Robert Loughlin The Brute

Robert Loughlin, an artist and quirky sage of Modernist design. Born in Alameda, California, in 1949, his interest in design flourished at a young age. His work as a picker and dealer in 20th-century furnishings influenced high-end interior decoration in the United States. Collectors and decorators anointed Loughlin, a celebrity, soon after he arrived in New York in the 1980s, seeing in him an unusual amalgam of talents that set him apart from most pickers who provided designers and dealers with their wares. Equal parts artist, art historian, scavenger and horse-trader, Loughlin schooled a generation of collectors in the high quality of half-forgotten Modern and mid-century designers, not by writing or lecturing about them, but by scouring flea markets and thrift stores for discarded pieces of their work and selling them.

An empty wall in your home is a blank canvas, and that’s good news. Whether you’ve chosen to arrange a collage of paintings in a hallway or carefully position a handful of wall-mounted sculptures in your dining room, there are a lot of options for beautifying your space with the antique and vintage wall decor and decorations available on 1stDibs.

If you’re seeking inspiration for your wall decor, we’ve got some ideas (and we can show you how to arrange wall art, too).

“I recommend leaving enough space above the piece of furniture to allow for usable workspace and to protect the art from other items damaging it,” says Susana Simonpietri, of Brooklyn home design studio Chango & Co.

Hanging a single attention-grabbing large-scale print or poster over your bar or bar cart can prove intoxicating, but the maximalist approach of a salon-style hang, a practice rooted in 17th-century France, can help showcase works of various shapes, styles and sizes on a single wall or part of a wall.

If you’re planning on creating an accent wall — or just aiming to bring a variety of colors and textures into a bedroom — there is more than one way to decorate with wallpaper. Otherwise, don’t overlook what textiles can introduce to a space. A vintage tapestry can work wonders and will be easy to move when you’ve found that dream apartment in another borough.

Express your taste and personality with the right ornamental touch for the walls of your home or office — find a range of contemporary art, vintage photography, paintings and other wall decor and decorations on 1stDibs now.