How To: Choose the Right Art for a Room

Every room in a home tends to have a special ambiance. A study may be very functional in feeland so the artwork won't be what is hung in a diningroom or on the walls of a stairway leading to the second floor.

But deciding what art work, or art piece, best fits a room and and the  intended ambiance, isn't easy for two reasons:  It's hard to visualize how something will look unless you take the time to sketch out dimensions and color schemes, and there are more choices than ever in what can be hung on a wall or placed on a tabletop or bookcase.

So Patch went to a village expert, Jon Taylor, owner of Village Art & Frame Gallery, to get some tips for readers.

"Nothing can make a living area truly yours like wall décor that expresses the feeling, mood and  theme that  makes it a special place," says Taylor. "From works by the old masters to abstracts, landscapes and florals  to architectural drawings, treasured family heirlooms to sports collectibles you need to  choose just the right elements."

Taylor recommends that homeowners have some idea of what kind of design and ambiance they'd like in a specific room. Then it's time to talk to a professional about various options.

"Whether you have an idea in mind, or have no clue, the best first step is to find a professional who can advise on what might work best, given personal likes, room size, color choices and ambiance," says Taylor. Someone in the know can also prove invaluable in mapping out a budget.

"Traipsing through store after store in search of the vision in the minds eye isn't much fun," notes Taylor, and so experts can be a big help. You can even ask the professional to come see the room to be designed.

"You'll be amazed at what can be done to transform just about any space into a place you'll love to be," he says.

Then it's time to review the various options available, whether it's vintage or fine art photography, open run prints, limited editions, originals works, or sports collectibles. Toay's technology makes it a fairly simple task to pinpoint just what you need, says Taylor. There are even art sources offering works sized to order.

Whether you've procured artwork, or decided to use family photos, heirlooms, sports items, or other collectibles, the framing treatment will be the finishing touch and making sure it's the perfect choice will enhance chosen pieces and tie them into your décor, he adds.