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Hanging art is an art in itself. The way you put up paintings, posters and photos in your home will greatly affect the overall aesthetic appeal of your home interiors.
Artists and homeowners alike fret over where they will hang their favorite art. The height and the placement, the grouping, the size of the various paintings you put up and the color palette of the art pieces will determine the overall visual effect.
Another very important factor affecting the overall appearance and looks of an artwork is the frame. A well-crafted frame helps draw attention to the art or the painting, and acts as a distinct boundary demarcating it from its surroundings. And as any art lover with an enviable collection of paintings would know, choosing the right frame is also quite a task.
Let’s see how you can hang your lovely paintings and other artwork beautifully to achieve the desired impact.
As they say, the interiors of your home should reflect your personality. So buy your artwork carefully. Have a uniform thread running through them, or in other words, all your paintings should be part of a cohesive whole. None of them should strike a jarring note.
This might seem a bit confusing, but you have the freedom to choose your own narrative. You can select a theme that you really love and enjoy. If you are buying art for your beach house, the theme could be based on the nautical journeys of acclaimed seamen of bygone eras, or the different moods of the sea. If you are a fan of budding talent, build up a collection by emerging artists. Explore what fascinates young artists and find out which theme appeals most to you.
If you are running short of time, you will find it easier to choose art by genre, medium or even color.
Don’t Hang All That You Have Got
If you are a true art lover and have been a diligent collector over the years, you will be tempted to display all that you have got. But refrain from overcrowding your home interiors with your possessions.
They will end up creating clutter on your walls and will make it difficult to focus on or appreciate any piece in particular. Assess your spaces and decide where your cherished art pieces will look the best.
You can also rotate your art occasionally so that you get to enjoy all of it, as well as prevent the art from getting damaged due to constant exposure.
Frame Them Right
Good frames can make even the cheapest print and poster look like valuable art. This works particularly well if you don’t have the big bucks to go shopping in art galleries.
Frames are available in every variety and make. The mats you choose will also have a very important role to play in the overall visual appeal. So frame all those lovely posters you have and create an outstanding collage in your living room.
Throw Some Light
If you want your paintings to be at the center of attention, ensure there is proper lighting to complement them. MR-16 low voltage bulbs and PAR 30 bulbs are popular. Track lighting and recessed lighting with adjustable heads are among the favored lighting options for paintings.
UV rays are damaging to paintings. On prolonged exposure, they cause colors to fade and permanently damage your artwork.
Heat and moisture are also serious threats to the beauty and the longevity of your artwork. So ensure you do not hang your paintings in places where they will be vulnerable like in the kitchen or the bathroom.
Get the Spot Right
It is important you mount your art at the right height. Once you drill a hole into the wall, it would be quite unsightly to remove your painting and put it somewhere else.
If you have standard 8-foot high ceilings, ensure the center of the painting is about 5 feet from the floor.
This is the average human eye-height and your guests would not have to strain to look up or lower their gaze to enjoy the painting.
If you’re hanging the painting behind a sofa, ensure there is a gap of at least 6 inches between the top of the sofa and the bottom of the painting. In other words, in a room where people will be seated for most of the time, you can afford to hang art at a lower height.
Collages Are the Statement Pieces Your Home Needs
Grids or salon-style arrangements are great ways of enhancing the personality of your interior décor. They exude energy and vitality.
Groupings work better in open and spacious rooms than in cramped ones. So if you have a sparse living room or an empty hallway, spice them up with a bright and lively grouping arrangement.
While arranging a collage, trace the outline and cut out templates of each frame on kraft paper. Tape them onto the wall and mimic the pattern you ideally want. Move around the templates until you have attained the symmetry and the arrangement you desire.
Creating the perfect grouping is not difficult. Skim through your favorite personal photographs to find the right ones. Have them professionally framed to get a uniform look. Your framer will also be able to guide you as to which frames to go for to create a unique eclectic look.
Collages are about having fun, so don’t worry too much about getting it all perfect. There is no right or wrong way of putting up salon installations, just ensure you enjoy the end result.
Safety Matters
While hanging your art, ensure you give attention to the safety aspect as well.
Picture hanging hooks are safe and secure, and ensure a flush hang to the wall. A single hook is suitable for art weighing below 30 pounds. Anything above that requires two or even three hooks.
Strap hangers or D-rings are better than picture wires and hang securely from the hooks. In children’s rooms and for high-value art, use security hangers and installations that hold all sides of the frame firmly to the wall. You need to unlock the installation with a special key tool to be able to remove the art from the wall.
Conclusion
When mounting art, safety, aesthetics and convenience need to be taken into account. Also you need not worry if you messed up the first time. It is easy to fix the problem with a little spackle. So go ahead and have some fun with your art.