On the Wall
Posted November 19, 2009  |  No Comments  | 

Moving into a new home is so much fun, especially so at Vantage Pointe. You get to make your imprint on a new space and turn it into your own. And, that usually includes hanging art and photos on the walls. But, if you don't know what you're doing you can make some big mistakes. Lots of unnecessary holes in the walls, pieces that don't work together or that are too big or small for the space, or positioned awkwardly. So, let's look at some ways you can avoid disaster and instead create rooms you'll enjoy and others will want to visit.

First Rules

One approach to take--before you put a single nail hole in the wall--is "the rule of thirds."  Look across the top or bottom third of an image, not the center. Take into account the aspect ratio--whether  the piece is landscape (horizontal) or portrait (vertical). And, be aware of your own height. A couple of inches can make a huge difference in viewing height, which should be adjusted for people living in the home, not visitors.

A second rule is that justifying height from the top or the bottom isn't nearly as important as the feature elements of a room. If you have a chair you really love, work from that part of the room to make it the focus and move in a clockwise circle from that point. If the home style is either very contemporary or very organized, then  justify an entire room. If it's very eclectic, you can create a feeling of movement in a room with pieces at different levels.

Think Collage

Another way to approach hanging pictures is creating a collage. It can be anything from three to 100 pieces. Because a common mistake people make is hanging pieces far too small into a large space, a collage of a number of related pieces can be a great solution. And, don't be afraid to mix and match different kinds of pieces. Photos with mirrors. Mirrors and masks. Drawings and woodcuts. Find commonalities in color, themes, even frame design, and have fun.

To create a collage, create a pseudo grid, laying pieces on the floor in front of the wall, moving them around until you're satisfied. Some people like to create triads, starting with something with a little weight on the bottom and looking for diagonal elements. Odd numbers of pieces allow you to build a pyramid. Four pieces can be a pinwheel with a nice even channel in between.

Here's a technique to avoid unnecessary nail holes: Using plain postal wrap, cut out the shapes of the frames or pieces and arrange them on the wall with painter's tape. Make sure the space in between has one standard width, say one or two inches. You can have two widths if one is horizontal and one is vertical. More, and the collage loses coherence. Once the paper is in place and you're happy with the results, hang the pieces directly on the paper and then tear off the paper. Voila!