Even if a homeowner doesn't spend much time staring at a wall, it's unlikely that they'll want to keep this part of the home devoid of features. For this reason, the walls of most residences are festooned with family photos, prints, paintings, or other visual touches.

Choosing artwork for the home can be an overwhelming process. There are plenty of options to choose from, and you'll want to make sure that any pieces complement your home's furniture, décor, or themes. Artwork can also be a considerable investment, with original works carrying price tags in the thousands of dollars.

The artistic elements of your home can be added gradually over time. This process will let you decide what types of artwork suit your tastes, and will also be much more affordable than buying several works of art at once.

Decide what kind of artwork will work best in your rooms. Natalie Myers, writing for the home design site Houzz, says your home may benefit from a mixture of styles, such as paintings, sculptures, and even tapestries.

If you'd like to get some artwork for your home but aren't sure what you'd like, take some time to research the subject. Genevieve Field, writing for the Milwaukee-based financial services company Northwestern Mutual, says you can peruse a few art books to see which styles appeal to you. Visiting a few art museums and galleries will also give you a sense of what type of artwork you'd most like to display in your home.

Consider what type of artwork will work best in each room. Design Vice, a company based in Washington, D.C., says the bedroom and bathroom are good candidates for relaxing, soothing pieces. Since kitchens have limited space, they are better suited for smaller works that lend a humorous or quirky touch to the room. The living room is the best place for creative expression, since you'll often have plenty of room to work with and can exhibit several different styles of artwork.

You won't want any featured artwork to overwhelm the space. Myers says larger pieces should ideally fill about two-thirds to three-quarters of a wall, and be centered at eye level. The bottom of the frame should be no closer than six inches above a piece of furniture.

Larger paintings can be both more expensive and more difficult to move, so you might opt to group several smaller works together instead. A gallery wall can easily be a focal point of the room, though you'll want to make sure you'll be satisfied with the arrangement. Cut out pieces of paper to match the size of the pieces you want to display, then experiment with different placements until you find one you like. Leave the papers on the wall as a guide for mounting the artwork.

Another simple way to display several smaller paintings or photos is a floating shelf. Design Vice says that this minimizes the effort required to hang multiple pieces of artwork, since the shelf will let you put up multiple pieces at once. These paintings and photos can also be easily rotated out to create a more dynamic set of images.

If you choose to invest in art for your home, it's best to go for original works rather than posters or other cheap reproductions. Stephanie Barton, writing for the financial site Investopedia, says prints of an original artwork are a more affordable option. However, they're unlikely to be of financial value in the future unless they are signed, limited edition, or otherwise significant.

Purchasing a painting instead of a print of the work can have a number of benefits. Laura Gaskill, also writing for Houzz, says an original painting allows you to enjoy the texture, brush strokes, and other fine details that you don't get with a reproduction. They also give you an opportunity to buy a unique work that directly supports an artist.

In addition to local galleries, you can seek out art auctions to purchase original works. Barton says these auctions are often featured as special events on cruise ships. Before attending an auction, do some research online to get a sense of an artist's work and how much their pieces sell for.

Some websites serve to directly connect artists with potential buyers. Amanda Lauren, writing for Forbes, says some examples include ArtSpace and Artsy.

Another option is to find an artist and ask if they do commissions. This method can create a truly one-of-a-kind piece, as the artist works directly with the client to develop a piece that appeals to the client's tastes.

Don't overlook the frame. If you are buying a nice piece of art, it's best to get a good frame that helps to highlight the beauty of the painting.

You don't want to purchase an expensive painting only to see it suffer damage later on. Field says artwork should be mounted in areas that won't receive direct sunlight, since the ultraviolet rays can cause a piece to fade. Check with your homeowners insurance as well to see if the artwork will be covered by your policy.

Buying artwork will not only enhance the visual beauty of your home, but also serve as a potential financial investment. However, it can be difficult to determine how artwork will appreciate over time. Barton says homeowners rarely sell artwork after purchasing it, and that demand in the art market tends to plummet during economic recessions.

An appraisal can let you know if a piece of art you have acquired is truly valuable. If you opt to sell it, an auction house is usually the best option for connecting the work to a willing buyer.