I have a confession to make – I am not an interior designer. Now while I love browsing through the “For the Home” boards on Pinterest and reading Apartment Therapy, when it comes down to it, designing is not my forte (have no fear, we do have designers on staff to make sure we’re not making this stuff up). But my biggest pet peeve is when people hang artwork too high. I am not sure who told all of these people to level their art with window and door frames, but it needs to stop. So we are here to tell you how and where to properly hang artwork.
Supplies
First let us gather our supplies, so we’re not stuck holding a large painting against the wall screaming Where is that pencil?!
- Frames and mats – for when you are hanging photos. Use the style of the room as a guide when purchasing frames. Remember, they do not have to match. But they should be in the same color palate. If you do matching frames, try mixing it up with different color mats.
- Tape Measure
- Level – there are also smart phone apps for this, such as iHandy Carpenter or Bubble Level.
- Pencil
- Blue painter’s tape
- Kraft paper or newspaper
- Stud Finder – it may not always be necessary, but it is good to have on hand. Also check out the StudFinder Professional iPhone app or the Magnetic Stud Finder app for Android.
- Nails, hook & loop tabs and/or picture hooks
Proper Height
This is where that tape measure and your math skills will come in handy. One important thing you need to remember is 60”. Many designers would agree that most artwork should center 60” from the floor. Now, some will say 57” and I have even read 66”, but let’s stick with 60”.
Here is an easy math equation from eHow Home to help you hang your favorite piece:
Measure the height of the picture including the frame. Divide the height of the picture by 2. Add that figure to 60. This will indicate where the top of the picture should be.
Example:
The picture is 40 inches tall.
40 divided by 2 = 20.
60 + 20 = 80.
The top of the picture should be 80 inches from the floor.
When hanging art over furniture, like a sofa or table, a good rule of thumb is 10” over the furniture. If the artwork is too small to only be 10” over the furniture, then it is too small for the area. When hanging over a fireplace mantle, try not to go over 6”.
Placement
Something else designers will mention is when there is too much artwork on a wall or not enough, or when it is not to scale. The proper painting size to compliment a piece of furniture is 2/3 to 3/4 of the space above the furniture. The same holds true if you are hanging multiple, smaller pieces; together they should only be 2/3 to 3/4 of the space. For example a 9-foot sofa should have a 6-foot wide piece of art over it.
Gallery arrangements have become pretty popular, and for good reason. They look great when they are done correctly. To place a gallery wall, position the prominent piece in the horizontal center – and at the correct height – and then work your way out from there with the other pictures. Make sure to leave about 2-3” between each piece.
Linda Crisolo from Art.com advises, “When you hang multiple pieces in a group, visual balance is very important. In a group arrangement, keep heavy pieces to the bottom and left. It balances the weight of the items because the eye starts on the left. If you have an even arrangement, put the heaviest piece in the middle.” She also mentions that “Symmetrical arrangements are more traditional or formal (style). Asymmetrical is modern.” So think about the style you want to convey in the room before you hang your gallery.
Hanging
Oh yeah, we have not gotten to the actual hanging step yet. Well, we like Better Homes & Garden’s advice here, “Save yourself the frustration – and your walls the trauma – of hanging, and rehanging, and rehanging a grouping of art. Instead, trace each piece on kraft paper, label the tracing, and cut it out. If you’re hanging portraits, draw arrows on the paper to indicate which way the subject is looking. Use painter’s tape to try out placements and arrangements without covering your wall with holes.”
When tracing your pieces on the kraft paper, a good idea is to also mark on the paper where the hooks are. This way you can mark your holes on the way. But remember to double check, measure and level.
Now different pieces of artwork have different ways to be hung. If your picture has cleats on the back, it usually means that it is not too heavy and a nail at a downward angle is fine. For two cleats, use a level to make sure you drive both nails at the same height. Larger pictures should be hung with picture wire. To measure where to put your hook, taut the wire and measure the highest point of the wire to the top of the frame. Remember to check the packaging and use the proper hooks for the size and weight of your piece.
As always, we would love to hear your art-hanging tips. Unless, of course, your tips include scotch tape or push-pins.
InteriorDesignHQ.com
Love these examples!
Thanks!