Where Do I Hang My Artwork Anyway?

One of the first decorating tips I ever learned was to hang artwork at eye level. It seemed easy enough. You just pick up a painting, choose a wall, and hang it right where you can view it, as if it where a mirror. Upon learning this, I immediately ran into a bit of a conundrum. Who's eye level was I to hang it at. In my home for example, if I hung a painting at my eye level, it was a bit low for my husband's comfortable viewing pleasure. If I hung it at his eye level, it made me feel short. If I wore high heels when hanging and viewing my art work, well, things just got ridiculous at that point. So where should I hang my artwork anyway? It took me years to figure it out, but I finally realized that I should hang my artwork in a way that it was proportionate with the wall.

So how do you hang artwork so that it is proportionate with the wall? It's actually common sense. For instance, would you hang a 8X6 photograph on the far end upper corner of a 18X10 foot wall? Not if that were the only piece you were going to hang. Sure that would work if you were hanging enough pictures to fill the entire wall, but for just one solitary 8X6 piece, it should be hung on a narrow wall section, perhaps between two windows and above a chair or sofa. This way it won't see lonely.

Always try to match your artwork to the size of the wall. Large pieces should of course go in larger walls. If you have a large expanse of wall that is driving your crazy because nothing seems to look right on it, it is probably because the artwork is not in proportion with the wall. Try a bigger piece of artwork. If the empty wall is wide, find a wide piece of art, or perhaps a two or more. Small pieces of art work well in between windows, or in niches so they look like the wall was made for the item. Small pieces can also be grouped to make one large art vignette.

Still, this doesn't really address the height issue. Basically, you can place your artwork wherever you want, as long as you balance it out. Hanging artwork at eye level all the way around the room, gives you a museum like quality. That should probably be avoided, unless of course, that is your thing. In the typical home, however, you should hang your artwork at all levels. Some artwork can be placed high, and some low, and some, of course, in between. You can place artwork on shelves, or even set them on the floor, leaning them on the wall. You can hang some artwork, especially your mirrors, at eye level, so you can view yourself. Place some items at chair level, and others high on the wall. If you room is especially tall, such a as a two-story room, take advantage of the vertical space by hanging a tall piece of art, or a series of art pieces, hung one, over the other.

Remember, the basic rules for hanging artwork is to hang large pieces on large walls, and small pieces on small walls or in grouping with other art pieces. Do not place everything at the same height, but instead place some artwork high, and others low. Finally, it's your home, so whatever you say, goes.