When And Where To Hang Your Artwork (And Crooked Can Be Perfect)

There is nothing like a piece of artwork, a mirror or other item (like a tapestry) floating in the middle of a wall.  I believe one of the most common mistakes in a home is the height at which artwork is hung.  Everyone feels driven to hang their artwork for the L.A. Lakers’ to view…a little too high!  Hello, most of us are down here!

Keep the pieces "grounded" to what is around them. The cabinet "grounds" the piece it is supporting and the pieces on the wall "hold" each other with the "center" of the grouping being about 57" off the floor.

The most basic rule for hanging a piece is to hang the “center” of the piece about 57″ off the floor (not the trim top but the floor). This lets the piece be a part of the group that it is “topping off.”  If over a sofa, the piece  needs to look like it is “with” the sofa and belongs there.

I had this piece hung immediately over the sofa. In this way, it was low enough to be at a good viewing level, was "anchored" to the sofa and high enough not to cover the beautiful frame.

Of course, there are exceptions to the rule:

If you or someone living in the space are quite tall, be sure to accommodate.  For example, a tall man should be able to see his entire face in a larger mirror so you may need to raise the piece accordingly.

Odd-shaped or over-sized pieces can be tricky.  To determine the height to hang such a piece, you may need to use an artistic eye.

Be sure and watch how a piece is leveled, too.  While hanging a large mirror in New York recently, we actually had to hang it crooked.  Why?  The ceiling and trim were crooked.  That is what your eye will compare it to so you must bow down to the architecture.  We generally use a level and laser when hanging, but sometimes, even the best technology can not accommodate for what the human eye accepts.

An example that sometimes you just need to use an "artful eye" to hang larger pieces is above. I love these pieces and wanted them to hang with the heads of the dancers at eye-level so your first feeling of walking into the space was of movement and dance.

I will address how to hang pieces in my next blog.  Good luck and remember, keep your pieces low and “grounded” with is going on around them…even if that is just the floor.

When you think height, think Heinz – Heinz 57, Baby!  NOW you’ll remember…57″.

57" is the magic height.

Make it fab!

-Jill

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Photos:  Jill Tran Interior Design and Co.

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Jill Tran is a Kansas City Interior Designer and creates beautiful, custom interiors for Kansas City Interior Design clients and clients around the countr