Hanging Art: Tips from a Home Stager
March 4, 2023 § 1 Comment
As a home stager, the one thing that stands out to me when I enter someone’s home is their artwork on the walls. Sometimes it makes a smashing impact. Other times it seems a bit random. Where is the art located? How high is it hung? And how have they grouped the pieces together?
Hanging art in the right places and at the right level to view optimally makes a huge difference in the overall effect of having art at all. Here are a few tips that might help you get the most impact from the art you select for your home.
WHERE SHOULD I HANG ART?
Hang art on the focal wall.
That’s generally the wall you see from the doorway. It’s what grabs the eye as you enter the room. It may be different from an accent wall that you painted behind the bed on a non-focal wall. The focal wall is visible from the door and it’s where your art will have the biggest impact. You can hang art elsewhere, but there should be something fabulous on that focal wall.
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HOW HIGH DO I HANG IT?
Rule of Thumb — 57″ on center
The biggest mistake I see is hanging art too high. On a plain wall, hang the art so the center of the piece is 57″ off the floor. That gives most people a direct eye-level look at the art when they are standing up. Like in a gallery. If you have to look up to see a single piece of art, it’s too high.
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HOW HIGH DO I HANG IT OVER FURNITURE?
6-8″ from the top of the furniture
Another mistake I see often is art hanging midway in the space between the top of the furniture and the ceiling. It may be tempting to split the distance and hang the art there. But chances are good that the art will be too high. There should be some breathing room above the art or it will feel too big for that space. If it feels too big, move it to another location.
When hanging art over furniture, the 57″ Rule does not apply. In that situation, the bottom of the art should be 6-8″ from the top of the furniture, in this case the headboard.
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WHAT ABOUT IN A DINING ROOM?
Since people are seated in the dining room, the art is often hung a bit lower so that it is viewable by people sitting down at the table. If the art is hung too high in this room, it’s really noticeable.
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HOW FAR APART DO I SPACE THE ART?
3-6″ at most
In a geometric grouping, when all the frames are the same size, it is important to keep the art close together so they are seen as a grouping and not as individual pieces. In terms of location on the wall, make sure the center of the grouping is 57″ off the floor. Doing a practice arrangement of the art on the floor will save putting too many holes in the wall. Measure twice, as they say…
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HOW DO I ARRANGE A RANDOM GROUPING?
On the floor first
Arranging and rearranging a grouping on the floor will help with later placement on the wall. I play around with the arrangement until I get one that pleases me. A couple of guidelines:
- Keep the same distance between pieces of art. This creates cohesion and makes the arrangement look like a grouping. It is not always possible, but to my eye it looks nicer.
- Avoid “rivers.” The long lines of space running horizontally or vertically without interruption between the pictures are called “rivers.” Avoiding them is an old high school yearbook rule for laying out photos. It stuck with me, and I do follow it. (The exception is when the grouping is geometric as above — all the frames are the same and are displayed in a grid.)
The center of the grouping should be 57″ off the floor.
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WHAT ABOUT DIFFERENT FRAMES AND SIZES?
Start with the biggest piece
For a large arrangement, spreading out on the floor will help a lot. Start with the biggest piece and work out and around from there. Remember that if there is a sofa below, leave 6-8″ between the top of the sofa and the bottom of the first piece of art. Notice how the two pieces on the far left line up on their right side. It is important to keep the distance between pieces the same throughout for an intentionally collected arrangement.
If you need help with color, feel free to comment below, hit the button for a Color Consultation, or shoot me an email at yourcolorcoach@gmail.com.
I would be happy to help you.
Hope you have a Colorful Day!
Barbara, Your Home & Color Coach
Your Home & Color Coach 
Very helpful. I am moving soon (again) and this will come in handy. I may reach out to you for some color help. Thanks for this post.