Art in the apartment: how to hang pictures correctly

With works of art you create your personal living atmosphere in the long term. Finding the right place for a painting is a challenge, because a painting corresponds with the interior. Works of art should have the right distance to other works of art to be able to have an effect. With a painting, you create a focal point in the room.

Cleverly placed canvas paintings and murals will give your home a very individual atmosphere. How to hang pictures properly? The best way is with the help of this guide. So that your picture hanging becomes a total work of art.

The effect in the room

There is no such thing as the ideal wall for artwork. A commissioned painting can have absolutely different effects in different rooms. As a small orientation serves the furnishings and colors of the room. A painting should not compete with the interior. Here you can learn how to do that

Pictures-right-hang

1. before hanging pictures: Choose the right paintings

Which painting do you want to hang? Do you want to stage only one painting or combine several? The selection of suitable pictures is at the beginning of every hanging. Here are some suggestions for different pictures.

You could choose the images thematically: Your very favorite picture, several pictures in a similar color tone or motifs that are comparable in content. A closed presentation looks particularly expressive. A combination of painting – frame also affects the overall impression. Alternatively, you could try hanging baroque picture frames with more restrained frames. Here, a dynamic interplay of your paintings can be achieved.

Frame or Frameless?

Great modern painting always looks even without framing on the wall. Drawings and graphics are gprotected in the frame. High quality art should be framed by a gallery owner.

A good option, if you always want to choose, is a picture rail. This allows you to quickly swap out your favorite works.
Trust your intuition. The combination of colors, a special place, a wild sequence – many things seem to arise by themselves. Images appeal to our senses.

2. find the right place to hang pictures

Do you have large wall space? Do you want your paintings to stand out on a particular wall? Larger paintings require more space, small paintings also work on smaller wall surfaces. A neutral wall color is an advantage here, so that your artwork can work. If you have a colored wallpaper, you can create a calm contrast between the picture and the wall surface with a framed picture with passe-partout. Another option is to arrange on a piece of furniture.

The color and sharpness of the contours can be affected by strong sunlight or lamplight. If you hang your favorite painting in direct sunlight, it will fade. Optimal is an even lighting or e.g. a light through a gallery spot.

 3. measure wall surface and painting

Nature studies, portrait painting, a graphic, an abstract mural or a color field painting: all pictures can be arranged sensibly with a little skill. Before hanging, it is often advantageous to measure the walls:

Hang pictures correctly: Include the furnishings!

For a hanging, the furnishings play a decisive role: over opulent pieces of furniture, large-format works of art work optimally. Above a small table small pictures. A single picture or a geometric hanging of a clear atmosphere. A lot of color can reappear in your paintings.

Plan for the entire room

Always have the big picture in mind when planning. What overall image do you want to create with the hanging?

Hang paintings correctly: Try out the arrangement beforehand

Make a drawing of the wall space and the pictures. It is also possible to arrange a trial hanging using crepe paper on the wall, so you get a feel for the hanging. Another variant is to spread out the paintings on the floor to achieve a coherent arrangement.

Find the right height

Do you want to hang your artwork in the living room, bedroom or kitchen? It is recommended to hang the pictures with the center of the picture at eye level. Ideally, even a third above. Paintings with a lot of details will be shown to their full advantage. Some gallery owners also hang the works always at the same distance of 1.5 m from the floor to the center of the picture. So that the picture above the sofa works, there should always be some space in between, with a distance of about 20 cm is enough.

Pictures-right-hanging-with-screws

Screw or nail? Put your works on the wall

Heavy paintings should be attached to the wall with dowels. For smaller works, fastening with a nail is enough. Gallery rails make it easier for you to quickly change paintings.

Is it a solid wall or simple plasterboard? For secure hanging, use dowels and screws. Mark where you want to place the screws beforehand. If you need several screws per picture, always use a spirit level for exact results.

Here are some more practical tips summarized:

• A room with a lot of decorations can structure a large picture.
• Small pictures work in the sparsely decorated room.
• In the bedroom, a picture should hang above the center of the bed.
• The picture above the sofa is ideally ⅔ of the width of the sofa.

The museum hanging

Measure 150 cm from the floor to the top. Hang the picture with the center on the measured value. Of course, light, room height and furnishings are not the same in all rooms. Sometimes the museum hanging is not suitable for every wall surface.

Mehrere Bilder gruppieren

The group suspension

The loose group: Measure 150 cm from the floor to the top. There is the center of the main work. From this they now arrange all the other pictures around.

Parallel and geometric arrangement: Hang similar works of the same size at equal distances of 6 to 7 cm from each other.

Petersburg hanging: Here, all the pictures are distributed over the entire wall surface. From the floor to the ceiling. All works are arranged in relation to each other.

Need some inspiration?

You have found the right painting and are looking for a suitable frame? As an artist, I work closely with the company HALBE – HALBE manufactures all picture frames accurately and individually – high quality down to the smallest detail, with a timeless and award-winning design. Because unique pictures deserve unique picture frames. In the online store of HALBE you will find a large selection of picture frames in premium quality directly from the manufacturer, made in Germany.

I will gladly take care of the framing of your new work of art with a Halbe frame. Take advantage of my service-around-the-picture.