Picture Arranging Perfection

There’s nothing better than filling a blank wall with pictures. And one of my favorite ways to jazz up a wall is an eclectic mix of art, photography and perhaps some old records. Here’s the thing-it’s not always easy to arrange those pictures and I want you all to become experts. So, I’m gonna go over a few of the common mistakes I’ve seen and some solutions that will make you all picture arranging perfectionists (of sorts). There are no picture arranging rules (per say), just a few design suggestions to keep in mind.

Problems:
1. Pictures are hung to high or to low. This is the most common mistake I see from clients.
2. The scale is a bit off. Now, when the scale is off, the whole room will seem out of balance. Many people have said to me “I love how my room looks, but something is off”. Well-the majority of the time that “something” is scale.
3. Ovecrowding. Hey, I’m all for an eclectic mix but it’s important to know when to stop.

Solutions:
1. The general rule of thumb for hanging your  artwork is to start at eye level.  Let’s say your hanging a collage of various sizes of art,the center of your collage should be at eye level. This keeps things balanced and from climbing to high up the wall.  Too high and they may lose impact; too low and they become larger-than-life.
2. Scale can be a tough one to give a solution for. It’s one of those design rules that is essential for any room to look complete. However, when it comes to picture arranging, the rule stays the same but the execution can vary. Confused? Well, when arranging you have to take into consideration the size and scale of the room, furniture, and wall space. The collage of artwork should make sense with the scale of the room, size of the furniture it is hanging above, and size of the wall it is on.
3. Never try to place too many pictures in one area. Enough said. Okay, Okay, try breaking them up into smaller units and give each group plenty of space.

Oh and here are some inspirations to get you hanging…

(the photos are courtesy of my Elle Decor and Domino collections)

Just a few more tips…

FYI Larger pieces have a greater impact when viewed from a distance.

Hanging in a staircase or in a hallway?  Try to stick with smaller frames, the effect of larger pieces will be lost in a tighter space. And remember in a smaller space you can be more flexible with a random, mix-and-match placement.

Using informal balance in a large space? Try selecting one picture as the focal point. It will typically be the largest in the group, then surround it with the other pictures or keep the others to the top, bottom, and side.

That being said, throw all caution to the wind (well, kinda)! Some of the most creative (picture arranging) masterpieces have come out of pushing the limits. So let the picture arranging perfection begin…

Tagged as: art, photography, picture arranging, picture hanging, pictures, scale