HOW TO HANG ARTWORK IN YOUR HOME
Originally published by The Scout Guide
Artwork can bring a room to life! With careful planning, artwork has the ability to transform your space. TSG Boise member, Lorelle Rau, art consultant and artist, walked us through a few tips to help ease the stress of where and how to hang artwork in your home.
Where to Hang Your Art?
Start by visualizing the overall layout and flow of your art collection. Ask yourself, “do the colors, styles, sizes and frames work together?” Place the artwork on the floor in the areas you’re considering and move it around until you’re satisfied.
Keep in mind, artwork is most often centered on a blank wall or over furniture. A good way to avoid hanging art too high is to place it 6 to 10 inches above furniture. You want the artwork to look cohesive, not disjointed.
The Supplies
Prepare for hanging your artwork and collect these supplies. Here is a list to get you started:
1. Tape Measure
2. Hammer
3. Hanging Hooks - Look for something that won’t damage your walls and can hold a fair amount of weight. Floreat hangers are a great option. Some of their hooks are slated to hold up to 75 lbs. If your art exceeds 100 lbs, you may want to use drywall anchors or expanding screws.
4. Level - If you don’t have one, download the “Level Tool” on your smartphone.
5. Pencil or painter’s tape, if you prefer to avoid making marks on your wall.
Formula for Hanging
Visually approving the placement is the first step in making a decision on where to place your artwork. When you don’t have furniture as your guide, use this simple formula to determine where to place art on a blank wall. Here are 6 steps to guide you through the hanging process:
1. Divide the height of the piece by 2
2. Add 60 inches, the average eyesight line (may vary between 57 and 62 inches)
3. Subtract your drop, the distance from you hanging hardware (usually your wire pulled tight) to the top of the piece
4. Measure up from the floor using the total and mark this point with your pencil
5. Hammer your hook into the wall
6. Use level to make sure the piece is hanging evenly
TIP: If you’re hanging artwork using a wire, use two hooks to keep the picture level over time. Also, consider hanging directly on D-rings to keep your art permanently level. Note, when using D-rings, make sure measurements are the same from both points so that your artwork doesn’t wind up crooked.
Grouping Artwork
When stacking 2 pieces of artwork above one another, treat the grouping as one individual piece. Use the above formula to determine where on the wall to put your hooks, but this time add the heights of both pieces in your calculation. Next, add an additional 2 to 5 inches to account for the spacing in between pieces. Measure up from the floor, mark the wall, and place your hook into the wall. Hang your top piece here.
Once you’ve hung the top piece, find the center point of the bottom of the frame. From there, measure down your chosen spacing (2 to 5 inches). From this point, measure your drop, mark, and place your hook to hang your second piece.
TIP: Always hang the larger/heavier piece on the bottom to achieve visual balance.
We hope you enjoyed this simple guide to help get you started. If you have more art installation questions, contact Lorelle for a free consultation of your home or office space.
