A Study on Hanging Art

One of the most common  mistakes I see when I visit my clients houses is that the art is hung too high on the wall.  It makes it seem to me like the room is shrugging it's shoulders or raising it's eyebrows and needs to relax. 

The common misconception is that the piece of art, picture, or mirror being hung has to be evenly space between the ceiling and the table/counter/lamp/sofa it is placed above.  Maybe if your ceilings are 7'-0" high this works but generally, that type of symmetry is not the most pleasing thing for the eye to look on in the room.  If there isn't any furniture below the art, I will try to place it somewhere around 1/2 way to 2/3rd the way up the wall from the floor.  Most of the time I see the art hung around 3/4 the way up the wall.  Yikes!

As a general rule of thumb I like to hang a piece of art around 6"-10" above a table or sofa.  This will also mean that you should have the appropriate sized art.  Many work of art I see hung are great pieces but too small for the location. 

Here are some examples of properly hung art:

Take a look at your house or office.  Is the room shrugging it's shoulders?  I think it's time for some relaxation!

Photos from Nancy Pape, Inc. Model Homes

Advice You Need to Have

I notice that I am quite often bringing to light the great inspirations that can be found in House Beautiful Magazine.  I really recommend you should just go out and subscribe, if you haven't already. At the very least, pick up the May issue!  It's titled "The Big Advice Issue", which you know must be loaded with some gems.  I have provided some as proof!

To start off with, we have this yummy room from the cover.  The greys and cream upholstery peices (LOVE the sofa!) are kept fresh with orage, tourquoise, green and dark pink accents.

The advice being mentioned for this room is to double up on the accent pillows and make sure they are contrasting in color and texture or patterns.  Also, put some skirts on your upholstery to avoid too many legs in the room.  Skirts help to "ground" the room instead of making it appear "nervous"

Here's some creative advice to wallpaper you sliding closet doors!  Presto chango you have an exciting feature wall for very little effort.

This photo shows how unlimited we can be in our outdoor spaces thanks to new fabrics and finishes.

This photo is highlighting a common misconception that my clients find hard to believe when I tell them: Dark walls will make the room feel bigger! The edges of the room will get lost in the shadows.

Really, just go pick up this issue and discover all of the other great tips that House Beautiful Magazine has so wonderfully compiled.