An empty wall is worse than a crooked picture. Besides, a twisted frame is easy to smooth out – but the vacuum from blank walls can’t be ignored. If you’re still undecided about how to hang your pictures because perhaps each picture has a different size or color, know that it’s not complicated. We’ll give you some helpful advice about how to hang picture frames and art properly.
Wall gallery templates and methods
If you decide to create a wall gallery, there are several ways you can do it. You can either use the same frame size over and over again; you can also go for multiple sizes. If you decide to choose the varied option, then use at least three sizes – one larger, smaller and medium.
This will create harmony on the wall and bridge the gap between the largest and smallest frames. Keep in mind that you can also rotate the frames differently so that they don’t all face the same direction (you can also combine standing and lying frames of the same size). Then, make sure you line up the frames along a line.
The 145-centimeter rule
It doesn’t matter if you bought pictures at the furniture store to match your sofa or rug, or if you have old landscapes in heavy gold frames, you are now wondering how to hang them. According to the very first rule of thumb, 145 centimeters in height is ideal. American designers and creators often speak of the “57 inches from center” rule when it comes to hanging paintings. Loosely translated, it means that we should hang paintings so that their center is 145 centimeters above the floor.
This is because the painting is pleasing to the eye at this height, so this position is comfortable for the viewer. However, it would be difficult to strictly and uncritically follow this rule. For example, one room with a very high ceiling or a sofa or seat with an unusually low backrest may distort the proportions. Nevertheless, it is a good guide for deciding how high to hang a picture in your home. You will see that it is actually lower than you originally thought.
Middle line
Suspend the pictures in a row, and use a common center line as a starting point. Make sure you measure the height of the nails so that the center of each picture is on the same line as the centers of the other pictures.
Below the line
Suspend the images in a row, using the common bottom line as a starting point. Make measurements of the nail heights so that the bottom edge of each panel ends on the same line as the bottom edges of the other panels. Appropriate for regular and irregular shaped frames.
Top row
Suspend the pictures in a row, using the common top line as a starting point. Gauge the height of the nails so that the top edge of each picture is in line with the top edges of the other pictures.
Sloping line
Suspend the pictures so that they face upward at an angle. Use frames in both portrait and landscape formats and measure out the nails so that each frame is the same distance from the other frames (ideally five to ten centimeters).
Plumb line
Hang the images along a plumb line or vertical straight line. You can use this to establish a common center point if you have different frames or to line up the edges of the frames if they are the same shape and size. A perpendicular works well for frames with regular or irregular shapes (it’s convenient in tight door gaps or smaller passageways).
Wavy lines
When you want to hang many square frames on the wall but avoid a strictly square look, arrange them in wavy lines. Choose one frame to serve as the center point, then hang the rest of the frames in wavy lines from that center point. In this way, you’ll achieve visual unity even with irregular frames.
Rectangular outlines
You can also achieve reassuring unity when working with different and varying sized frames and pictures by aligning the outer outlines of the picture wall into a square or rectangle. This way, you fool the eye into thinking you have a unified whole, even though the individual parts are disjointed.
Varied outer contours
Use various groups of images and frames of different sizes to create alternating outlines in a wall gallery. If a painting is too large or too small (and not too expensive), cut off parts of it or drag it onto a larger mount to fit a different frame than you originally planned.
Tricks for stairs
A wall of pictures above the stairs is very rewarding because it deepens and enhances the space and height. It’s useful to hang many similar pictures in a repeating pattern above the stairs. Copying a rising staircase also works well. Gauge the distance from one of the steps to the bottom edge of the frame hanging above it, then try to keep the centerline of the other pictures to trace the slope of the stairs.
More practical advice
Hang pictures in the corners
Some rooms we fill with pictures almost automatically (like the walls behind the sofa or the bed), and others we forget about. Such as corners. Using pictures to highlight a corner, like a reading nook, will give the impression of another room.
Large motifs
If you are going to hang a large painting on the wall, keep in mind that large motifs often need a certain distance for the eye to take it all in. Besides getting the right dimensions concerning the wall and furniture, carefully consider how much distance the viewer will need.
Block
The majority of picture walls are hung at five to ten centimeter intervals. Still, one effective trick is to hang the pictures close together in what are called blocks. That way, you get a work of art that runs in a unified line or dramatic shape throughout the room.
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Practical tips for picture walls
- Place larger and visually heavier subjects, frames and images on the left side of the gallery. The majority of people read text from left to right, so look at the gallery wall in the same way.
- Large paintings act as a focal point; mount them on the gallery floor.
- If you are going to hang a painting behind a sofa, be sure that the bottom frame hangs 15-30 cm above the edge of the backrest. Otherwise, you risk rubbing against the painting, or the frame will affect your sitting comfort.
- If you plan to hang the painting in the dining room, place the center a little lower so you can enjoy the painting while you eat.
Have you found these tips practical and useful? If you love to learn more about such tips, the book Manual of Style and Design for Every Home by Swedish author Frida Ramstedt is equally practical. You will find that you are mainly concerned with patterns on the fabric for the pillows and colors for the walls, but do not think so much about how to organize the rooms.
You find that while designers and architects have a talent and a flair for space when it comes to space and its use, what they follow are completely rational rules. Those rules are no secret, and this book will help you learn them. It gives you a clear guide to get the house you really want. Owing to this book, you’ll understand the laws of good living and learn how to create a beautiful and cozy home.
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