Have you ever walked into an art gallery and begun to melt like one of Dali’s clocks? Dance like a Keith Haring figure? Contemplate like Rodin’s thinker? Clasp your face and drop your jaw like Munch’s The Scream? Like most, we love art in the home. It’s a great way to capture your personality and creativity and express yourself on your wall space with tools like paint color, a special piece of art, art on the wall that goes with your favorite piece of furniture, and more.
So what’s the problem? Poorly hung art stands out like a bad toupee…you can’t help but notice it, and you just want to fix it. So we wrote this article as a response to the many questions that came in on how to hang wall art.
How to Hang Wall Art Tip #1: Hang Art at Eye Level
source: zoominteriors.com
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Most people have the tendency to hang artwork too high. If you take one piece of information from this article, let it be this: 57″ on center. This means that the center of your art piece (not the hook) should be 57″ from the floor. This 57″ standard represents the average human eye-height and is regularly used as a standard in many galleries and museums. It also creates balance in the home because all of your art will share a visual midline.
There are a few exceptions to this rule: If you have really low ceilings (less than 8-9′), divide the vertical length of your wall into quarters and hang your art in the third quadrant up from the floor. And if you’re hanging art above a sofa, allow for 8-10 inches above the sofa back, even if this breaks the 57″ rule. Also be mindful of the space between your art and where the wall meets the ceiling.
How to Hang Wall Art Tip #2: Balance the Scales
If you’re working with a collection of art, it’s important to treat that collection or gallery as one piece to achieve a balanced look. First, make sure your collection is neither too large nor too small in relation to your sofa or sideboard. We want the just right, Goldilocks effect here: The artwork should be two-thirds the size of the sofa or sideboard. If you are hanging multiple pieces in a group, make sure the heavier pieces are at the bottom left and the lighter pieces are at the upper right with mid-sized pieces placed in between (see the photo above).
Or, if you have one large piece and a few smaller pieces, hang the large piece toward the middle as a focal point and go from there. Leave 2-5 inches between each frame for proper spacing. Insider tip: Use low adhesive tape to keep spacing consistent between frames. And if all of this seems overwhelming, don’t fret! We can help you create your perfect gallery wall when you sign up for our KKH design services.
How to Hang Wall Art Tip #3: Don’t Shy from Salon Style
Source: Burnham Design
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The salon-style look for wall art could be one of the most adored and admired features of a space… if it weren’t so intimidating! How do you create a look you like without putting a ton of extra holes in your wall? The arrangement should really be to your (or your client’s) personal liking, but remember to follow the general guidelines outlined in Tip #2 above for multiple pieces. Salon-style also works best when you mix and match multiple types of wall hangings, from paintings to prints to photos to text pieces to wall sculptures!
Our last piece of salon-style advice: use craft paper and low adhesive tape to plan out the arrangement on the wall and for determining nail placement. And are you OBSESSED with the rug featured above? Well good, because you can buy it here.
How to Hang Wall Art Tip #4: Be Off the Walls
Don’t have the time or patience for a salon-style gallery wall? Design differently and place wall art in unexpected places. Don’t limit yourself to walls! Floating wall shelves are the new gallery wall! Try layering multiple pieces for an interesting and multidimensional approach. And if you have a very large art piece, consider propping it against the wall instead of hanging it for a more relaxed and contemporary look.
How to Hang Wall Art Tip #5: Find the Shape of the Wall
Source: architecturaldigest.com
Another common mistake we see is when art is just way too small for the space. Big art can be an intimidating buy (and an investment), but generally the art you hang should be in the same shape and orientation as the wall it’s trying to fill (like in the photo above).
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How to Hang Wall Art Tip #6: Avoid Kitchen Kitsch
We don’t know about you, but when we’re cooking in the kitchen, the last thing we want to see up on our wall is an artsy rendition of fresh, dewy asparagus sprinkled with parmesan. It’s a bit much, and let’s face it, the artwork will probably look better than our home cooking (fun fact: fruits and veggies shot for food photography are usually coated in hairspray to give some extra shine).
So what kind of art deserves a place in the kitchen? We love vintage or modern pieces, depending on the kitchen design. An additional tip: If you want artwork in the kitchen, be careful not to hang it anywhere it can become damaged by water or heat.
How to Hang Wall Art Tip #7: Use Frames Wisely
Don’t neglect the frame when thinking about your focal piece of artwork, especially in the living room; always consider that the art will serve as a wall anchor. Whether you go modern with monochromatic frames or you mix and match different vintage-style frames and picture hangers, your framing can bring just as much style and personality to a space as the artwork itself.
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Call (888) 908-3486 or email designs@kathykuohome.com today to get started!
21 thoughts on “7 Tips on How to Hang Wall Art Like an Interior Design Pro”
I found it interesting when you said that you should hang it at eye level. My roommate and I are wanting to decorate our home more. Thank you for the tips on how to hang wall art!
You’re welcome! So happy this helped.
We bought some art – a 3-piece set – to hang over the headboard in our master bedroom. The headboard has three posts (right, left, and middle – not super thick, just ornate) that are a bit high, so my husband has hung the art with some of it behind the middle post. I really like the art, but think it looks funny to have that post. He thinks it would look funny to hang the art higher. How do we determine the best way to do it? The wall meets the ceiling at 8′, and then the ceiling rises to a peak in the middle.
Thank you for any suggestions!
Hi Eileen!
Contact us at http://www.kathykuodesigns.com and one of our designers would be happy to consult with you on this.
My family is reducing some of our homes and we wanted to hang some more pictures. I really appreciated how this article talked about how it’s important to treat that collection or gallery as one piece to achieve a balanced look. I will have to keep that in mind as we search for the right frames for our photos.
My living room walls are full of frames and mirror but something that bothered me about them is their arrangement and now i know how to turn them into perfect wall art…
I love that you talked about using the Goldilocks effect when decorating the wall. Like you said, the pieces shouldn’t be too big or small for the pieces of furniture in the room. It should be just right. My boyfriend and I are going to redecorate our sunroom because it is almost summer, and we want to host chilled get-togethers there. Thanks for the tips!
You’re very welcome! Enjoy all of your summer parties 🙂
Yes! finally i got some amazing and helpful thing about wall art. This place is nice and i got very nice info about wall art.
Thanks again for all the information regarding hanging wonderful wall art! It was interesting to read about how most people actually hang their artwork too high and sometimes it needs to be lowered. My wife and I are looking into the remodeling business and this is important information — I will let her know! Thanks again!
Hi Michael, we’re so happy you found the article helpful!!
My mom is planning on making some of our old pictures into photography wall art. Thanks so much for the tip that she makes the center of each of the photos be at 57″ since she’ll want them to be at eye level. I’ll be sure to let her know about the 57″ rule with her photography wall art, but also make sure that she makes sure there are at least 10″ between the sofa and any pictures she hangs above it.
Hi Ashley thanks for reaching out we’re so happy this was helpful!
Hey Kathy !
Firstly, thanks to share these kind of tips with us. My wife also planning to purchase some wall art to decor the home, but she got confused how to hang them in proper way and we found your article. It’s really great and surely we surely follow your above mentioned steps to decorate the walls. But, we also have some question that how to select a wall art according to color of wall? Out wall color is white, so can you please suggest us which type of wall art we should be used to decor the wall in some innovative ways.
Hi Oliver,
Thanks for reaching out! With white walls, you can really go in any direction since nothing will really clash (except maybe an off-white piece). Art is very personal, so I always recommend searching for a piece that speaks to you. With a white wall, you can never go wrong with some colorful abstracts!
I like your tip to keep the art at eye level. My father has a room in his basement with lots of vintage collectibles and I’ve been wanting to buy him some vintage wall hangings. I think I’ll surprise him and hang them up while he’s gone.
What a great idea! Especially with Father’s Day coming up 🙂
I didn’t know that most people hang wall art too high. Maybe I should ask someone that I trust about different things that I would be able to do to make sure I am hanging it where it would be easy to see. I’ll need to find a professional that could help me find some wall art that would look good with the color of my house.
Hi John,
I hope you found the article useful! If you need any help source art, feel free to reach out to one of our design specialists at 888-908-2925!
I’m planning on getting some wall art and want to make sure that I hang it correctly in my house. It’s good to know that your art should be the shape and orientation as the wall it is hanging on. Something else to consider is to get wall art that matches your furniture so that you can be sure it will look nice.
Absolutely agree! Thanks for the comment, Sarah 🙂