravitate towards. Take notes.

Armed with your new style preferences, you are ready to start buying. Fortunately, nowadays almost everyone can afford original artwork. The abundant local art scene and the emergence of websites such as www.Etsy.com, which feature a variety of affordable artwork from emerging artists, make today a good time to buy.

The following list is just a sampling of the galleries in San Francisco offering local and vintage art. Hit the streets, and get ready for some real life signatures to grace your walls. Happy Hunting!

LOCAL ARTISTS

Shooting Gallery: 839 Larkin Street. 415.931.8035

www.shootinggallerysf.com

Space Gallery: 1141 Polk Street. 415.377.3325

www.spacegallerysf.com

Hang Art: 556 Sutter Street. 415.434.4264

www.hangart.com

VINTAGE ARTWORK

Lost Art Salon: 245 South Van Ness, Suite 303. 415.861.1530

www.lostartsalon.com

Past Perfect: 2230 Union Street. 415.929.7651

The Apartment: 3469 18th Street. 415.255.1100