Picture Perfect: simple Guidelines for Hanging Art

· Proportion…if you are hanging art above a piece of furniture it is generally advised to not use art that is wider than the furniture. A general rule of thumb is to aim for the artwork to be between 50-90% of the width of the furniture below. 75% is ideal, but anything in the suggested range is usually safe. If your ratio is less than 50% then the artwork is too small, if your ratio is larger than 90% the art is too big. Exception: If you are hanging art above a grouping of furniture that is close together you would use the total width of the furniture as your guideline.

· Height…a well known rule of thumb is to hang artwork at “eye level” however, this is often misleading as we all vary in height. A better guideline is to hang the art so that the center of the art is at eye level for an average person, generally 60-65″ from the floor. Most often art is hung too high, so if in doubt…hang lower rather than higher. If you are hanging art above a sofa or a table you will usually want to have about 6-12″ between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the art.

· Line….consider whether the space in question needs the illusion of horizontal expansion or vertical height, then choose your artwork accordingly. Diagonal lines are sometimes needed for spaces such as stairways. Areas that are irregular in shape and line are a great place for round artwork, mirrors or wreaths. Round shapes soften angular areas and help to avoid the problem of rectangular art looking crooked.

· Grouping… this can be tricky but can also have amazing visual impact. A group of pictures should be thought of as one cohesive “unit. An easy trick for creating a grouping is to trace each individual piece of art onto paper and then cut out the shapes. Using these paper shapes you can arrange them on the floor, or even directly onto the wall using some tape. This enables you to determine which arrangement you prefer without having to put dozens of extra nail holes in your wall. When you have found the desired configuration you can then lightly mark it onto your wall with a pencil.

· Tools for the job…my favorite hooks for hanging pictures are called “monkey Hooks” and they require no hammer or nail! These hooks are usually available at your local hardware store. If I am hanging art for a client I always make sure I have on hand a laser level, pencil, measuring tape, hammer, nails and picture hanging hooks for all different weights. If you have a picture that doesn’t like to stay straight use some Sticky putty on the bottom corners. Adhesive felt pads are great to have on hand to help prevent frames from marking the wall.