Hanging a picture on your wall seems like the easiest thing to do, whereas in fact it is a little bit tricky and difficult. Many people struggle with figuring out the right design, size and height, which often creates an unpleasant feeling and affects negatively the proportions of a room. On the other end of the spectrum, if artwork is hung proportionately, it can cozy up the room. So how do you go from a terrible decorating mistake to a terrific designer look? With a little bit of knowledge, of course. Read our tips on how to hang wall décor and pictures the right way.
Right Height
image source: pixabay
So what is the right height for hanging wall décor? The truth is, it depends. For a person who is 5 feet 8 inches tall, the right height would be 5’8” or so. See, it’s all about eye level. However, the term “eye level” varies according to size and is different to every individual. So how do you make your wall décor perfect for everyone? They say that the average eye level for both men and women is approximately 5 feet. For those of you who want to achieve the perfect eye level, scroll down to the end of this post.
Right Size
image source: behance
To keep the wall from getting overpowered, make sure that the artwork is not too big or wide. Use small pictures for small walls and vice versa. Additionally, the size of your works of art should be in proportion with that of your furniture. For example, if you plan to hang pictures over your sofa, they should not be longer than your sofa. Follow this rule of thumb for any other types of furnishings.
Design and Arrangement
What about photo galleries? What if you want to hang a grouping of pictures? Here is what. You want to think of your items as one unit. Even though there are several pictures, you have to make them read like one. The best way to go is to choose similar frames or colors, or to combine frames and colors.
Furthermore, it is important to plan in advance. Figure out the right arrangement and design of the individual pieces. To make it easier for yourself, just take some random papers and position them on the wall where you want to hang your pieces of artwork. Move the papers around until you figure out the perfect layout. Before you remove the papers, measure where all the hardware (nails) will be installed and mark the wall. Make sure to clean all the papers off the wall.
The Right Measurement According to Museums and Art Galleries
image source: behance
Now, we all agree that pictures and wall décor should be displayed at an eye level. However, eye level is not the same when it comes to short people and tall people. So how do we choose the right height? We can all take art galleries and museums as an example. At such facilities pictures or other types of artwork are typically hung at a height of 57 inches. Note that this is the distance between the floor and the center of the piece of artwork.
image source: ninainvorm
Here is what to do if you want your pictures to look museum-beautiful. It takes a little bit of math. First off, measure the piece of artwork. Start by measuring the height and dividing it by two. Let’s say your piece of artwork is 20 inches high. 20”/2 = 10”.
Now, you want to measure the distance between the top of the frame and the top of the wire (stretch the wire as much as you can in order to measure correctly ). Let’s say the distance is 5”. Subtract the second number (5”) from the first one (10”). So: 10” – 5” = 5”.
The next step is to add 57” to the number you got (57” + 5” = 62”). Using a pencil, mark the measurement you just figured out on the wall. This is the height at which you should hang your piece of artwork. This method works for picture groupings as well.
The more stuff you hang on your walls, the more quickly you will master the art of hanging pictures. It takes a little practice. Go ahead and give it a try to see if it works for you.
The article is written and edited by Kathleen Crane. She runs DecorationServices SW2