Modern: With strong black accents in framed iron-work and tapestries, striking black and white photos are a natural choice for a modern and sophisticated look.

Calm Retreat: To reinforce mood of a nestled, cozy retreat, use artwork with neutral, earthy colors and a horizontal landscape subject.

You can even mix and match different styles to create a unique style of your own. For example, frame traditional black and white photo prints in a modern black iron frame.

Arranging and Hanging your Pictures

In order to get maximum effect of your wall pictures in terms of adding character and a focal point to room, you need to decide where and how you want to hang them.

Here are some suggestions to help you decide how to get best effects from your pictures:-

Modern Gallery Look: To create a modern art gallery feel, particularly nice in hallways, lobbies and stairwells, give each piece ample breathing room. Stand at center of first piece and take one swift, or two small steps along wall. This is a good center for next piece.

Above a Sofa: When placing art above furniture such as a sofa, you need to hang picture about six to nine inches above sofa, or at eye level.

Cluster Arrangements: Tightly group an even number of pictures together to give a statement or a focal point. This works on either large or small wall spaces, depending on look you want.

In a row: By placing an odd number of pictures in a horizontal line to each other gives balance and sense of space. This works well in hallways or stairwells.

By deciding where and how to hang your pictures, whether it be a tight cluster or a single print above a sofa, you can then determine size and shape of pictures you need to buy.

When you have decided on room's function, color and style, you are in a much better position to go shopping for wall pictures that fit in with overall theme.

Summary

Wall pictures are an underestimated interior design accessory. This is probably because most people do not know what to do with their pictures in order to get maximum effect in a room. Before you go hanging up your pictures make sure you plan ahead what you want to get out of that room. Decide on function, style and color of room first before you buy your artwork. By doing this you are in a much better position to buy right type of art picture to fit in with theme and color accent of your room.

By adding these simple additions to your narrow room, you have instantly created a balance in room's dimensions giving sensation of additional space.

How to Heighten a Low Ceiling

Rooms with low ceilings give an oppressive feeling, whereas rooms with a high ceiling give a light and airy feel with a large amount of space. To overcome problem of a low ceiling, there are a couple of interior design strategies to use.

First of all put down a darker floor covering, whether it be a wooden floor, carpet or lino. Paint walls with a lighter color than floor, or use light colored wallpaper. If you can, use white paint for ceiling as this always gives room maximum light and instantly draws eyes upwards.

Hang up wall pictures with strong vertical lines as this then gives impression of height. Use portrait prints such as vertical landscapes, i.e. lighthouses, trees, cityscapes, or floral prints such as flowers in a vertical vase or tall long stem roses. Therefore, by combining dark floor, light walls and ceiling and portraits prints, all adds to sense of height in a room.

Summary

Art pictures and prints play an important role in home decorating for several reasons. They do not only reflect and put your own personality into room, but they can also help as a solution to change look and feel of a room by giving illusion of height, width and length. This can easily be achieved by combining wall pictures, contrasting colors and decorative mirrors.