You’ve just moved to a new house and have to re-think all the arrangements you previously had for your art or wall hangings. It’s not a good idea to make excessive holes in the wall so planning ahead is advised. Always use picture hanging hooks, not just nails, and make sure they are the proper size to support the weight of the item. Nothing puts a damper on hanging art like having one fall. It will probably ruin the frame, maybe the artwork, and could be dangerous as well.

If you plan to do a grouping of several pictures or items it’s best to think of them as one unit. Laying them out on the floor with the same arrangement and spacing that they will have on the wall can be very helpful. Work with them until you get them right before hanging. How do you feel when you look at the layout? Does something about it bother you? If it does, then you’re not done yet. Re-arrange until you think – "Ah, that’s it!". An even better way to find the correct arrangement is to cut paper the same size as the outer edge of each frame and tape the piece to the wall. Be sure to use painter’s tape so that it will not damage the wall when you remove it. You can then figure out where each picture hanger needs to be, nail it through the paper, then remove the paper. You’ll need to measure down from the top of the frame to the wire for the proper placement measurement. Remember – measure twice, nail once.

Hanging art at eye level applies in some cases but it’s more important to take into consideration the area and items that will be surrounding the art. Make sure there is not too much or too little space, for example, between the top of your couch and the bottom of the art frame. Hanging a piece of art at eye level might throw it completely out of balance. If you do hang at eye level, it should be the center of the image or the center of the arrangement that is at the average person’s eye level.

Several pieces of art with the same measurements and framing will lend a more formal look the area when hung in symmetrical form, whereas frames of varying shapes and sizes lend themselves well to asymmetrical design and informal settings. Make sure the frames and mats compliment each other and that there is nothing jarring in the collection. Asymmetrical arrangements are easy to add to in the future.

If you need an illusion of more width, horizontal arrangements can do that. Conversely, vertical arrangements add height to a room or area and can help make the furniture not look dwarfed if the ceilings are especially high. Vertical art tends to be more formal. If you are placing a single piece of art or an arrangement over a piece of furniture it should not be wider than the piece it’s above. Usually about 75 to 80% of the furniture width is good.

Don’t rush the process when deciding where and how your art will be arranged. When you’re finished you should have pleasant feelings when viewing it. If not, something isn’t done right. Give yourself a little time, go back to the trouble areas and look at it through new eyes, or have a friend look at it with you. It will come to you what is wrong and you can correct the situation. You will then have many happy moments viewing your art and wall hangings.

By June Johnston