The Number 1 Rule To Remember When Hanging Art In Your Home

I see it all the time. There’s one major mistake people make when hanging art and photography in their homes. I also have a confession: it drives me crazy!

Ok, I’ll just come out and say it right up front, get it out of the way, and then we can move on:

I can’t stand it when I go into someone’s house and their painting and family photos are hung so high that I’m craning my neck to see them! I mean really, don’t you want people to look at them? And furthermore, that wall is far too large for only one small piece of art.

Ok, now that I’ve gotten that off of my chest let me explain. It seems a common mistake that people make when decorating their homes is incorrectly hanging art and photography.

Art and photography are designed to evoke an emotional response from the viewer; they develop a relationship with the piece because of the way it makes of them feel or think.

So let’s cut to the chase

Here’s the one rule you must remember when hanging your art…

 

Eye Level Is Best

 

When hanging art, photos, etc, remember that eye level is best. Don’t make people look up at your art. Keeping it at eye level makes for a more friendly and intimate viewing experience.

Simple, but powerful. Hanging art too high on a wall, relative to the size of the wall and the art piece, you’re preventing the viewer from experiencing the art piece in its fullest.

Spacial Balance

Now, if you have a large wall but don’t have a large piece of art then you can make an art grouping to achieve proper spacial balance.

Paintings, photos, mirrors, even numbers or letters can go from being too small and engulfed by a large wall to being a statement when hung together.

Again, the trick is making sure that the center of the whole cluster is at eye level, and picking frames that are similar in color will add to the overall look.

Sometimes, however, less is more when you have too much to hang. When everything starts to feel too crowded it’s time to rotate a few items out for a period of time.

Or maybe you have something that is the right size but frankly you bought it at one of those home decor general stores and you’ve now seen it one too many times at other people’s houses. It may be time to shop for a piece of art from a local artist or even have one commissioned.

Also, putting things above doors is never a good idea unless it is a sign. This rule doesn’t apply to trumpe l’oeil or murals they are in a different category, more on that some other time.

Wrap Up

If you’ve never had the experience of LOVING your room decor, or of connecting intimately with with artwork you know you love, do a quick assessment using this simple rule.

Remember, your house is not a museum, so try bringing your art all the way down to eye level and see how it resonates.

And if you’re having trouble deciding what art to put where, feel free to contact me.