It doesn’t matter what budget you have to dress up your home with art, so long as you frame and hang it correctly. With the right frame and placement, anything from Picasso’s modern paintings to ordinary art prints can make a big impact. Exactly like the process of finding the right art for your home, the display of your art pieces is crucial and transformative, not only to the space it will reside but also to the feeling emanating from the composition of the paintings themselves.
Planning the display of artwork throughout your home might sound like a daunting task, it really isn’t. All you need is to learn to balance color, space, and proportion. To help you further, we have put together some essential tips.
Hang Art at Eye Level
Most of us, particularly first-time art buyers have the tendency to hang every kind of art —painting, prints, textile craft too high. Ideally, you should hang your artwork at the average human eye-height of 57 inches (144 centimeters). This means that the center of your piece of artwork (not the hanging hook) should be 57 inches from the floor. Often used as a standard in popular galleries and museums across the world, this creates balance in the space as it will ensure that every piece of art throughout your home shares a visual midline.
However, this rule doesn’t work for every space and every home. Depending on the space you have available to display the artwork, sometimes you should not hesitate to break the standard 57 inches rule. If your apartment has really low ceilings, you can divide the vertical length of the wall into separate quarters and consider hanging your art print or painting in the third quadrant up from the floor. And if you wish to create a stylish focal point in your living room by hanging a modern painting, display it right above the couch allowing for 8-10 inches of space. Don’t worry about breaking the 57 inches rule, only be mindful of the space between your painting and the section where the wall meets the ceiling.
Balance the Scales
If you are planning to display a collection of art make sure to treat that collection as one single piece, it will help you achieve a balanced look. Here are a few general guidelines:
First and foremost, make sure your collection is in proportion or approximately two-thirds of your sofa or sideboard —neither too large nor too small.
Secondly, while hanging multiple art pieces in a group, ensure that the heavier pieces are placed at the bottom left while the lighter pieces are hung at the upper right with the mid-sized artworks laid in between.
Lastly, in case your collection comprises one large piece and a few smaller artworks, hang the large piece in the center as a focal point and lay the remaining pieces from there leaving about 2-5 inches of space between each frame. To get this spacing consistent between frames, you can use low adhesive tape.
Don’t Hesitate From Salon Style Hang
Though intimidating for many, a salon-style hang can prove to be one of the most adored and admired features of a space. This look works best when you mix and match multiple types of wall art, from art prints to paintings to photos to inspiring text pieces to uncanny wall sculptures!
An important piece of salon-style advice that you should always follow is never go hammering the nail on the wall directly. Instead, take time to plan out the right arrangement for your space using craft paper and low adhesive tape.
Be Mindful About The Shape of Wall
The most common mistake that almost every novice art buyer commit is purchasing art just way too small for their space. Investing in big art can be intimidating for many, but buying a smaller piece of art isn’t a wise decision either. As far as possible opt for a piece in a similar shape, and orientation as the wall space it would be residing in.
Use Frames Wisely
Don’t neglect the frame of your artwork especially when you are thinking about making the piece the focal point of your room. If used wisely, frames can help maximize the appeal of your painting, and bring just as much style and personality to your space as the artwork itself. A simple trick to find the right frame is to focus on the element in the painting that stands out and go for a frame in a similar hue. You can even add a little zing to your modern paintings with monochromatic frames or my be mix and match different vintage-style frames and picture hangers for your art collection.
Avoid Kitchen Kitsch
Hanging an artsy rendition of fresh, dewy asparagus sprinkled with parmesan in your kitchen would be a bit much. Agreed, it’s a cooking space but that doesn’t mean it deserves art featuring only food. Instead, a painting in sync with the kitchen design would be a better option, sometimes vintage or pieces of modern paintings also work well in the space.
Be Off the Walls
Looking to incorporate informal elegance in your space? Design the arrangement of your artworks differently, and display them in unexpected places. Relax the traditional rules of limiting yourself to walls, and let your art float!
Use groovy floating wall shelves to organize your paintings. You can even go for layering multiple pieces and even mix and match paintings with sculptural pieces for a more eclectic display. And if you are looking to infuse a modern element in your traditional interiors, you can consider propping a very large modern painting against the wall instead of hanging it as per the traditional eye-level photo wall rule.
Wrap Up
These tips will equip you with the knowledge to hang the painting correctly so that your favorite artwork does not end up becoming a distraction. Having said this, don’t hesitate to be creative, or shy away from letting your personality shine through the choices you make.
Don’t forget to share your experiences of decorating your home with your favorite artworks in the comments section below!