Want some help now with the layout?

What will your walls look like when your done?

Things to look at before you start and design elements you might need.

Relate Artwork to wall size.

Choose smaller pictures for narrow walls and larger works for big wall spaces.

Relate Art to Furniture Size

In general, when hanging art over a piece of furniture it should not

be longer than about 75% the width of the furniture.

Light Art Well

Illuminating artwork gives it importance and add dramatic to your decor.

(Beautiful artwork can be lost unless it is well lit. )

Hang an Art Shelf

Popular art shelves are a great way to add interest and take up very little space.

Art Tips About Color and Size

Choose artwork that underscores the mood or theme of your room’s decor.
Is the room vibrant, pastel, or neutral? Is your furniture casual, formal,

modern, or traditional? These are clues that will help zero in on the

 type of artwork that compliments the color and scale of a room.

Check Color

Vibrant colors bring excitement to a room while neutral colors are more calming. Which do you prefer?

Bigger is often Better

One large painting makes a statement and keeps things simple. It can also call attention to the focal point of the room which is often the fireplace.

Landscape Art

Landscape art is one good way to visually open up a smaller space.

The view of a distant horizon acts as a sort of “window”

giving the impression of a far away vista.

Landscapes Open Up a room.

Think Outside the Box.

Get creative when framing.

The use of line is sometimes overlooked by home decorators,

yet proper use of line can set the mood in a room.

Horizontal lines tend to elongate, widen,

and emphasize a casual decorating scheme  tend to be calming

and can give the illusion of width in a narrow room

Vertical lines however, tend to be more formal,

add to the illusion of height, and can

seem more elegant and refined.

Hanging Artwork in Diagonal Lines

makes it appear more dramatic and exciting.

While artwork generally shouldn’t be hung in offset arrangements,

it is a useful technique in a stairwell as the floor levels change.

Offset Arrangements

Avoid hanging matching pictures in a perfect line whenever you’d

like to emphasize a casual atmosphere. This works to create

a dynamic diagonal line and stays away from a formal symmetrical look.

Hanging Art in Symmetrical Arrangements 

Symmetry adds balance and formality to an arrangement and is generally pleasing and calming to the observer.  Use symmetrical or asymmetrical arrangements of art to create either a formal or a casual feeling.  Symmetry simply means that when an arrangement is divided in half, each half is a mirror image of the other. 

Asymmetrical Arrangements

Do something unexpected by hanging pictures in an asymmetric arrangement. This eye-catching grouping is a casual fun look for informal settings.

Tips for Hanging Artwork

Do you have some smaller pictures or artwork that you’d like to hang together?

The two tips on this page illustrate a few of the ways to

 create a cohesive art arrangement.

Make a Box

Two horizontally framed pictures can easily be hung with two vertically framed pictures by offsetting each style.  (looks like a box on the wall)

Make Small Pieces Appear Larger

One of these objects hung on a large wall would seem out of place, yet this unusual grouping extends each piece within an arrangement that is a more appropriate size for the space.

Collect and Hang Themed Art

Stick to a theme, color, and style

Nothing ruins a carefully planned arrangement of art faster than

if the pictures pull away from the wall because they weren’t hung securely.
Always use picture hooks rated for the weight of the artwork or object,

 and attach heavy pictures to hooks that have been installed into

wall studs or with specialized drywall hangers.

Hang Securely

Hang pictures to securely attached picture hooks rated for the weight

 of the artwork or object. If in doubt about picture hardware or its

installation, ask us for advice on what is best for you.

Collect Themes

A group of pictures framed alike and hung together can have big impact. This display uses dozens of smaller pieces of art. Use this random technique for hanging a collection in a contemporary space. In your own home.

Vary Frame Shapes

Add interest to a picture grouping by hanging pictures with differently shaped frames.

Mat Colors

Pictures will have greater impact if matted in a contrasting color to the wall.

 Choose a dark mat for a light wall and vice versa.

Hang Architectural Elements

Use the principles of contrast to highlight a piece of art.

 Try to match the shape and size of the piece you are hanging

to the shape and size of the wall.

Stick to Your Theme

Support your room theme with art, repeating the colors, motifs,

and style of the room’s interior.

Hanging artwork baffles many home decorators.

The questions always center around subjects like —

How high should a picture be hung on the wall, what color should the

 matting be, and how can you decide what goes where?

In general, artwork should be hung so that the center point of the

picture or grouping is at about eye level for the average person.

While this won’t be possible in every situation, it’s a

good guideline to keep in mind.

Another technique to remember 

 Grouping of pictures should be thought of as one unit.

Test an arrangement of pictures by laying everything out

on a large table (or on the floor), playing with combinations

until you hit upon one that works.

Laying them out on paper is even better since you’ll

be able to trace around each object and determine

where picture hangers should be installed.

Tape the paper up on the wall as a template for picture hangers

and you’ll be done in no time.

You can also lay out pieces of scrap molding (or tape) onto the floor to

form the “outside” border of a picture grouping — the measurements

within which the smaller pieces of art will be set.

This is useful when a particular wall has certain boundaries that

must be observed (such as a chair rail, windows, heating vents,

and the like) and helps keep your arrangement the proper size.

Showcase Design

 Artwork is a way to showcase your family’s interests.

You might want to show off your family with a portrait in a formal living room

or a wall bank of old family photos in a more casual living room.

 What Kind of Picture Should We Display?

Hanging pictures is comparable to spreading frosting on a cake.

The walls and cake are both blank canvases that can be decorated in a myriad of ways.

 The images and color in pictures evoke an array of emotions and should be carefully selected along with available wall space must be a consideration. The last might

be your budget of how much you want to spend. Original oil paintings

can be pricey as opposed to substantially less expensive art prints.

Subject Matter

Every picture sends a message.

 You want the subject matter displayed in your room to trigger happy,

comforting thoughts or memories. Landscapes of lush mountain meadows,

serene beach sunsets, fields of blooming flowers or winding trails through

sunlit forests are favorite themes. Abstract art lends a contemporary flair

to the room. Pretty floral, family portraits tranquil sailboats and a variety

 of other choices are available options.

Size

The room’s wall space available will determine the size and

quantity of pictures to hang. A focal point in the room can be

created on a large blank wall by hanging a single, substantial piece

of framed and matted or canvas wall art. A grouping of four or

more smaller framed pictures hung on a wall is a favorite. Similar

themes connect the pictures, such as the four seasons, a variety

 of foliage or interesting architectural structures.

Decor Style

Blend pictures with your current decor style and

color palette. Brightly colored abstract pictures look

stunning against a white wall in a contemporary decor.

Black and white framed photographs are a combination

of traditional and modern style and can be inexpensively created.

Photographing historic buildings, city parks, busy streets or flowering

 foliage in your locale are low-cost ways to quickly embellish your living

room walls. Floral and landscapes are well suited for the traditional home. 

Medium

An assortment of interesting pictures may suit your style, budget

and personal preference. Purchasing an expensive original oil

 painting is an exquisite piece of art that can become a family

heirloom. Watercolor, pen and ink and acrylic mediums can be

one-of-a-kind originals or sold as less expensive prints.

Photography in vivid color, sepia tones or black and white

can be framed into original creative room pictures. Even simple pencil

drawings can be fashioned into interesting conversational wall art.

What Can I Hang on My Wall behind the couch that is not expensive?

The space above the couch is a substantial piece of

decor “real estate,” but hanging something there need

not break the budget. What is hung there should complement

 the room, tie elements together and make a statement of your

design expertise. Choosing what to hang above the couch is important,

 but the size of the item, or collection of items, is of equal importance.

Understanding a few design guidelines will help you make the right choice.

Size

The wall area above the sofa is a rectangular shape.

The design principle at work here is that the shape of the item,

 or collection of items, in this space should also be rectangular.

 The rectangle starts 12 inches above the sofa back and is

usually 3- to 4-feet high. The width is usually a minimum

of two-thirds of, and not greater than, the width of the sofa.

 Items hung on the wall should be contained within this imaginary

rectangle and should be placed no more than 4 inches apart.

In this area of design, less is not more.

Leaving the space blank is better than placing too small,

 or too few, terms in the rectangle.

A sofa is a fairly large piece of furniture, and the decoration

above it should present the same feel of size to the item it is above

Collection

If you have pictures or canvases that go together, hanging them

as a collection will help create a cohesive design.

This look works well if you are using three canvases that showcase

 three different parts of a unit, such as a flower or black and white prints .

 Hang the pictures at eye level with about 1 foot of space between them.

Art Gallery

Make a feature wall behind your sofa by hanging large pictures in a similar fashion to an art gallery. Measure 57-inches above the floor line.

Hang large pictures so that the center of the picture is on the

 57-inch measurement.

Separate each picture by a few feet.

Three to five pictures work well with this grouping, depending

on the width of your wall.

Grid

If you have a lot of pictures in different sizes, creating a grid pattern

 will help you make a harmonious layout for your pictures.

We will take the dimensions of your pictures and help you create

 a grid that you can use with painter’s tape to create the outline on your wall. 

Even Numbered Arrangements

Gather a set of picture frames that are all the same size,

color and style. Frame favorite family photos, wallpaper scraps,

 book pages, leaves or pressed flowers. Hang the pictures in a

cluster to create a sense of symmetry. 

Asymmetrical

For a contemporary look, try an asymmetrical look.

Arrange a variety of pictures in a grouping with

small picture frames amid medium sized ones.

Picture frames should go well with each other, maybe

the same color, but can be different shapes and placed in

different directions. Achieve a sense of balance with a large picture

on the left and right hand size of the grouping.

Shape

Arrange your pictures in a grouping that mirrors a shape.

A triangle grouping of pictures makes an immediate focal point.

Place your pictures in a circle maybe to tell a story with your photos.

 Place large pictures in the middle and then surround the big pictures

 with smaller pictures to achieve the circular look

t