My pet peeve is when people buy pieces of art to match the couch or the colour scheme of a room. That’s what wall paint is for.
There’s no formula for choosing art unless you’re a serious collector. Serious collectors need to consider resaleability, investment growth potential and sometimes buying by “artist.” Of course they also tend to buy art they love, but not exclusively so. If you’re not a collector – and most of us aren’t – then the only rule for choosing a piece of art is this:
Buy art that you love.