How & Where to Hang Pictures

We all love having art and photographs in our homes, but how do we hang them up properly? What should we buy? Where should we put it? And how we going to hang it? Well here are the answers.

Hanging a picture is something a lot of us struggle with. People have pictures, artwork and paintings that aren’t hung to show their full potential and they might not be in the right frames.

What picture?

Pick something that you love and would want to see every day, don’t be afraid to mix things up and have a lot of different kinds of art within the home. It doesn’t have to be a famous piece of art; it can be anything that you like.

A great trick is if you have a small room or area on a wall, then a landscape is a great way to give the illusion that the room is larger by taking you into the picture. Alternatively, if you have a large room and you want to create a cosier feel then abstract art brings the room in. It’s not the size of the picture; it’s what the picture consists of that affects the room.

Where?

Now you know what picture to choose; you now need to know where to put it. The simplest way to position pictures in your home is to place them above furniture or in the centre of an unused wall.  When placing a picture above furniture, the picture should be no larger than 3 quarters of the object below it. For example when placing a picture above a bed, then the picture should be 3 quarters the size of the headboard.

Another aspect to consider is the height of the picture. If placing the picture above furniture such as a sofa, table or cabinet then it should be hung around 2 fists above the piece of furniture. If you are hanging the picture on an open wall with nothing underneath it then you should hang the picture sixty inches from the centre of the picture to the ground, for optimum viewing pleasure.

Make the most.

A good Picture Frame can create the perfect mount for that loved picture or photo; however it is important to get this right:

1. Subject and style – modern and clean art work best with simple, clean frames, while ornate frames compliment the more traditional pictures. However, this isn’t a set rule and the contrast between a traditional frame and modern artwork can also work very well.
2. Size of frame – it is important to choose the right sized frame to compliment the picture and that the frame does not overpower or underpower the work itself. Sometimes a large frame can makes a bold statement when coupled with a small picture or piece of art.
3. Colour – There is no need to perfectly match the colour of the frame to the colour of the artwork, however they should complement one another, sometimes it’s fun to use unexpected frame colours to make a statement.
4. Alone vs. Grouped – Groups of artwork look at their best when they’re framed consistently or with a wild variety – pick one and commit to it. For lone works of art, the frame is especially important, as it will really be in the spotlight or the full piece.