This article is not so much about choosing art but how to make a room look good with the pieces you have chosen.
First of all you should make sure that artwork is hung so that it is the central focal point of the room. The picture or grouping of pictures should be at eye level. If several pictures are grouped together then they should be laid out close enough together so they look like one unit of exhibition.
It is also important that smaller pictures be on smaller walls and that you save the larger pictures for larger walls. This way everything will look in proportion.
To make sure that the art looks good when hanging it over furniture you should make sure that it is not longer than the piece of furniture itself.
If you take care to light your art well it will look more impressive. You can angle existing lights at the art or install simple track lighting. This is especially true if you are hanging it in a long dark hallway. You can use lighting to make the grouping of artwork look more dramatic or to place attention on a particular piece.
Art shelves are also becoming all the rage. These are simply shelves, sometimes ornate that are more like ledges and serve to hold knick knacks. A work of art or a group of works of art always look great held over this type of shelf. You can also mount objects behind glass, frame them in box like frames and hang them over a fire place or bed. This type of object display under glass if fast becoming an alternative to hanging paintings.
It is also good to choose artwork that falls in with the theme of your décor or even what you are interested in, in life. If your room is pastel try to choose art that goes along with that delicate theme. Any art you choose should always underscore the mood or theme of your room.
If you want to make a dramatic sweeping statement then choose one large piece of artwork and hang it over a fireplace or dining room table. This can sometimes look better than cluttering up the room with many smaller works.
If you have a small room you can help open it up and make it seem less claustrophic by hanging landscapes or oceanscapes on the wall.