#hangingartwork

I love hanging artwork. It’s like unwrapping a present when you stand back from a previously bare wall and view its new adornments. I also really dig going to other people’s homes and seeing how they’ve arranged art on their walls - their choice of display speaks to who they are and how they view the world.

I understand that hanging wall art can feel like a huge undertaking. There are may ways to do it, and how you choose to proceed will depend on:

Other objects in the room

Celling height

The number of artwork pieces you have

There are also many different hanging styles - some people prefer tighter groupings in a gallery wall, when images are meant to play off on another, and some pieces command more space to themselves. It doesn’t have to be perfect - a little quirkiness adds personality to your space. Here’s how to get started :

ITEMS TO HAVE ON HAND

Tape measure

Level

Picture-hanging hardware

Pencil

These are your friends. Your eyes can play tricks on you and it’s better to get it right the first time.

Here’s a trick: if you hang something with a wire on the back at the wrong height - tighten or loosen the wire accordingly, to hang the work lower or higher, depending.

WHERE TO HANG

The average viewing height (the eye-level of your average human being) is 54 - 60 inches, so that should be the center of your piece.

When hanging artwork above furniture, aim for the bottom of the piece to be between 6 - 10 inches above the back of your couch, to tie it in with the room.

Although fireplaces tend to have empty space above them, please, don’t hang any artwork above your fireplace - heat will slowly destroy it. 

These numbers are just starting points and YOUR height and preferences will dictate where your artwork will ultimately hang.

Now that you have an idea of WHERE to hang art, here’s HOW to find where to position it on a wall. I would suggest getting some kraft paper and cutting out pieces that are the same size as your frames. I’m linking you to this article, because it explains where to actually nail your holes into the wall. Here’s a quick primer and some of my own advice:

YOUR ANCHOR POINTS

Find the center of the wall. Mark it with your pencil. 

Find 60 inches from the bottom of the wall. Mark it with your pencil. 

This helps you remember the basic anchor points if you lose track of the math. 

For simplicity’s sake, I’m going to pretend you’re hanging one piece of artwork. The link above will help you with more complicated hanging. I’ll use numbers so you can follow along:

measure the height of your artwork (20 inches high)

divide the height of your artwork by 2 (20 / 2 =10 inches)

measure the distance of the hanging point (the wire on the back of the artwork or any other fixture on the back of the work) to the top of the artwork (5 inches)

add half of the height of your artwork to 60 inches (60 + 10 = 70 inches)

subtract the wire height (70 - 5 = 65)

Mark this spot on your wall (65 inches) and that’s where the bottom of your wire hanging hook will go

Nail a hole through the hanging hook, put your artwork on the hook, step back and enjoy!

For more complicated hanging jobs, you may want to enlist the help of another person, especially if artwork is heavy.

After a while, you’ll get a feel for the numbers and this process will become like second nature to you. I promise, it gets easier and it’s fun! Cheers to you for braving the art-hanging storm.

Hanging Artwork 101

There is a two step processes when purchasing framed artwork for your space from 1-800Artwork.com.

1. Selecting dynamic framed artwork with a moulding that complements your interior.

2. Hanging your framed artwork. 

The framed artwork we send to you may look really awesome, but the hanging of the artwork is an important part as well. We don't leave you hanging to figure out how to get the artwork on to the wall, rather we give you instructions to hang your artwork professionally. All 1-800Artwork.com customers receive hanging kits & instructions with their purchase. Below you can find our recommendations to hang your artwork easily & professionally.

Hanging Guidelines

-Distance from floor- 

Position center of artwork 60" from the floor, (see figure 1). This creates a consistent line of focus when hanging artwork of various sizes and dimensions. This measurement is a general guideline and can be adjusted as desired. For example: Artwork in a seating area can be hung a couple of inches lower than the 60" guideline to provide a more comfortable line of view for seated individuals.

-Mounting of Artwork-