Best Practices for Hanging Wall Art
Originally written for Loftim, Inc. This post and illustrations were originally created for Loftium, a company that made housing affordable through Airbnb hosting. They have since been acquired by Flyhomes.
It's amazing the impact hanging wall art can have on a space.
Hanging pictures and artwork can make each space in your home feel beautiful, polished, and personal. It's the touch that takes it from "hotel room" to "Hosted Airbnb". Hanging art can feel daunting, but we're here to help with some tips from Loftium's in-house designers, Alex and Hannah.
Hannah says:
If your tendency is to hang art eight inches from the ceiling, you aren’t alone. Most people tend to hang art too high. You want your art to breathe. Plus, straining your neck to view art that is hung too high is just plain awkward — and doesn’t do great things for the photos of your space. For starters, there’s one simple, essential guideline you should definitely keep in mind when hanging art; always hang art so the middle is 57 inches from the floor.
It’s an easy to follow gallery model on how to hang art at average eye level. There's some wiggle room here, but always be careful not to hang your art too high.
Here are some other quick rules of thumb:
Hanging art on walls
The center of the artwork should be at an average person’s eye level or about 57 inches from the floor. Imagine you are hanging a round mirror, if you are 5’5” tall, you’d want to see your eyes in the middle of that mirror, height-wise.
This is a good standard to use when hanging art above toilets too!
When hanging next to a window, center the art between the top and bottom of the window frame, and in the center of the wall itself, if possible.
Hanging art over headboards and sofas
When hanging art above furniture (beds, sofas, desks, etc.) the bottom of the art should be 6 - 8 inches above that item (or about two hand widths). Don't forget to make sure it's centered!
Sets vs individual pieces — if an individual piece of art is an abstract (meaning it’s blocks of color and doesn’t clearly need to be hung vertically), hanging the art horizontally above a bed or sofa will fill more of the visual space and give a bigger impact.
Alex points out:
If you are hanging a set of two pieces of art that are the same size, make sure you center them over the bed or sofa and have them at the exact same height. Double- check to make sure there are 2 - 3 inches between the pieces. A great way to do this is to make a pencil mark on the wall over the center of the sofa and measure one inch to either side.
Think outside the box
Keep in mind that you don't always have to put holes in your walls for every piece of art. Framed art can be arranged elegantly on a shelf for an informal, yet modern look.
For lighter artwork, or if you have lath and plaster walls, be sure to use command strips or utilize hooks with the built-in picture rail you find in many older homes.
Need some art for your walls? Check out some of my favorite artists, whose original art works and prints add color, pattern and personality - all things I crave in interior spaces!
Katie and Paul https://www.ktandpaul.com/
Katie Spak https://bio.site/katiespakart
JoAnna Wendel https://joannawendelart.bigcartel.com/
Aramis O Hamer https://www.aohamer.com/
Raili Janese https://www.instagram.com/railijanese/
Jessica Keener https://www.jessicakeenerphotography.com/personal
The art shown at the top of the post is by me. Please reach out to inquire about current availability of paintings and commissions. Hannah@designfli.net