How to Arrange Art on your Walls
to Transform Spaces into Unforgettable Places
to Transform Spaces into Unforgettable Places
Let's face it, it's always difficult to arrange art and hang it just perfectly the first time around.
Arranging and hanging your art is all about achieving visual appeal by creating harmony with the proper placement, balance, symmetry, color and design.
You certainly don't want to ruin a newly painted wall by pounding in lots of nasty holes trying out different arrangements. Instead we hope you'll try out some of our favorite hanging tips.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE:
Must haves are:-
- Pencil
- Tape measure
- Ruled level (to get it straight the first time)
- Hammer
- Picture Hangers
- Spackle (in case you make a boo boo)
Optional items:-
- Craft paper
- Painters tape
- Step ladder
Don't try to hang art alone! Get a friend to help you. Stan back and look at the art from across the room and decide on placement before driving a picture nail into the wall.
Wire Hanger:
- Hold art against the wall. Mark the wall at the frame top and center and measure down to where the wire stretches. The hanger or hook will go where it actually cradles the wire.
- If you are centering your art in relation to furniture in the room double check your mark and adjust before hanging.
- For large artpieces you will need two sets of hooks to prevent artpiece from tipping. Place the center of your ruled level on the pencil mark and measure 6 to 12 inches on either side and mark location of hooks.
- Always put nails, screws, hooks and hangers into the wall at an angle to make the hanger steadier and the art more secure.
Saw Tooth Hooks:
- Hold art against the wall, image facing wall. Make a pencil mark on the wall at the top edge of the frame above the center of each saw tooth hook. Take art down and check markings with a ruled level. You will need to measure down about 2 to 4 inches to adjust for the placement of the hooks. Remark spot for hooks and erase the first pencil marks.
- Drive brass nail hooks at marked locations into the wall and hang.
Simple Design Principles of Placement:
Large art pieces are usually focal points so they need to be hung over a sofa, a fireplace, in an entrance foyer or anywhere where there is ample wall space and where your eyes are naturally drawn.
Small art pieces need to be positioned and anchored by something else in the room such as large architectural elements or furniture placement.
Groupings and collections are another great way to display smaller pieces of art arranged together and framed using coordinating or matching frames.
It's easy to arrange art and create an attractive and interesting display using different sizes and shapes working within a geometric frame as shown here.
Strike a balance by placing large pieces opposite groups of smaller pieces. If you have art with different size mats, unify the look by placing them in rows.
By studying these geometric frames you will be able to visualize an interesting grouping and map out the way you want to arrange art on your walls for the most appealing and harmonious affect.
Always lay the items you wish to group on the floor first to determine the best arrangement. Measure each artpiece and make a template of each piece with graph paper.
Using blue painters tape, arrange a paper template on your wall.
When you are satisfied with your arrangement, mark location of hanger with a push pin through the paper into the wall.
Remove paper template, locate the push pin marks for hooks. Hang artpieces.
Don't Hang your Art too High
Lots of folks make this mistake. Art should be hung at eye level.
Keep large art pieces above a sofa no more than 8-10 inches above the back height of the sofa.
This
template showing a rectangular
shape grouping is one of the easiest shapes to work with.
Notice the height of the grouping in relationship to the couch.
If you are going to arrange art in a dining room lower the art piece even more so that they are eye level to friends and family seated at the table.
This inverted triangular shaped grouping works very well on a stair wall.
Here is another great staircase design idea. You can arrange art in framed groupings in a diagonal pattern to look absolutely fabulous especially if you want your eye to travel upward.
An oval shaped grouping like the one on the right works very well over an entryway console table. This type of grouping would also look wonderful over a queen size bed in your bedroom.
These geometric groupings should help you to visualize some wonderful art designs for your home and office as well as other types of wall decor such as mirrors and metal wall art.
There are endless options only limited by your own imagination and personal tastes.
So as you see when you arrange art on your walls location, placement, balance and design as well as wall color and finish are all vital elements to creating the very best visual appeal and impact possible for your art.
To "expand" your living space check out how to arrange a framed art set.
