Choose art you love. Don’t worry about matching décor or being trendy. You’ll know right away if it is something you will love to look at.
- Your art should:
· Evoke feelings and/or memories
· Create focal points
· Bring light and color into your home
- Mix it up a little. Use a variety of themes through out your home … landscapes, still life’s, portraits, etc. … anything that keeps it interesting. If it speaks to you, use it!
- Proper height to hang art:
· You may have heard that art should be placed at eye level …not true! Art should be placed where it pleases you! It should be placed in relation to what’s under and around it.
· Though height is subjective, generally people tend to hang their art too high.
· When hanging a group of paintings, use the center of the group to establish the proper height.
- Before hanging it on the wall, always lay it out first … there is no sense of putting unnecessary holes in those brand new walls! I like to use paper patterns and blue painter’s tape. Simply, trace your frame onto the paper and tape it onto the wall. Leave it for a while, a few days if necessary, to make sure it is where you really want it.
- How to hang your art:
- First of all, take your time … do it right. It will pay off in the long run.
- Never use anything but pencil to mark on your walls and then, only mark only lightly and small. Ink from a pen will permanently stain your walls!
- Always use the proper fasteners! Don’t go cheap here … a crashing frame is no fun!
Frames: Always use D-rings with double screws and heavy enough crosswire wire to support your piece. Avoid using screw eyes … they just are not strong enough! I know this from a personal bad experience!
Walls: You’ll need at least two wall anchors per painting. Though it is best to anchor directly into a stud, it is not necessary if you use pictures hangers rated to carry the weight of your piece. Any weight rated hooks will work. Never hang art on a single nail or screw driven only into drywall!
· After determining the height you want to hang your piece, make a small mark on the wall at the top center of the frame. Now, simply measure the distance from the crosswire on the back of the frame (in its extended position) to the top of your frame and measure this distance down from your mark on the wall. This point will establish the center of the horizontal line onto which you will place the two anchors equidistant from this point about 1/3 the width of the frame apart.
What you put on your walls can affect the way you feel about your new home. Expressing your taste through art is a wonderful experience … enjoy the artistic moment!