Today we’re answering a few questions all about hanging artwork in your new home. Whether you’ve just moved in, or you’re staging your old home to sell it, there’s something here for everyone when it comes to hanging your art.
How high should I hang a piece of art?
Make sure you hang art in your new home in relation to the viewer. Have you ever had the chance to visit an art museum before? You’ll notice that generally all of the pieces are placed so you can comfortably view and enjoy them. Unless it is a massive mural, you probably don’t find yourself craning your neck, or having to bend over to get a better look at the art. Use that same concept, while applying a bit of practicality, when you go to hang art in your home. Start with seeing how it fits with the rest of the decor when the center is at eye-level. A good rule of thumb is having the center 60-65 inches above the floor.
Place art at a height you will be able to enjoy it, while still being practical, like keeping these pieces above the dresser
But what if it is above another piece of furniture and that isn’t possible? That’s where being practical comes in. Bumping it above that prime starting point to fit your decor is not a bad thing. Simply be sure your paintings aren’t slowly creeping towards the ceiling, and try to keep them lined up or lower than door frames nearby.
How do you decide where to hang all the pieces?
Sharrah, from The Kinwoven Home, runs you through her process for picking art for her home, along with how she decides on where to place them, in a youtube video that you can find, here.
A few quick tips include creating some sort of scaled cutout of each piece of art. This could be out of newspaper, cardboard, or anything that can be cut and then temporarily hung with painter’s tape, on the wall. The purpose is to be able to see the size and manipulate the arrangement before you start putting holes in your new walls.
Note that this process works great for deciding on individual pieces, as well as styling a gallery wall.
What can I do to make literally hanging the piece, smoother?
Looking for a piece of art for a specific spot in your home? Note the measurements of your space in your phone, so you can always have them on hand while shopping around
Invite a tape measure to be your friend for the whole process. From shopping to placing, to hanging, measure it out to save you a few trips to the store, and a few extra holes in the wall! When hanging a wire-hung piece of art, pull the wire tight, as if it was hanging on your finger, and measure from your finger, to the top of the frame. If you hung your paper templates up to gauge the size, simply measure and mark the distance from the top of the replica sized frame. This will save time guessing where to put your hardware.
What are some different ways to display art in my new home?
This wall uses a gallery style, as well as floating shelves. Use styles individually or blend them to best fit your needs.
Here are just a few ideas for displaying art in your new home:
Individually framed and hung pieces
Gallery Wall
A sequence of pieces down a hall
Floating shelves can have art placed beautifully on them
For exceptionally large pieces, they could lean against the wall on their own
Incorporate it with other decor on your shelves
Building a new home doesn’t stop when you close on your home. Adding your furniture, putting up your style of decor, and moving your family in, are all parts of creating your unique space. If you’ve just decided it’s time to build a new home, we have a whole team that is ready to help.
