Tips: Hanging Artwork, Part I
Posted on | November 18, 2009 | 9 Comments
How many of you are familiar with this scenario: You’re standing in front of your freshly hung print, gazing at it proudly only to realize that it’s hung too high (or too low)? So you pull out the nail, move it up or down an inch, and whack another hole in the wall. Hanging artwork must be a universal mystery because it baffles so many people! And that’s just the mechanics of getting the picture up on the wall!
Other aspects include grouping pictures, balancing your arrangement, paying attention to scale and proportion, spacing, and height relative to both furnishings and viewers.
And you thought you were only hammering a nail!
I’m going to share with you a few tricks of the trade that I’ve picked up and learned from other dynamic designers. The eye of the beholder is what really counts, but through the tricks I’m sharing with you today and next week, you will gain a variety of helpful ideas.
You’d be wise to have these tools nearby:
-
Picture hooks
-
Hammer
-
Level
-
Tape Measure
General Guidelines:
-
First things first, determine your arrangement before you start hammering holes in your wall. You can do this several ways, but I think the easiest is to trace each frame onto paper and cut it out. With some tape you can begin to play with the pieces on the wall. See how they relate to each other by size and subject matter, until you arrive at an arrangement you like.
-
Remember to label each piece of paper to avoid confusion!
-
The paper on the wall can also act as a template for picture hangers – so you know where exactly to hammer that nail. Once all nails are in place, tear the paper away and hang your collection.
-
Make sure your artwork is hung so that the center point of the picture or grouping is at eye level. Naturally, eye level is different for everyone since we’re all varying heights. but many sources state that 60 inches is the perfect height. Others say 57. You decide which works best for you, but try to stay in that range.
-
Don’t forget to use your level, too!
-
When you stand back from the wall, your pieces should appear to be related and form part of a whole.
-
Consider the distance between pieces. If you put too much space between them, you works of art will look like they’re drifting away. It’s a good idea to keep the spaces between 2 to 6 inches wide.
-
It’s also OK to let frames touch, leaving no space between the frames.
-
Whichever you choose, the spacing should be consistent throughout a grouping.
Possible Arrangements:
Our old friend balance is back! Since we’ve already discussed balance in depth, I won’t repeat myself today. (If you missed the post, you can find it here.) Instead I have 3 simple photos that show symmetrical and asymmetrical arrangements, as well as salon style. No matter how many pieces are in your composition, all groupings should be visually balanced.
Symmetrical (above)
Asymmetrical (above)
Salon style (above)
The term salon style or “salon wall” dates to 18th-century France when academics, authors, and artists met in salons (meeting halls with soaring ceilings filled with a mishmash of artwork). In a salon style arrangement, each piece is usually different, but pulled together in a successful composition by means of a common thread. Salon style has become increasingly popular over the years and it’s quite easy to find examples of it around the blogosphere. In fact, within this post I’ve used a total of 4 pictures that are salon-style-esque. (I like salon style arrangements – I generally gravitate towards them and asymmetrical for my own home.)
That’s it for today’s post – be sure to visit Discover: ID next week as we delve deeper into the art of hanging artwork. We’ll be discussing scale and proportion, ways to establish a sense of order, where to hang your art, and common picture-hanging mistakes.
[Sources: About.com, Demesne, Cottage Living – September 2006 Images: 1. Hus and Hem via Dress Design Decor 2. via Fondly Seen via Dress Design Decor 3. Better Homes & Gardens (combo) 5. Hus and Hem via Dress Design Decor 6. Better Homes & Gardens 7. Martha Stewart 8. Belle Maison]
Comments
9 Responses to “Tips: Hanging Artwork, Part I”
Leave a Reply
Hello!
My name is Kristin and, if the blog name didn't give it away, I'm an interior designer. I'm also a self - proclaimed nerd, a grad student at SCAD-Atlanta, and a big fan of architecture, photography, travel, and iced chais. In a nutshell: I'm a lover of good design of all kinds.
Elsewhere
Subscribe to my feed
Advertising
Interested in advertising on Discover:ID? Feel free to contact me for rates and details.
Seen + Heard
November 18th, 2009 @ 12:35 pm
I think tracing the paper and playing with the arrangement is excellent advice. It really helps! Very well thought out and helpful. Thank you!
November 18th, 2009 @ 1:32 pm
Thanks for the advice! That first paragraph describes me perfectly…when my husband was helping me move, he was surprised to find about 5 holes behind every picture!
November 18th, 2009 @ 2:07 pm
Hey girl! Love this post – favorite one thus far. Maybe because I’m so wretched at hanging things…I don’t know! Either way, I’m looking forward to next week’s
November 18th, 2009 @ 2:15 pm
Hi Heather! I heard you went to the opera last weekend – how fun! Lots of people are enjoying my Tips posts; they’ve been a great success. I’m thrilled about that because I do put a lot of work into them and I love to share them. Glad you were able to find some helpful ideas, too.
November 18th, 2009 @ 2:32 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by LizardoArt and Kristin, Duarte Tile & Stone. Duarte Tile & Stone said: RT @DiscoverID: {Tips} The Art of Hanging Artwork http://bit.ly/3Ic6z3 #interiordesign #decorating #art #tips [...]
November 18th, 2009 @ 10:34 pm
great post! You do such a great job explaining things!
Katie´s last blog ..$6 and a trip to Goodwill
November 19th, 2009 @ 7:53 am
This is a great post – thank you! I have learned so much from your discussions of symmetrical and assymetrical balance.
November 19th, 2009 @ 2:31 pm
i would have never thought about tracing the frames and hanging paper. good idea!
December 9th, 2009 @ 7:01 pm
[...] out that there is an actual name for this: salon style. I’m plan to keep going and i have loads of things to add. Can see it getting a little out of [...]