Wall art is often treated as an afterthought when decorating a home. Maybe it’s a case of people associating wall art with college dorm rooms plastered in movie posters, or maybe it’s simply a lack of experience in knowing how to make the most of wall art.

But in either case, there are too many blank white walls out there and too many homes where art is clumsy scattered around the walls or relegated to less important rooms. It doesn’t have to be that way. Art can magnify the appeal of your space significantly if you know what you’re doing.

Shop for the Room
A core value of interior design is recognizing that every room has a purpose and that design sensibilities should be catered to that core purpose. In practice, that means picking art that reflects the spirit of the space. But it also means thinking about each room as an individual unit.

For the bedroom, that typically means a single large print positioned over the bed. Abstract prints with cool colors like blues and grays are perfect for capturing the restful vibe of a bedroom. By contrast, your living room is the space where your personal and private lives collide, and that makes the art in this space as much about communicating who you are as anything.

Draw From Your Own Tastes
Some people tend to decorate their homes with the feelings of their guests as the first priority and their own preferences as more of a secondary concern. And while there’s truth to the fact that the art you choose for your public spaces should be welcoming and friendly, you should still exert your creative ownership over the space.

In other words, go with what inspires you. Many amateur home decorators will be afraid that the art they want will not suit the expected norms of what art belongs in a room. For that reason, too many rooms become defined by uninspired art that doesn’t really draw the eye. Quieter pieces can definitely work in the right room, but don’t be afraid to let your interests drive your purchasing decisions.

Make Size a Priority
The art you use will define the identity of your space, but that’s as much true of the size and shape of your art as it is of anything. A single large piece positioned somewhere prominently like over a bed or couch can anchor a room, while smaller pieces scattered throughout the space create a less focused but more eclectic vibe.

Of course, there are practical demands here as well. The amount of wall space you have available will determine the size of the prints that you can use of course, and they’ll also determine the strategy you can employ for how you want to decorate your space.

Keep With Your Existing Trends
Art doesn’t exist in a vacuum. And in terms of home decorating, it’s very much defined by the existing vibe of your room. The color of your walls and your furniture will determine how well an art piece will blend into a space, but your art can also add new texture to your existing color scheme if chosen correctly.

It’s important to recognize that the art you choose isn’t’ distinct from your interior design. It’s part of a bigger tapestry. That might mean leaving art that you like behind in favor of something more thematically appropriate, but it’s all in service of a living space that’s positive and energizing. The good thing is that there’s no lack of wall art for you to choose from.