You are well on your way. You know the space; you can imagine the size and number of pictures and you like turtles. But, the ordinary doesn't work for you. Sounds like you might like photographs.

I like that JudyG - I think I need to get out more and do some looking; hopefully that will happen to me :)

These are from etsy.com and are what you like...Hawaii..

To keep the room from being too beachy, you could paint the walls dark.And while we are spending money we could buy a creamy leather sofa.

And some pillows..

And a rug...something a bit modern to go with the sofa.

Do we have any money left over?

Yes, etsy.com is a great place to start! I have a beautiful large Hawaiian sunset print that I purchased on Etsy from a guy from Washington D.C. My husband and I had our best vacation ever when we went to Hawaii in 2001 for 2 weeks and I wanted something from Hawaii to put up on the wall over the fireplace. I have also purchased other beautiful prints from Etsy friends and in my dining room, I was able to find some prints in blue that go with the color I painted my dining room. The oil painting in my living room was painted by my mother, who is an artist. Here are some of the prints from Etsy:

For these prints in the dining room, I purchased 8x10's, matted the prints and placed them in 11x14" frames. I stayed with white in this room since the entire room is painted blue and white to go with my vintage blue and white English china!

When we design for a clients home we try to not be "too literal" with the interpretation of say "hawaiian motif" or "beachy feel". Take a nod from the beautiful colors in those environments or textures and incorporate that into perhaps a more impressionistic painting that embodies the feel but is not "thematic". It will make your space more sophisticated and not feel dated over time.

But at the end of the day art is subjective. If it rocks your world, go with it.

Also, check out greatbigcanvas.com. I have bought from them twice now and been super happy with my purchases. The number of choices are huge, the prices are affordable (especially with their daily coupon codes), and you can order any print in one of many size choices. For my most recent purchase, I added a floating frame in my order and I really like that.

Thanks Everyone! I am looking into these ideas. I do like the impressionistic ideas too. Not sure where to look for that type.

art.com

You can also find impressionistic art on etsy.com (I used to have a shop on Etsy and I have looked at many shops over a 3 year period with beautiful art).

Keep in mind the frames and mattes themselves can dramatically change the look of photographic art. A photo in a whitewashed wood frame with no border or a pastel border will feel more beachy whereas the same photo with a white matte border and a silver or black metal frame will have more of a modern art gallery/museum feel.

http://mosaicsbyariel.com

Pop into shops.

First, there is art and there is decoration. You choose art because it moves you in some way—it evokes emotion, makes you think, ponder, question, brings joy, any number of things like that. It has nothing to do with "going with a theme". And then the frame used should be good at one thing, framing the art appropriately. Again it is not about "tying with the rest of the room/dining set/ couch/etc".

There are lots of place to look for things like that. Online you have sites like Artsy.com. Go to the less formal cafes and coffee shops. They usually display art by local artists. As @jmm1837 points out, there often are many arts fairs, state fairs, etc, where artists display their work. It isn't hard to find local artists to support and will often accept commission work which does not have to be as expensive as it sounds.

If all you want is decoration, again I agree with jmm1837, there are lots of ways to decorate that will likely do better with the criteria of not imposing a "theme".

But then nothing is more personal than find a work of art that speaks to you.

Joe

You can get frames on sale periodically at AC Moore craft shops. You can get cheap poster frames at Target, Walmart, and Jo-Ann Fabrics - look on Google - put in search box "poster frames". ($7 - $13)

I choose art and objects because I love them and then worry about where they are going to fit in my home. This goes for investment pieces to art picked up at craft fairs. It is a very personal decision. My husband and I have learned over the years to be very careful in what we buy- it must speak loudly to one of us and the other must also really like it. When we travel we have learned to bring back one or two special pieces rather than a bunch of common souvenirs. The search for these pieces has taken us to some really interesting places. In 30 years in 4 different homes, ranging from midcentury modern in NJ woods to New Orleans French Quarter creole cottage, we have not regretted purchases made this way. Everything has always worked somewhere in the home. What I have regretted and gotten rid of is art bought to fill a space or because it "matched something". Our art collection drives how we decorate not the other way around. I do work with an interior designer who is wonderful because she works with our art and has been very creative with display. Buying art and objects this way need not break the budget. One of my most precious pieces is a very old photo of boys eating spaghetti from a flea market in Milan- it cost 1 Euro. The end result is walking through your home and being surrounded by things that you love and that have meaning. Have fun searching for your art and look everywhere!

Your interior is an expression of your self -- it should be personal, filled with quality objects and artworks that you absolutely love.

An Original piece of Art can really bring in a wave of deftness to your room. It acts as a style to your room.

Here's some suggestion for your wall you might like......to know more about my Art work and collections please visit my shop on Etsy website -

https://www.etsy.com/shop/PooviArtGallery?ref=pr_shop_more

I choose art and home decor that I really love. I have lived in my home for 3 years now and finally have most of the artwork up. Several paintings were painted for me by my dad (one is a painting of my house). Several others were drawn by my grandma. Others I have picked up at flea markets or antique stores because I just loved them. Not all wall decor has to be a picture either. I was looking for a large painting to hang over my piano for several years before I stumbled on some tin lithographs of piano sheet music at brimfield antique show. I bought them and then framed them to hang up there. My advice is to look around until you find the perfect piece. You will know it when you see it.

If you are looking for art, then get something that you like. There is no need for themes. Art is about what you enjoy and would like to see daily.The only thing you need to take into account is size so that it fits wherever you want to place it.

Sometimes, sizes that you need are not available so you can have one done for you. We wanted something large (a 9' by 5') and what we liked did not come in large format..so we had one done by the artist. Here is a photo,,not a great photo, but it gives you an idea

I agree that going to art shows -including student ones- is a great (and fun!) way to find something unique and personal. But it can be a tiny bit intimidating if you've never done it and if you feel out of your element. When I'm shopping for art , what I look for is something draws me in, something that I keep wanting to go back to and look at again and again. It takes time to find that special piece that really appeals to you, but it so worthwhile when you finally find something that's right! And if you can get original art (which as a previous poster mentioned can take many forms) you will really have a one-of-a-kind, unique and personal space.

adriennecolella said it perfectly!!!!! (Better than me lol)

Thank you all! Your responses are exactly what I was looking for. Adrienne I really like how you said that. It helps a lot! I want to have that special feeling when I walk into the room just haven't found the pieces yet. I am open to objects on the wall too; I hadn't thought about that before! We have Hawaii coming up so I will make sure to look for something special when we are there.

The wall large wall is the one I am hoping to bring to life; just not sure if it should be 1 single piece or a gallery.

Thanks again

You could look for black and white photos of sea turtles (see link below) and bring to a local photo store and have them enlarged and use off centered mats like pic on left (size wise as well). When you are in Hawaii, you could take photos of the landscape and do the same for even more of a personal connection. I work for a company that has the largest private art collection in Canada and it's funny of all the works, I am drawn to only a few that I love (mind you I would take any one if given to me)...so you'll know when you seem the pieces(s) that resonate with you and there are so many options on where to find.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=black+and+white+framed+pictures+of+sea+turtles&biw=1366&bih=574&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjJ4unHqunNAhUEWRoKHXL3AGwQsAQIXA

You could do a wall of vintage posters that reflect the places you love.