Journal

Art for the Office: Original Paintings for Companies and Practices

Deutsche Version: Kunst fürs Büro: Originalgemälde für Unternehmen und Praxen

The first thing clients see in your reception is the wall. Your team spends years in your rooms, and patients wait in your waiting room. An original painting changes these spaces in a way a decorative print from a catalogue does not: it shows character, starts conversations and tells people that someone chose with care. This guide shows which paintings work where, what to look out for, and how Cologne painter Lena Krashevka helps companies and practices choose.

Where art works in a company

• Reception and entrance: the first impression. This is the place for a large work, from about 100×100 cm, that carries a wall on its own.
• Meeting rooms: calm paintings, but not empty ones. Abstract works do well because everyone sees something different in them, and they open conversations.
• Waiting rooms: soothing subjects, soft colours, nothing unsettling. Flowers, landscapes and gentle abstracts are the safe choice.
• Offices and corridors: medium and small sizes, also in groups. They bring long corridors to life and give single workplaces character.

Which paintings fit

Mood before subject. First ask how the room should feel: calm, energetic, warm, focused. The colours of the interior set the direction, but the painting may set a contrast.

Size. Paintings in business spaces are almost always too small. Rule of thumb: above furniture, about two thirds of its width; on an empty wall, 60 to 75 percent of the wall width. More in the size guide.

Light and place. No direct sunlight, no radiator below, good LED lighting. How to hang and care for a painting is in the care guide.

Buy or commission

Most companies choose from the available works, which can be filtered by size and price. If a specific size, colour mood or theme is needed, Lena also paints on commission, for example an abstract work for a particular wall. In both cases the price follows the size: how prices work.

Tax: what companies in Germany should know

Whether and how a business can deduct an artwork depends on the individual case. Broadly, the German tax authorities distinguish between works by recognised artists, which are seen as keeping their value and are usually not depreciated, and so-called applied or decorative art, which can be depreciated over its useful life. The expense also has to fit the business and be reasonable. A good overview (in German) is this article.

This is not tax advice. Talk to your tax adviser before buying. Lena of course provides a proper invoice.

How it works

• 1. Show the rooms. Send photos of the walls with their measurements and a few words about your company or practice.
• 2. Get suggestions. Lena suggests suitable works and sizes.
• 3. See them. In Cologne you can see the paintings in the studio by appointment.
• 4. Pick up or delivery. With an invoice, shipped insured or picked up in Cologne.

Write to Lena with photos of your rooms, or call +49 159 01328279.