Do you miss traveling and need to be reminded of past adventures? It’s time to print your vacation photos and display them on a wall. While you’re at it, mix up the medium. In art talk, that means include a canvas print, painting and maybe a small sculpture or memento on an art shelf.
A gallery wall allows for a curated collection of artistic objects to look attractive together.
Here are tips from Artfinder, an online art marketplace, on displaying art in your home:
You’re eager to plant that dramatic collage on your living room wall, hang a portrait in the entry or install an abstract piece in the bedroom. First, take a few steps to make sure it will stay put for as long as you love it.
Picture hanging hardware: You don’t want your art to come crashing down. Screw two hooks into the wall, each about a quarter of the way in from each side of the frame to make it snug against the wall.
Support it: You’ll need more than properly placed hooks, especially if you’re installing a large statement piece. Use a cord, wire or other hanger from the ceiling to support the weight of your artwork. Place the weight support in the top center of the piece to make sure it holds the whole weight, while also not appearing lopsided.
Make it safe: If the art can be bumped by people or pets, or jostled by an earthquake, add security fittings to prevent the frame from falling.
Preserve your artwork: Select a wall that’s not in direct sunlight or where someone could lean against or touch the painting.
Hang art at eye level: Museums and galleries typically install art so the center of it is 57 inches above the floor.
- Measure up from the floor and lightly mark 57 inches on the wall with a pencil.
- Measure the height of your artwork and divide in half to know the center of the piece.
- Measure the top of your picture down to where the wire falls. Subtract this from the center height to know how far above the 57 inch mark your hook should go.
Contemporary gallery walls, also known as salon-style hangs, allow you to inject personality and color into your living space, even if you don’t have much wall space or don’t want to hang something on every wall.
Here are Artfinder’s tips on building a gallery wall:
Group related art: Select a theme, subject matter, color palette, particular artist or build an eclectic mix of subjects and styles.
Stay on budget: You can create a gallery wall with as little as three works. Install different sizes to inject personality and points of difference.
Mix it up: Feel free to cluster a wide range of subjects such as portraiture, botanicals, abstracts, typography and landscapes. But if you’d like to stick to a contemporary theme, feature three to four main colors.
— Edited by Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072
