Decorating your walls with wall art is a great way to add personality and style to your home. Whether you're looking for framed photos or framed wall art, there are plenty of ways to hang your wall decor.
Here are four tips for hanging wall art on your walls to help you achieve the perfect look. From using the right hardware to finding the right spot in your home, these tips will ensure that your wall decor looks amazing and stays put!
1. Find the balance
The key to creating a balanced look when working with a collection of art is to treat the collection as a single piece rather than as a collection or gallery of art. I recommend you start by making sure your collection is neither too big nor too small in relation to the sofa or sideboard you are using. A good rule of thumb is that the artwork should be two-thirds the size of the sofa or sideboard.
If you have one large piece of wall art and a few smaller ones, hang the large piece in the centre as a focal point and work your way out from there. For appropriate spacing, leave 2-5 inches between each frame. Use low sticky tape to keep the gap between frames consistent. It might seem like too much, but fret not!
2. Find the focal point of your room
Examine your surroundings to find the "biggest" element. This will usually be your focus point. It could be a fireplace, a picture window, or a bookcase built into the wall. Keep the eye engaged with a dramatic piece of art over the mantle if your focal point is a fireplace.
Here's an extra tip: look for methods to use to illuminate your art. A picture light can be used with any artwork. The lighting adds charm and levels of depth, creating a designer vibe and highlighting the artwork. Don't have the time or money to hardwire them? It's not a problem. Look for picture lights that run on batteries. They offer the same drama without the cost.
3. The 57" rule
Most people have a habit of hanging artwork too high. If you only remember one thing from this post, make it this: 57″ on centre. This means that the centre of your artwork (not the hook) should be 57 inches from the ground. This 57′′ standard is the average human eye height and is commonly used in galleries and museums. It also promotes harmony in the space because all of your artwork will have a common visual midpoint.
This rule does have a few exceptions: If your ceilings are particularly low (less than 8-9 feet), divide the vertical length of your wall into quarters and hang your artwork in the third quadrant up from the floor. If you're hanging art above a sofa, allow about 8-10 inches above the back of the sofa, even if this violates the 57-inch guideline. Also, keep in mind the space between your artwork and the point where the wall meets the ceiling.
Putting things at 57′′ also means that your artwork will be closer to the other parts of your home, such as furniture, rugs, lights, and so on, and will thus "talk" to everything better and have a tighter relationship, which is a positive thing.
By adhering to this standard, you create harmony in your home, since all the pictures share a midline, regardless of outside dimensions, when you look around your space. As a result, there is harmony, which is also beneficial.
4. Gather your hardware
You already know you'll need a hammer, measuring tape, and pencil to hang pictures on the wall, but there are a few more things you'll need. Make sure to include these in your toolkit before you begin. The weight of the item will impact which tools you'll need. Visit this link for an expert step-by-step guide on which tools you'll need and how to use them.
When hanging interior décor, keep the primary line of emphasis at or near eye level. If you go too high or too low, the whole impact of your carefully selected item will be missed. Continue to reassess where your wall art should be exhibited as your design changes and furniture is rearranged - it's always a good idea to create different perspectives inside the home.
Now that you know how to do it, why not have a look at our wall art selection here? And, if you need more inspiration you can visit us on Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest.