Hang it up!

Everyone seems to follow the unwritten rule about hanging art at eye level.  This rule applies only to hallways or if you are creating a gallery space. If you are hanging individual pieces of art, the typical eye level is 5'4" from the floor but if you are taller or shorter, this center point would have to be adjusted up or down.

The rule of thumb for determining proper height of art over a sofa, table or chest is to make the art and the piece of furniture look like they are one component, not two separate pieces.  Consider the picture and the furniture pieces as a unit; make them relate to each other.

A common error is to put the piece too high, especially over a sofa.  Generally 8"-12" over the back of a sofa is appropriate.  The depth of the back of the sofa normally keeps heads from hitting the piece while sitting on the sofa.  You must make a visual judgment, so stand back and look at the sofa and the art together.  Are they a whole or two separate pieces?  If they look like two pieces lower the picture.

There is no rule against hanging small pieces of art at sitting height, especially if it is in a room where you would normally sit, such as a living room.  A placement midway between the bottom of the lampshade and the top of a table can be a very effective placement for special pieces that are best seen up close, such as needlework or a photograph.

Scale

Place small pieces on small walls; in other words, suit the size of the piece to the size of the wall it is being placed on.  Between openings, such as a door and a window frame or two doors may provide a placement for pieces too small to hang alone.

Stair stepping art, or placing one piece above the other, draws attention to the placement not the pieces of art.  The only place to stair step pictures then is on staircase walls.  Stacking pieces, one above the other with larger pieces on the bottom is appropriate, as is grouping small pieces together to get volume.

Another common problem is what to hang where.  Not only can art be hung to high over a piece of furniture but also art can be too small for the piece of furniture it is hanging over.  You do not want your wall décor to look like a postage stamp over a large piece of furniture.  To avoid this problem of art looking too small over a sofa, the picture should be at least one-half the length of the sofa or you can place two or three pieces side by side to get the width needed.

Equipment Needed:

Two hooks works best when hanging a piece of art.  The two hooks aid in getting the piece level and in keeping it that way.  Pictures with wires are easier to hang than those with a sawtooth hanger, so if you are having something framed, specify wire that is not too tightly wired.  Hardware stores or home improvement stores usually offer an assortment of hooks.  Normally a 20-lb weight is suitable for most pieces.  A larger piece of art, over 36" wide, with glass not plexiglas, may need 30-50 lb weigh hooks.  If a piece is the width of your arm spread or more use 100 lbs hooks.   Mirrors, however, are a different story and there are special kits for mirrors, which will also require additional equipment to hang them. 

For hanging artwork, you will need:

• Hammer
• Picture hooks & nails-20 lbs (two hooks for each piece to be hung)
• Tape measure or yardstick
• Pencil with an eraser
• Level (optional)

How To:

• Locate where you want your art on the wall. Then hold the piece in the location you want it.  If someone is working with you, have him or her judge the height or let them hold the piece and you make the judgement.  Always stand back to make this decision.  As stated, the average eye level is 5'4" but the height you will use depends on any furniture pieces under the picture.
• Place a small pencil mark on the wall at the top center of the piece of art. 
• Lean the art against the wall on the floor, if large with the back out, or on a tabletop, if small, with the back up.  Divide the back of the piece in quarters across the top-quarter, half and three-quarters.  Pull up the wire at the quarter or three-quarter marks, so that a quarter of the space is remaining both right and left.  Measure down from the top of the picture to the top of the wire (A) and between the quarter and three-quarter marks (B).

• Now back to the mark on the wall. Using the tape measure or yardstick, come down from the mark the distance of (A) and make another pencil mark. From this second mark, divide the (B) distance in half and mark this half measurement right and left. As a check for your two hanger marks, measure from the ceiling line down to the second mark (the one closest to the floor) and then check the distance from the ceiling to the marks made to the right and left of this second mark. These three marks should be the same, if they are not, correct any errors. See the diagram below. These marks right and left are where your hooks will be placed, the bottom of your two hooks should be placed on these marks.
• Hammer the hooks in and hang the picture wire on the two hooks.
• Step back and level the picture visually or you can use a level, if you prefer. Or you can measure from the ceiling down to each side and adjust until each side is the same.
• If the piece is small and only one hook was used and the piece does not want to stay level, use a little picture putty, also available in home improvement stores, to hold it firmly in place.