Pictured Above: An art-adorned dining corner of a New York City home by Hee Designs.
While nobody wants to live with blank, beige walls, it’s important to do a bit of pre-planning before you break out the hammer and nails to affix your favorite frames and canvases. Interior designers know that there are, in fact, several key rules to follow when it comes to properly hanging art in the home.
Below, a handful of experts speak to the three most crucial methods that you’ll want to be sure to keep top of mind as they pertain to proportion, layout, and room choice. With their guidance, you’ll be well on your way to creating the gallery-like space of your dreams in no time.
Follow Recommended Placement Guidelines
It’s all too common for people to make the mistake of hanging a piece of art too high or low on the wall, which can make an entire room appear off. The main rule of thumb you’ll want to keep in mind is to hang art at eye level, explains Liz Lidgett, the founder of Liz Lidgett Gallery and Design and the author of Art for Everyone.
She recommends positioning art so that it hangs 57 to 60 inches off the floor, and if you’re hanging something over a dresser or credenza, it should be 10 inches above the piece of furniture.
“Err on the side of hanging things low versus too high,” offers Parrish Robe, the founder of Cameron Design. “If art is hung too high on the wall, it can feel like a dorm room, and make it difficult to really connect with the pieces.”
Placing a piece of art too close to a window can be detrimental, too, from both an aesthetic perspective and a practical one. “A piece hung too close to a window competes with natural light and risks UV damage over time,” Lidgett says. She recommends allowing for six to eight inches of space between the work and the window. “Pay attention to how light moves through the room at different times of day before you commit to a spot,” she adds.
It’s important to keep a room’s overall proportions top of mind, too. “One of the biggest mistakes people make is hanging art based solely on the size of the wall, rather than considering the room as a whole,” notes Brittany Farinas, the founder of House of One. “I always encourage clients to think about how artwork relates to the architecture and furnishings around it.”
Don’t Simply Begin Hammering
Even if you feel as though you have a clear vision, it’s always wise to do a bit of planning first. If you’re assembling an arrangement like a gallery wall, Lidgett recommends starting out by placing all of your desired frames on the floor and working off of that outline.
Gallery walls often have an “anchor piece,” she explains—this is “usually the largest or most visually dominant work.” Once you’ve identified this piece, you can arrange the others around it. “I think of it like a solar system: one center of gravity, everything else in conversation with it,” Lidgett reflects.
It’s important to be mindful of spacing here, too. “Keep consistent spacing between the frames—two to three inches is a good rule—and align either the tops or the visual centers of pieces in a row, rather than mixing both,” she suggests. “A little discipline in the spacing lets the art itself feel loose and varied without the whole thing looking chaotic.”
And remember, less is often more. “Don’t underestimate the power of negative space,” Farinas says. “Giving artwork room to breathe often creates a more sophisticated result than filling every available area of the wall.”
Remember That Art Can Shine Anywhere
Too many people make the mistake of neglecting certain rooms of the home when determining whether to display art, notes Jeanne Hayes, the founder of Camden Grace Interiors. “Don’t overlook the kitchen,” she says. “It’s the room people spend the most time in, but it’s the last room they put art in!”
Even the smallest sections of wall can be significantly transformed with the help of a few thoughtfully selected pieces.
“I love to do a stacked series on a small wall in a hallway, behind a nightstand, or in a ‘nook’ in a larger room to bring an element of intimacy,” says Gabrielle Bove, the founder of Opaline Interiors Studio.
