Most people search for things online the same way they shop in stores: they go in looking for something specific, like lighting, seating, etc.
Naturally, that often works! But more often than not, you end up seeing the same things everyone else is seeing (i.e. the listings that are well-lit, correctly labeled, and priced accordingly).
The best things I tend to find online — the pieces that feel a little more special — usually come from taking the opposite approach.
Instead of searching for the object, I search for the way someone might describe it if they didn’t quite know what it was.
That usually means leaning into slightly awkward phrasing, like material-based descriptions, or words that feel a little too literal.
Below are a few of the searches I’ve been running lately i.e. the ones that keep turning up the stuff I actually want to click on.
“plaster wall sculpture”
vintage Greek relief ($50!!!) // wall-mounted shell sculpture // art deco butterfly sculpture
Plaster wall sculptures are having a moment right now, but most of what you’ll see online new is either very expensive or trying a little too hard to look vintage.
The originals (mostly from the 1970s and 1980s) tend to be much simpler. Think organic shapes, soft edges, sometimes vaguely floral or biomorphic, and sometimes just abstract forms that read like shadows on the wall!
Plaster has a matte, almost chalky finish that absorbs light instead of reflecting it, which is part of why these pieces work so well. They don’t compete with a space, but they do dimension.
A lot of sellers don’t quite know how to describe these, so you’ll also see listings like “white wall decor,” “plaster art,” or just “wall sculpture.” They’re often priced lower than they should be because they don’t look like anything immediately recognizable.
What to look for:
Depth (you want projection off the wall, not something flat)
Clean, simple shapes (the more minimal, the better)
No major cracks or crumbling edges
