Creating the Perfect Picture

5/5/14

images via here, here, here, here, here and here.


so, i'm a bit of a commitment phobe ... especially when it comes to hanging art. 
if there is one thing i've learned it's always hang the things you love to look at most. no matter what else, if you follow this one thing, you'll never feel disappointed by your choices. while there is no REAL set rules on how you have go about showcasing art/photography on walls, successful designers often follow a few guidelines. at the core of it all it is about placing what you love in the right combination. however, if you are a sobby stress mess pile at the thought committing to putting holes in beautiful freshly painted walls and hanging up pictures, like i can be, then here are some helpful tips to consider that will give you that little bit of confidence.

// Height - the most common recommendation the professionals make is to hang art at eye level. if you are a shorty like me try and keep in mind the viewpoint of an average height person. 

// Grouping -  I love me some good groupings. this is where oftentimes we get a little stressed. since there is no real rules here, my best recommendations tend to be start with larger pieces and fill in with smaller. good groupings take proper planning before you hang. think of it as a one large art piece rather than individual items. this will help you focus on the end results and not get caught up in the process. grouping is a great way to give an modern look to your home. if you have a bunch of frames take out the display art inside and play around with placements by taping them up on your wall before you hang.

// Proportions - as a general rule of thumb you want to hang art that is proportionate to said area. for example it is not recommend that you hang over your sofa a canvas print that is significantly wider than what the sofa seats. on the flip side this rule does not apply when it comes to heights. there is a misconception that shorter sizes fit better in smaller spaces, when in actual fact taller prints can make your smaller space feel much larger.

Proportion…if you are hanging art above a piece of furniture it is generally advised to not use art that is wider than the furniture. A general rule of thumb is to aim for the artwork to be between 50-90% of the width of the furniture below. 75% is ideal, but anything in the suggested range is usually safe. If your ratio is less than 50% then the artwork is too small, if your ratio is larger than 90% the art is too big. Exception: If you are hanging art above a grouping of furniture that is close together you would use the total width of the furniture as your guideline.
· Height…a well known rule of thumb is to hang artwork at "eye level" however, this is often misleading as we all vary in height. A better guideline is to hang the art so that the center of the art is at eye level for an average person, generally 60-65" from the floor. Most often art is hung too high, so if in doubt…hang lower rather than higher. If you are hanging art above a sofa or a table you will usually want to have about 6-12" between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the art.

Read more at http://studio5.ksl.com/?nid=59&sid=14755543#wmGTjPlUXjhoogMK.99

Proportion…if you are hanging art above a piece of furniture it is generally advised to not use art that is wider than the furniture. A general rule of thumb is to aim for the artwork to be between 50-90% of the width of the furniture below. 75% is ideal, but anything in the suggested range is usually safe. If your ratio is less than 50% then the artwork is too small, if your ratio is larger than 90% the art is too big. Exception: If you are hanging art above a grouping of furniture that is close together you would use the total width of the furniture as your guideline.
· Height…a well known rule of thumb is to hang artwork at "eye level" however, this is often misleading as we all vary in height. A better guideline is to hang the art so that the center of the art is at eye level for an average person, generally 60-65" from the floor. Most often art is hung too high, so if in doubt…hang lower rather than higher. If you are hanging art above a sofa or a table you will usually want to have about 6-12" between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the art.
· Line….consider whether the space in question needs the illusion of horizontal expansion or vertical height, then choose your artwork accordingly. Diagonal lines are sometimes needed for spaces such as stairways. Areas that are irregular in shape and line are a great place for round artwork, mirrors or wreaths. Round shapes soften angular areas and help to avoid the problem of rectangular art looking crooked.
· Grouping… this can be tricky but can also have amazing visual impact. A group of pictures should be thought of as one cohesive "unit. An easy trick for creating a grouping is to trace each individual piece of art onto paper and then cut out the shapes. Using these paper shapes you can arrange them on the floor, or even directly onto the wall using some tape. This enables you to determine which arrangement you prefer without having to put dozens of extra nail holes in your wall. When you have found the desired configuration you can then lightly mark it onto your wall with a pencil.
· Tools for the job…my favorite hooks for hanging pictures are called "monkey Hooks" and they require no hammer or nail! These hooks are usually available at your local hardware store. If I am hanging art for a client I always make sure I have on hand a laser level, pencil, measuring tape, hammer, nails and picture hanging hooks for all different weights. If you have a picture that doesn't like to stay straight use some Sticky putty on the bottom corners. Adhesive felt pads are great to ha

Read more at http://studio5.ksl.com/?nid=59&sid=14755543#wmGTjPlUXjhoogMK.99
Proportion…if you are hanging art above a piece of furniture it is generally advised to not use art that is wider than the furniture. A general rule of thumb is to aim for the artwork to be between 50-90% of the width of the furniture below. 75% is ideal, but anything in the suggested range is usually safe. If your ratio is less than 50% then the artwork is too small, if your ratio is larger than 90% the art is too big. Exception: If you are hanging art above a grouping of furniture that is close together you would use the total width of the furniture as your guideline.
· Height…a well known rule of thumb is to hang artwork at "eye level" however, this is often misleading as we all vary in height. A better guideline is to hang the art so that the center of the art is at eye level for an average person, generally 60-65" from the floor. Most often art is hung too high, so if in doubt…hang lower rather than higher. If you are hanging art above a sofa or a table you will usually want to have about 6-12" between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the art.
· Line….consider whether the space in question needs the illusion of horizontal expansion or vertical height, then choose your artwork accordingly. Diagonal lines are sometimes needed for spaces such as stairways. Areas that are irregular in shape and line are a great place for round artwork, mirrors or wreaths. Round shapes soften angular areas and help to avoid the problem of rectangular art looking crooked.
· Grouping… this can be tricky but can also have amazing visual impact. A group of pictures should be thought of as one cohesive "unit. An easy trick for creating a grouping is to trace each individual piece of art onto paper and then cut out the shapes. Using these paper shapes you can arrange them on the floor, or even directly onto the wall using some tape. This enables you to determine which arrangement you prefer without having to put dozens of extra nail holes in your wall. When you have found the desired configuration you can then lightly mark it onto your wall with a pencil.
· Tools for the job…my favorite hooks for hanging pictures are called "monkey Hooks" and they require no hammer or nail! These hooks are usually available at your local hardware store. If I am hanging art for a client I always make sure I have on hand a laser level, pencil, measuring tape, hammer, nails and picture hanging hooks for all different weights. If you have a picture that doesn't like to stay straight use some Sticky putty on the bottom corners. Adhesive felt pads are great to ha

Read more at http://studio5.ksl.com/?nid=59&sid=14755543#wmGTjPlUXjhoogMK.99

Proportion…if you are hanging art above a piece of furniture it is generally advised to not use art that is wider than the furniture. A general rule of thumb is to aim for the artwork to be between 50-90% of the width of the furniture below. 75% is ideal, but anything in the suggested range is usually safe. If your ratio is less than 50% then the artwork is too small, if your ratio is larger than 90% the art is too big. Exception: If you are hanging art above a grouping of furniture that is close together you would use the total width of the furniture as your guideline.
· Height…a well known rule of thumb is to hang artwork at "eye level" however, this is often misleading as we all vary in height. A better guideline is to hang the art so that the center of the art is at eye level for an average person, generally 60-65" from the floor. Most often art is hung too high, so if in doubt…hang lower rather than higher. If you are hanging art above a sofa or a table you will usually want to have about 6-12" between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the art.
· Line….consider whether the space in question needs the illusion of horizontal expansion or vertical height, then choose your artwork accordingly. Diagonal lines are sometimes needed for spaces such as stairways. Areas that are irregular in shape and line are a great place for round artwork, mirrors or wreaths. Round shapes soften angular areas and help to avoid the problem of rectangular art looking crooked.
· Grouping… this can be tricky but can also have amazing visual impact. A group of pictures should be thought of as one cohesive "unit. An easy trick for creating a grouping is to trace each individual piece of art onto paper and then cut out the shapes. Using these paper shapes you can arrange them on the floor, or even directly onto the wall using some tape. This enables you to determine which arrangement you prefer without having to put dozens of extra nail holes in your wall. When you have found the desired configuration you can then lightly mark it onto your wall with a pencil.
· Tools for the job…my favorite hooks for hanging pictures are called "monkey Hooks" and they require no hammer or nail! These hooks are usually available at your local hardware store. If I am hanging art for a client I always make sure I have on hand a laser level, pencil, measuring tape, hammer, nails and picture hanging hooks for all different weights. If you have a picture that doesn't like to stay straight use some Sticky putty on the bottom corners. Adhesive felt pads are great to ha

Read more at http://studio5.ksl.com/?nid=59&sid=14755543#wmGTjPlUXjhoogMK.99

Proportion…if you are hanging art above a piece of furniture it is generally advised to not use art that is wider than the furniture. A general rule of thumb is to aim for the artwork to be between 50-90% of the width of the furniture below. 75% is ideal, but anything in the suggested range is usually safe. If your ratio is less than 50% then the artwork is too small, if your ratio is larger than 90% the art is too big. Exception: If you are hanging art above a grouping of furniture that is close together you would use the total width of the furniture as your guideline.
· Height…a well known rule of thumb is to hang artwork at "eye level" however, this is often misleading as we all vary in height. A better guideline is to hang the art so that the center of the art is at eye level for an average person, generally 60-65" from the floor. Most often art is hung too high, so if in doubt…hang lower rather than higher. If you are hanging art above a sofa or a table you will usually want to have about 6-12" between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the art.
· Line….consider whether the space in question needs the illusion of horizontal expansion or vertical height, then choose your artwork accordingly. Diagonal lines are sometimes needed for spaces such as stairways. Areas that are irregular in shape and line are a great place for round artwork, mirrors or wreaths. Round shapes soften angular areas and help to avoid the problem of rectangular art looking crooked.
· Grouping… this can be tricky but can also have amazing visual impact. A group of pictures should be thought of as one cohesive "unit. An easy trick for creating a grouping is to trace each individual piece of art onto paper and then cut out the shapes. Using these paper shapes you can arrange them on the floor, or even directly onto the wall using some tape. This enables you to determine which arrangement you prefer without having to put dozens of extra nail holes in your wall. When you have found the desired configuration you can then lightly mark it onto your wall with a pencil.
· Tools for the job…my favorite hooks for hanging pictures are called "monkey Hooks" and they require no hammer or nail! These hooks are usually available at your local hardware store. If I am hanging art for a client I always make sure I have on hand a laser level, pencil, measuring tape, hammer, nails and picture hanging hooks for all different weights. If you have a picture that doesn't like to stay straight use some Sticky putty on the bottom corners. Adhesive felt pads are great to ha

Read more at http://studio5.ksl.com/?nid=59&sid=14755543#wmGTjPlUXjhoogMK.99



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