The Best Ways to Hang your Paintings
Decorating the walls is one of the best ways to bring your home to life. We’ve already talked about how to paint them, which colors to use, and even how to make them waterproof. But today, we want to show you some of the best ways to hang your paintings, so that you can create the perfect arrangement for any room.
Where to start?
If you’ve ever stood in front of a white wall, you’ll know that you can’t simply start hammering nails into it any old how. Before you get started, you need to know whether your chosen wall is suitable for making holes, and then choose your tools accordingly.
Measure your wall so that you have a clear idea of how much space you’ve got to work with. You can also measure the size of your frames. This will make it easier to create a balanced and harmonious arrangement.
One option is to make cardboard cutouts to act as a template, so you can see how the arrangement will look before you start making the holes.
How to hang your paintings
Before we discuss some of the different ways you can hang your paintings, we recommend using the tape measure.
- You’ll need to leave around 2″ of space between each frame so that no painting has more prominence than another.
- If you’re not sure what height to hang your paintings at, we have the answer. The best thing to do is hang your paintings at head-height so that you can see them properly. Picture an imaginary line approximately 63″ off the ground, and create your arrangement around this fixed point.
- If your painting measures less than 30″ in height, it should be hung above eye level.
- If you’re going to hang a painting above a piece of furniture, measure the distance between the furniture and the ceiling, and hang the painting approximately 2/3 of the way up.
- Leave at least 15″ of space between the highest painting and the ceiling.
How to hang your paintings without making holes in your wall
If you don’t fancy making holes in your wall, there are some good alternatives. For example, you can find adhesive supports that can hold up to 4.5 lb of weight. These are great for arranging small paintings.
Another idea that can work really well is to simply lean paintings on furniture or on a shelf. This makes it far easier to change them around if you ever get bored.
How to create the perfect wall
- Mix and match: combine different shapes and sizes to create a really stylish arrangement. For example, you could use photos, posters, and classical paintings, all in the same arrangement.
- The star of the show: choose one painting to be the focus. This should generally be the largest painting, around which you can arrange the rest of your frames.
- Harmonize: choose paintings with similar colors to create a sense of harmony.
- Frames: like the paintings themselves, every frame has its own particular style. While you can mix-and-match different styles of frame, try not to include more than 4 different types in the same arrangement. Otherwise, it will look messy and chaotic.
The best ways to hang your paintings
3 x 3
This arrangement involves hanging 9 paintings to create a square. You can place your favorite painting in the middle, and arrange the rest of the paintings around it.
Three in a row
Another popular way to hang paintings is to place three paintings side by side, either horizontally or vertically. One of the advantages of this last arrangement is that it can create the illusion that your ceilings are higher than they actually are.
Alternating paintings
This option involves selecting 8 frames of two different sizes. Place one smaller and one larger frame directly above the other and repeat, alternating the pattern as in the photo above. This is a great option for modern homes.
Pinwheel arrangement
Using frames of identical size, start by placing one frame vertically, then place another frame directly below it, hanging it horizontally. Use two more to create a square of alternating frames, and you’ll have a beautiful pinwheel formation.
These are just some of the best ways to hang your paintings. If you need more inspiration, take a look on Pinterest or Instagram and you’ll find all the ideas you need!