Picture perfect - Stephanie Hoppen

The art you choose to display on your walls says more about you than anything else in your home. Pictures bring warmth, texture and personality to a room, but with so many different mediums to choose from, starting a collection - or even choosing one picture - can seem a daunting task. The most effective purchases are made by those who combine knowledge of what they are buying with an ability to listen to their intuition and choose a picture they love. In Picture Perfect, Stephanie Hoppen provides the perfect introduction to collecting and displaying art - a combination of practical information and passionate inspiration that will help readers decide where to begin when choosing pictures for their walls.

Using her own encyclopaedic knowledge of classic and contemporary art, Stephanie has selected over 280 stunning images from leading picture archives and collections around the world, and drawn together advice from other specialists and collectors. The book is divided into four sections:

Choosing Pictures provides an overview on deciding what to collect, followed by an in-depth look at photography, art, drawings and other media.

Choosing Subject is divided into sections on people; art and architecture; the natural world and leisure, and explores the different subject matter available in each, from abstract art to paparazzi photographs.

Framing covers practical advice on conservation and care, and matching picture to frame, in addition to exploring traditional and modern styles in framing.

Displaying uses location photography of beautifully displayed private collections to demonstrate how to make the most of a painting - and a room. It includes advice on grouping pictures, working with background colour, decorating living rooms or connecting spaces, and even changing a wall with pictures.

Picture perfect will both inspire and guide the reader to decorate their walls with pictures, and breathe with and spirit into their home.