“The details are not the details. They make the design.” Charles Eames
And a house without artwork is like a dress without jewelry, or a suit without a tie!
A beautiful home requires artwork as part of the overall design. The choices you make in selecting this very necessary detail should set the mood and tone of your home, reflect your personality, and most importantly, bring you joy!
But, let’s face it, hanging art can be intimidating! Whether you choose an original painting, a treasured family heirloom, your child’s handprint or a beloved carnival mask; getting the framing, placement and hardware right can be a challenge! There is an art to it, however, that can be mastered by following a few simple guidelines.
Selection
Forget the status quo and hang what makes you happy! Your art does not need to match your furniture, but it should match your personality, and the overall mood and tone of your home. Take your time finding pieces you love. Shop in art galleries, at estate sales, local festivals, discount stores and your child’s preschool until you find the right thing. It’s okay to have blank walls for a little while.
Presentation
Art needs to be properly framed. Once you’ve found the perfect pieces for your home, it’s important to make sure you also get the framing right. The art is the star of the show! A good framer will help you make choices that enhance the art rather than overpower it. It’s expensive, so you only want to frame it once. Trends will come and go, so make sure you match the frame to your artwork rather than your home furnishing. Frame designs should be simple, pure and repetitive. A good, clean, museum look is classic and timeless, in both modern and traditional homes.
Preservation
How you frame your art determines if you will end up with a treasure to keep, or one that ends up in the trash. It is of critical importance to use proper materials to deter and retard damaging elements to fine art. Damage can sometimes be reversed and corrected, but will be unnecessary if framed properly at the outset.
Hanging
All that being said!!!
How do I hang my art?! The easiest answer is to hire a professional! There is a fee, but we can help you decide how high to hang it, make sure pieces are level and symmetrical, select the correct hardware to use and do all the heavy lifting, usually in less than an hour depending on how many items need hanging. These are the decisions you will also need to make when hanging artwork on your own. “How high should I hang my art?” is the question I am asked most frequently. The simple answer is at eye level, however eye level is relative to the eye, and height, of the beholder; and to the vantage point from which you will most likely be viewing the piece. More often than not, it’s hung too high. Back up, look at it from several angles and trust your gut! If you feel like it’s wrong, you’re probably right! Stay patient and move those hooks a few times!
Use the right tools! You’re going to need a ladder, hammer, level, pencil, tape measure and a little patience. A professional framer will supply you with the correctly weighted hooks for your piece. If not, make sure the framing hooks you purchase are compatible to the weight of the art.
Since you are hanging artwork, why not get creative? There are several ways to arrange art on a wall to make it more interesting and change the aesthetic of the room. Hanging a single large painting over a sofa makes for a dramatic focal point. Consider groupings of multiple smaller images above a sofa for an interesting vignette. Salon style hanging is when several pieces of art are grouped tightly on a wall in a symmetrical format of stacking. Distribute the weighty pieces for balance and try not to hang the larger art in the very center. This way all of the art will take center stage and not just one or two pieces.
The starting point for creating any of these arrangements is in making a floor puzzle with the artwork. Measure your space, lay your artwork out on the floor, arrange into a pleasing formation, snap a picture with your phone, make templates out of paper and tape in the assigned positions on the wall. You may need to move these a bit during the process. Once you are satisfied, simply add your hangers, remove the paper, and hang your art. It seems like so many steps, but will this method will save you time. Your wall will also have fewer holes by creating a layout before haphazardly hanging the artwork. Remember, artwork should be placed where it feels right to you and a little preparation goes a long way in the art of hanging art.
Now… get out the hammer and nails and let’s hang some art!
