Consider the framed art on your walls. Where did you place it? How often do you look at it? Do you even like that particular picture? Are there any pictures that just don't seem to belong in the spot that it was hung? How you hang the picture, and where you place it actually says a lot about you and your style. Let's take a look at some ways that picture hanging can be used effectively in your home or office.

Location and Height

You've probably heard the rule of thumb that pictures should be hung at eye level. More exactly, an ideal height puts the lower half of the picture at eye level. That's a good place to start, but the heights of your framed pictures don't always have to be the same. After all, eye level is different for a tall person or a short person. Instead, consider the location of your picture in relation to nearby objects. If you hang a picture above a desk, you may want to lower it so you can see it clearly when you sit at the desk. Maybe you have two pictures that you want to hang one above the other. Small pictures above a doorway are way up high, but they can add a lot of interest to the room.

If you have a collection of pictures that you want to hang in a group, consider how you want it to look. Putting the pictures in a line, evenly spaced and hanging at your eye level, will give a uniform, professional appearance. This may be perfect for a gallery, a formal room, or a meeting room. Grouping the pictures together in a clump, with some pictures high and others low and all of them quite close together, produces a spontaneous feeling. This may be great if you are decorating a family room or your personal office. Placing a group of three pictures above a sofa or a long table will help pull the room together. For example, hang a large picture lower than eye level directly above the sofa, and then buffer it with two smaller pictures on each side. Make it look like gravity worked in your favor in this room, and everything fell into the correct spaces.

Breathing Room

Do you have a lot of pictures to hang, and organizing them on your wall has become a sort of puzzle? When there is a lot to look at, you need to remember the importance of breathing room. Leave some wall space between frames. Also, take advantage of picture mats. A 5x7 inch photograph matted and hung in an 8x10 inch frame has breathing room built right into it. The empty mat space directs the viewer's attention right to the photograph. If you are hanging pictures up to the ceiling, make sure the ones at the top can be seen clearly. In other words, a highly-detailed pencil drawing may not be the best picture to hang near the ceiling. Make sure hanging lights and other pieces of furniture do not hide a work of art that you want to see.

Use a Hanging System that Works for Your Space

Your picture hanging system doesn't have to be complicated. We give you options that produce professional results. The picture rail system mounts to your wall or ceiling easily and allows you to hang pictures using cables or picture hanging rods. A good hook sturdily attaches your picture to your cable or rod so your picture won't be falling every time a door slams shut.

Do you need help choosing the right system for your space? Our professional picture hanging assistants can give you advice and offer tips based on your room's dimensions and the purpose of the room. Contact us to find the picture hanging system that works for you.