How To Get Well Hung

One of the most important tricks of the interior designer is providing a focal point. The easiest ways to achieve this is through the use and placement of artwork. For homeowners, artwork not only provides a focal point, but it brings walls to life with a personalised finishing touch.

It can be in the form of a contemporary painting, a beautiful print or family portrait, but it should always speak volumes about your home and the people who live in it.

While there are no hard and fast rules in displaying artwork in the home, unlike in art galleries, you can learn to create the most impact by following some of the gallery guidelines. As a general rule, pictures should be hung with the centre at eye level. In art galleries, frames are not lined up by their top or bottom edges, but the pictures are all centred at the same height. The standard for height for the centre is 60 inches off the floor.

However, applying this rule in the home does not always work. While galleries tend to have standing viewers, your artwork will likely be viewed from a variety of levels. For this reason, you should let the room’s size, function and furnishings be your main guide. For example, in a dining room where artwork will usually be viewed sitting down, you should hang the pieces at the sitter’s eye level instead.

For larger artworks with plenty of punch or drama, it is best to keep things simple and place them in a prominent position, such as in the centre of a feature wall or behind a dining table. Avoid filling the wall with anything that will distract the eye from the main piece and give it the space that it deserves. This is how art galleries always display their most important pieces.

If you have a large wall and a collection of smaller themed artworks, one of the easiest tricks to create an instant focal point is to group them together. Displayed individually, smaller artworks will often look a little lost on a wall, but when grouped together, they make a much stronger impact. Use similar or matching frames for the best effect.

If positioning a group of three or more artworks, the middle picture will be the focus and should be placed accordingly. For artworks of the same size, they work best grouped in a rectangle shape to create the illusion of one larger piece. Whether you’re creating a group of equal sized frames or composing a collection of various sizes, the rule of spacing is the same. Try to have them spaced about three inches apart. Position them on the floor before placing the nails and measure carefully before making any holes. It’s also important to have someone hold the piece on the wall so you can see it in perspective.