My husband and I love to travel and we've made a tradition of buying a piece of artwork from each of our big trips. We bring them home, frame them and hang them up in our living room. Only thing is, we're not really great at the hanging part. Since our collection builds one by one, we tend to end up with odd configurations some of the time. We'll be going on a short summer vacation next month and we're hoping to find something we love to add to our wall, but in the hopes of avoiding another rather awkward looking gallery, I've been doing a little research. Here are six easy tips for organizing pictures and artwork that anyone can implement:
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Draw a mockup. Personally, I love the gallery wall look (several smaller pieces grouped together) as opposed to hanging one large photo or piece of artwork, but it can be tricky to figure out where each piece should be placed. Don't eyeball it. Take a few minutes to sketch your ideas out on a piece of paper. This way you'll be able to decide whether you like it without drilling holes in the wall.
Create a template. Once you're happy with the layout you've chosen, grab some newspaper, wrapping paper, paper bags, etc. and trace your frames onto them. Cut them out and tape them to the wall exactly where you want your pictures to hang. Hang each picture in the corresponding spot and remove the paper as you go. You can also do this by taping out the shape and size of each frame with painting/masking tape, but it's a little more work.
Get the height right. The most recommended height for wall hangings is 57 inches–that is, center of the piece should be at 57 inches from the floor–about eye level. If you're hanging a single piece than the very center of that individual piece should be at 57 inches, if you're hanging a grouping, imagine that the grouping was actually one large piece and place the midline of the entire grouping at 57 inches.
Always measure and level. It might seem time consuming, but the extra few minutes will be worth it, when you don't find yourself readjusting your pictures every single time you walk by. Measure the distance between each frame and then once you hang them check them with a level to ensure they are properly placed. You can also use wall hanging kits easily available at your local hardware store to hang your art once it's framed.
Use various mediums. When choosing artwork, try to mix up the mediums–you can combine watercolors, oil paintings, pastels and charcoals on the same wall to add lots of depth and visual interest. With photos, try using frames of different sizes, shapes and textures.
Be patient. From curating your artwork to finding frames for them, and eventually hanging them, the process of getting it just right can be tedious. Make sure you take time to select things your really love and take even more time to hang them correctly, so rather than be annoyed when you look at them, they are a source of daily joy. Hint: allow for twice as much time as you think you'll need–it will inevitably will take longer than you imagined, and overestimating will save you some frustration.
Image via Thinkstock
