Fumika Saito: Colour, creative chaos & the little things that spark an idea.

Q: What kind of art always makes you stop and look?

Fumika: Colour is probably the first thing that catches me. I love interesting colour combinations and texture. I can really appreciate technically skilled artwork, but that isn’t necessarily what draws me in. Sometimes a piece can be incredibly simple, but there’s just something about it that makes me want to keep looking. I think that feeling is what I love most.

Q: When you’re styling artwork in a home, what’s your instinct — make it the hero or let it become part of the bigger story?

Fumika: I think I like art to feel like it belongs in the space and becomes part of the bigger story. But I don’t think that means it has to disappear into the room either. If it’s a piece you really love, I think it’s lovely to let it have a little presence and stand out too.

Q: Your home style in three words — what would they be?

Fumika: Simple, Warm and Calm. Probably somewhere around Japandi. I love natural materials, especially wood. Although I have a lot of art on the walls — mostly because I’m an artist and my own paintings naturally end up everywhere!

Q: What happens when inspiration strikes?

Fumika: Ideas often come to me out of nowhere, so when they do, I quickly scribble them down in a sketch before I forget, and then I’ll usually start turning them into a painting. I tend to paint from the morning through to the afternoon or early evening. I’m terrible at doing two things at once, so even though I usually have music or the TV on while I’m working, I honestly don’t hear any of it!

Q: Dolphins, childhood memories and Pinterest — what inspires your next painting?

Fumika: Most of my inspiration comes from little things in everyday life. Something I see in nature, dolphins in the ocean, a childhood memory, or just a small moment that stays with me can eventually turn into an idea for a painting. And sometimes, honestly, I’ll just scroll through Pinterest for a little inspiration too.

Q: What’s one thing people get wrong when choosing art for their home?

Fumika: I think people sometimes feel like art has to perfectly match their furniture, colours or overall style, but I don’t think it needs to. I think the most important thing is simply choosing something you genuinely love. If a piece makes you feel something or you just can’t stop looking at it, that’s enough of a reason to have it in your home. Over time, collecting things you truly love naturally makes your space feel more like you.

Elena

23 hours ago

3 min read

Meet Fumika Saito — an artist who finds inspiration in everyday moments, loves a good colour combination and believes the best art is the art you can’t stop looking at.

What catches an artist’s eye? Where do ideas come from? And does your artwork really need to match your sofa?

We caught up with Fumika Saito to talk colour, creativity, her calm-but-art-filled home and why choosing art should be about feeling something, not following the rules.

1. What kind of art always makes you stop and look?

Is it colour, texture, something abstract, something unexpected, a particular artist — or just that unexplainable feeling when a piece catches you?

Fumika: Colour is probably the first thing that catches me. I love interesting colour combinations and texture. I can really appreciate technically skilled artwork, but that isn’t necessarily what draws me in. Sometimes a piece can be incredibly simple, but there’s just something about it that makes me want to keep looking. I think that feeling is what I love most.

2. When you’re styling artwork in a home, what’s your instinct — make it the hero or let it become part of the bigger story?

We’d love to know how you like art to interact with furniture, colour and the objects around it.

Fumika: I think I like art to feel like it belongs in the space and becomes part of the bigger story. But I don’t think that means it has to disappear into the room either. If it’s a piece you really love, I think it’s lovely to let it have a little presence and stand out too.

3. Your home style in three words — what would they be?

We’re talking interiors, atmosphere and the kind of space that feels like you.

Fumika: Simple, Warm and Calm. Probably somewhere around Japandi. I love natural materials, especially wood. Although I have a lot of art on the walls — mostly because I’m an artist and my own paintings naturally end up everywhere!

4. What happens when inspiration strikes?

Do you wait for the perfect moment, or do ideas have a habit of turning up when you least expect them?

Fumika: Ideas often come to me out of nowhere, so when they do, I quickly scribble them down in a sketch before I forget, and then I’ll usually start turning them into a painting. I tend to paint from the morning through to the afternoon or early evening. I’m terrible at doing two things at once, so even though I usually have music or the TV on while I’m working, I honestly don’t hear any of it!

5. Dolphins, childhood memories and Pinterest — what inspires your next painting?

Sometimes inspiration comes from the grand and extraordinary. Other times, it’s hiding in the little things.

Fumika: Most of my inspiration comes from little things in everyday life. Something I see in nature, dolphins in the ocean, a childhood memory, or just a small moment that stays with me can eventually turn into an idea for a painting. And sometimes, honestly, I’ll just scroll through Pinterest for a little inspiration too.

6. What’s one thing people get wrong when choosing art for their home?

And what would you tell someone who wants their home to feel collected, personal and full of art rather than simply “decorated”?

Fumika: I think people sometimes feel like art has to perfectly match their furniture, colours or overall style, but I don’t think it needs to. I think the most important thing is simply choosing something you genuinely love. If a piece makes you feel something or you just can’t stop looking at it, that’s enough of a reason to have it in your home. Over time, collecting things you truly love naturally makes your space feel more like you.

A little more about Fumika

For Fumika, art begins with paying attention — to colour, texture, memories and those everyday moments that might otherwise pass unnoticed. Her creative process is a reminder that inspiration doesn’t always arrive with a grand plan. Sometimes, it starts with a quick sketch before an idea disappears.

And when it comes to living with art? Forget the rules. Make room for the pieces that make you feel something.

Meet Fumika Saito and discover more original Australian art in Small Wonders, Droply’s inaugural curated collection.

SMALL WONDERS · 29 OCTOBER 2026

Droply × Fumika Saito