People often think that collecting art means old masters, or at least, art that is old. But there is also a big market in contemporary art and for modest amounts you can buy colourful, decorative pieces relatively cheaply.

If you buy the right items your work of art can end up as a good investment. www.art4interiors.co.uk pioneered internet sales of modern art and has recently joined forces with www.artiquegallery.co.uk

They offer items from £25 to £7,000. You can search by price of painting category i.e. abstract or contemporary. Or just take pot luck. And the company even lets you “try before you buy”, where they will bring the painting round to your home or business, hang it up and let you see if you like it.

Some pieces are what artists like to call “challenging” – the kind of works that make people say “I wouldn’t give it houseroom”. But among the weird there is the wonderful. No one knows which of the artists will hold their value or come to be collected. But that is where the fun – and the judgement – come in.

Stephen Evans of www.art4interiors.co.uk said “It is speculative. Buy things you like, but the gallery will be happy to advise on what they think will appreciate. If you had bought a James Thorn original Cave Panel Painting a year and a half ago, it cost £400. You would now expect to pay between £900-2,000. You have to look at what is happening with an artist over the next 12 months, then you can expect to get growth.”

source: Cook and Partners accountants