Art brings life to a home, and can give an otherwise humdrum room a healthy sort of sex appeal.

Selecting art for your home can be an exciting adventure and a source of enjoyment for years to come. Keys to success are figuring out what kind of art you like, how it will fit in with the rest of your interior design plans, and how to exhibit the art to the best effect in your home. Beautifully framed art can bring a feeling of robust health and even sexiness to a home or a room.

What should you do if you bring a painting home and it clashes with its environment? First, hang the painting in various places in your home, trying it out on different walls. It may look great in a place you hadn't planned on hanging it. If you can't find a place where the art looks its best, you may need to make some changes in the room, such as moving furniture or taking down patterned wallpaper and repainting in a neutral color. The changes will be worth making in order to enjoy the art you love.

Sometimes the right lighting is the key to showing art at its best. You may find that placing a picture light above a painting or directing track lighting on it is all the art needs to exhibit its brilliance. If you place a work of art in direct sunlight, however, be sure it won't be affected by the ultraviolet light. Pigments such as watercolor, pencil and pastel may fade, whereas acrylics will not.

Framing is another element of selecting and displaying your art. The right frame not only protects, it enhances art and can go a long way towards delivering on the healthy, "sexy" effect you are trying to create. While frames offer structural support and protection, paintings are reasonably safe once they are mounted on the wall. So, the primary judgment in framing paintings is a visual one. The frame gives a more finished look to the painting and helps define the boundaries of the artwork. This result can be achieved subtly or emphatically (Be sure to frame delicate art under UV protected glass or acrylic.).

At the end of the day, art is personal. Find something that makes you feel good and your environment and well-being will benefit.