how to choose artwork for your home, quietly and confidently, in Basel

When “home” is multilingual, art becomes a kind of anchor

Living in Basel as an international resident often means your life is made of crossings. You cross borders, languages, seasons, and versions of yourself. Meanwhile, your home becomes the one place where you don’t need to translate so much—where your body can finally exhale.

That’s why choosing art can feel strangely emotional. However, most advice about interiors treats art like a finishing touch, as if it’s simply there to “pull the room together.” Still, if you’ve moved countries—or even just moved flats a few times—you already know it’s deeper than that. A piece of art can hold memory without turning it into a story you have to explain. At the same time, it can make a room feel inhabited in a way furniture alone rarely does.

So if you’re here because you’re asking the honest question—how to choose artwork for your home—let’s keep it calm. No gatekeeping. No pressure to “know art.” Instead, we’ll focus on everyday life: the light in your kitchen at 8am, the quiet of your living room after work, and the small rituals that make Basel feel like yours.

Meanwhile, we’ll also look closely at one artist whose work lives beautifully in real rooms: Julia Wimmerlin, Ukrainian-born and Swiss-based, whose images feel like soft portals—intimate, symbolic, and quietly steady.

A calm beginner guide that starts with how you actually live

There’s a reason “choosing art” can spiral into overthinking. Because unlike a lamp or a chair, art doesn’t just function—it speaks. However, the good news is you don’t have to solve it all at once. Therefore, we’ll use a method that is simple enough to remember, yet gentle enough to respect what you feel.

Step 1: Name the room’s emotional job

Before you measure walls or compare colors, try one grounded question: What is this room supposed to do for me? Not in a lofty way—just in human words.

• Your entryway might need to say: “Welcome back. You’re safe.”

• Your living room might need to say: “Slow down. Stay a while.”

• Your bedroom might need to say: “Nothing is required of you here.”

• Your workspace might need to say: “Focus, but stay soft.”

Meanwhile, if you’re sharing your space with a partner, roommates, or kids, the room’s job may be collective: “We gather here,” or “We reset here.” At the same time, it’s okay if different rooms hold different moods. A home doesn’t need to be one unified “aesthetic.” It needs to be a place where you can live.

Step 2: Choose the kind of presence you want on the wall

Once you’ve named the room’s emotional job, consider the artwork’s presence. Because of that, you can think less in terms of “style” and more in terms of energy.

• A window: art that opens the room outward, like air.

• A mirror: art that reflects something inside you, quietly.

• A hearth: art that warms the space and gathers people.

• A pause: art that calms visual noise and steadies the day.

However, don’t treat this like a test. It’s more like noticing. Meanwhile, you can ask: do I want this wall to feel more spacious—or more intimate? Do I want something that soothes me when I pass by, or something that invites deeper looking?

Step 3: Let practicality support the feeling

Practical details are not the enemy of emotion. In other words, the goal isn’t to “be practical instead of poetic.” The goal is to use practicality to protect what you love.

Therefore, consider:

• Light: Where does daylight fall? Is there glare?

• Distance: Will you see the work up close, or mostly from across the room?

• Movement: Do people walk past it quickly, or sit with it?

• Care: Is the space humid (kitchen), sunny (south-facing), or busy (entry)?

Meanwhile, if you rent, you may want art that can move easily with you. At the same time, “portable” doesn’t mean “small” or “safe.” It simply means the work can travel, just like you have.

Basel rooms are not blank boxes, and that’s a gift

Basel homes have their own personalities. Some apartments have tall Altbau ceilings and ornate details, while others are modern, crisp, and compact. Meanwhile, many international residents live in rentals where you can’t repaint freely or drill too much. However, none of this makes choosing art harder—it simply makes it more honest.

If your walls are white and your furniture is neutral

Neutral spaces often crave one thing: a focal point with emotional depth. Therefore, a single artwork can become the room’s heartbeat, especially in winter when Basel light turns soft and grey.

Meanwhile, the temptation is to choose art that is “safe” and pale so it blends in. Still, a neutral room can hold stronger art without feeling loud, as long as the work has its own calm. At the same time, contrast can feel like clarity, not chaos.

If your home already has strong color or pattern

In a layered home, art can either echo the richness or offer relief. Because of that, you might choose a piece that brings visual quiet—something that lets the eye rest.

However, “quiet” doesn’t mean “boring.” It can mean “deep.” Meanwhile, a photograph with symbolic softness can sit beside bold textiles without competing.

If your space is small

Small spaces benefit from art that creates depth. Therefore, images that feel like a doorway, a memory, or a dream can make a room feel larger than its square meters.

At the same time, scale matters. A tiny work on a big wall can feel lost, while an oversized piece can feel like a confident anchor. Meanwhile, if you’re unsure, think about what you want to feel when you enter: held, lifted, grounded, or gently surprised.

Color harmony vs emotional impact: a softer way to decide

People often ask whether art should match the interior design. However, matching is not the same as belonging. Therefore, try this calmer approach:

1. Notice your room’s undertone (warm wood, cool grey, creamy white, greenish shadows).

2. Decide whether you want the artwork to echo or gently disrupt that undertone.

3. Let one element repeat—not everything. Maybe it’s a shade, a softness, or a mood.

Meanwhile, emotional impact isn’t irrational—it’s information. If a work makes your shoulders drop, that matters. If you keep thinking about it the next day, that matters too. At the same time, you don’t need to justify your reaction with clever words. The goal is not to impress anyone. The goal is to live well.

And if you want a broader, gentle perspective alongside this guide, you can also browse this resource as you go—[INSERT HOMEPAGE LINK: how to decorate your home with art]—and treat it like a quiet companion rather than a checklist.

A gallery that feels like a living room, not a performance

Many people love art but feel uneasy about galleries. However, that unease often comes from the fear of “not knowing enough.” Meanwhile, some gallery spaces can amplify that fear with silence, distance, and a white-cube atmosphere that feels like a test.

Galerie Sechs, in the heart of Basel, carries a different energy. The space feels like a warm living room rather than a white cube, inviting visitors to slow down and feel at ease. Therefore, your first impression is not intimidation—it’s permission.

At the same time, the gallery supports emerging artists in a way that feels human: by listening to their stories, creating thoughtful exhibitions and curating with care, presenting work beautifully without over-explaining, and building meaningful connections within Basel’s creative network. Meanwhile, community happens through intimate conversations, workshops, and shared moments, so creativity feels collective and alive rather than distant.

Collectors, too, are welcomed without pressure. In other words, you can explore at your own pace, without needing expertise, and the gallery gently guides you toward works that truly resonate rather than pushing you toward what’s “popular.” Because of that, a visit can feel more like a conversation than a transaction.

If you’d like to see what’s currently unfolding there, you can start quietly online with Galerie Sechs—and then let your curiosity bring you in when the time feels right.

Julia Wimmerlin: images that hold memory without forcing a narrative

Julia Wimmerlin’s path into art already hints at why her work feels so grounded. Ukrainian-born and Swiss-based, she is a visual artist whose practice evolved from documentary travel photography to conceptually driven fine art. Meanwhile, having lived across Europe and Asia, she carries a cross-cultural visual sensitivity shaped by displacement, memory, and shifting identity.

She trained in Economics and Marketing and worked in international advertising before transitioning to photography in 2014. Therefore, she brings a refined understanding of visual storytelling—how an image can communicate without shouting. However, the early 2020s redirected her artistic language: pandemic isolation and the war in Ukraine shifted her away from documentary ways of seeing. Because of that, she turned inward.

What emerged is a symbolic visual language that blends figuration, abstraction, and dream logic. In other words, her works don’t aim to “document” reality. They explore how memory fractures and reforms, how perception shifts under pressure, and how imagination becomes a necessary refuge. Meanwhile, her photographs act as portals where the intimate meets the fantastical, and where emotional truth matters more than literal depiction.

This matters for your home because daily living is not documentary, either. At the same time, your interior life—your moods, seasons, memories—deserves a visual language that can hold complexity gently. Therefore, Wimmerlin’s work can live with you without exhausting you. It can be present without being loud. It can be beautiful without being decorative.

Three Julia Wimmerlin works to live with (a focused selection)

Rather than overwhelm you with options, let’s stay with three. Imagine them not as “products,” but as possible companions—works you might meet every day in your Basel home.

1) For the entryway: the piece that welcomes you back

An entryway is a threshold, so art here should feel like a first breath. Therefore, consider a work that steadies you rather than stimulates you. A Julia Wimmerlin piece with symbolic softness can turn the simple act of coming home into a quiet reset.

Meanwhile, entryways are often narrow and transitional, which makes photography especially fitting: you can catch it quickly, yet it still offers depth when you pause. At the same time, this is the wall you pass when you’re carrying groceries, rushing to a tram, or returning late. Because of that, the best work here is one that doesn’t demand attention—but rewards it.

Artwork title: _____FREE FALLING_____

Artist: Julia WimmerlinAlt text

Julia Wimmerlin artwork in a Basel entryway, a calm photographic piece that welcomes you home.

2) For the living room: the piece that gathers the space

The living room is where a home becomes social—or becomes restorative. Therefore, a single artwork can set the room’s rhythm more effectively than many smaller choices that compete.

Meanwhile, Wimmerlin’s images often carry a quiet gravity. They don’t fill the room with noise; they gather it with feeling. However, “gathering” doesn’t mean becoming heavy. It can mean creating a center—something your eye returns to when you want the room to feel coherent.

At the same time, this kind of work pairs beautifully with Swiss contemporary art sensibilities: restrained, thoughtful, and emotionally intelligent. Because of that, it can sit comfortably in a modern apartment as well as an older Basel flat with character.

Artwork title: _____FREE FALLING_____

Artist: Julia WimmerlinAlt text

Julia Wimmerlin artwork as a living-room anchor, a poetic photographic image that adds depth without clutter.

3) For the bedroom or study: the piece you choose for yourself

Some art is for guests. Some art is for you. Therefore, one of the most meaningful choices is a piece you keep where you think, rest, or work quietly.

Meanwhile, Wimmerlin’s inward, dream-leaning visual language feels especially suited to private spaces. It can hold tenderness, ambiguity, and reflection without becoming sentimental. However, it can also stay light enough to live with every day, which is important. At the same time, a bedroom or study is where you’re most likely to notice subtle shifts in your own mood—and because of that, a work that changes as you change becomes a long-term companion.

Artwork title: _____Nymph in Pearl_____

Artist: Julia WimmerlinAlt text

Julia Wimmerlin artwork in a quiet bedroom or home office, a symbolic photographic piece that supports calm focus.

Practical placement, gently: light, height, and breathing space

Even the most emotionally perfect piece can feel “off” if it’s hung in the wrong place. However, fixing that is usually simple.

Light: protect the work and your eyes

Basel light can be soft, but glare still happens—especially near windows. Therefore, try to avoid placing framed works directly opposite strong daylight. Meanwhile, if you love a sunny wall, consider how the work looks at 10am versus 7pm. At the same time, gentle evening lighting can make photographic works feel warmer and more dimensional.

Height: aim for comfort, not rules

There are standard hanging “rules,” but homes are not museums. Because of that, hang art where it feels natural for your daily posture. If you usually stand in a hallway, slightly higher can work. Meanwhile, if you mostly see the piece while seated on a sofa, bring it down. Therefore, the best height is the one that meets your eyes where you actually live.

Breathing space: let the work be itself

A work needs space around it, emotionally and visually. However, breathing space doesn’t mean emptiness—it means not crowding the artwork with competing objects. Therefore, if a wall already holds shelves, lamps, and books, a quieter placement might serve the piece better. Meanwhile, if the wall is blank, one artwork can become enough.

If you feel unsure about your taste, you’re in the right place

Many people think they need a strong opinion before they buy art. However, taste often forms after you live with something, not before. Therefore, give yourself permission to be in process.

Meanwhile, you can build trust in your own response through small practices:

• Look at a piece for two minutes longer than you normally would.

• Notice what you feel in your body: tighter, softer, curious, calm.

• Leave, and then notice what returns to you later.

• Ask yourself: would I want this image near me on an ordinary day?

At the same time, collecting art doesn’t have to be dramatic. It can be slow, quiet, and meaningful. Because of that, many people begin with one work that feels personal rather than “impressive.” Meanwhile, as you learn what you love, collecting art becomes less about taste and more about intimacy—what you choose to keep close.

What makes gallery visits in Basel feel supportive rather than intimidating

Basel is full of cultural richness, but that doesn’t mean every space feels easy to enter. Therefore, it helps to find places where you can ask simple questions without feeling judged.

In a supportive gallery setting, you can:

• see works in person and understand scale more accurately

• notice texture, mood, and presence beyond a screen

• discuss practical things like framing and placement calmly

• learn about exhibitions and curating without needing jargon

• discover emerging artists whose work feels alive and current

Meanwhile, you can also take your time. You can return more than once. At the same time, you can let your relationship with a piece develop naturally. Because of that, the experience becomes part of the value: you’re not only choosing an object, you’re choosing a kind of attention.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I choose artwork for my home when I don’t know where to start?

Start with one room and one feeling, and let the decision stay simple. However, don’t begin by chasing trends—begin by noticing what you want your home to do for you each day. Because of that, how to decorate your home with art becomes easier when you treat it like listening rather than judging. If you’re buying art for first-time collectors, choose one work that you keep thinking about after you leave, even if you can’t explain why. Meanwhile, a calm gallery visit can help you see scale and mood in real light. Explore at your own pace.

Should I compare artworks by size, medium, or the artist’s story?

Compare them gently, but let daily life guide you. Size affects balance on the wall, meanwhile the artist’s story often shapes how the work stays meaningful over time. However, the most important measure is emotional impact—how the piece makes you feel in the room you actually live in. Therefore, how to decorate your home with art isn’t about perfect “matching,” it’s about choosing presence. If you’re buying art for first-time collectors, ask for calm guidance on placement and care, then give yourself space to decide slowly. Step in when you’re ready.

Can I view artworks in Basel and ask for calm, no-pressure guidance?

Yes—many people prefer a quiet viewing, especially when they want to feel a work rather than perform confidence. Meanwhile, seeing art in person helps you understand scale, atmosphere, and how your body responds. Because of that, how to decorate your home with art can shift from overwhelm to clarity when you’re allowed to take your time and ask simple questions. If you’re buying art for first-time collectors, you can also inquire privately about pricing, practical details, and viewing options without pressure to decide quickly. Explore at your own pace.

Ending paragraph

In the end, choosing art is less like solving a puzzle and more like learning your own rhythm. Meanwhile, your Basel home will keep changing as your life changes, and the right work won’t just “fit the wall”—it will quietly fit your days. If you ever want a place that feels unhurried, human, and easy to enter, you can return to Galerie Sechs whenever the moment feels right.

Secondary keyword: buying art for first-time collectors