No matter how many hours of HGTV you watch, you can still feel stumped when it comes to making your own home reflect your tastes in a way that looks great. Some people seem to have an innate sense of style, but for the majority – putting together rooms that look attractive yet livable is a bit daunting. It’s been said that your rooms will look unfinished until you clothe the walls with artwork, but often, knowing how to hang artwork is the biggest challenge of them all. Here are some design tips for how to properly hang wall art.
Start by Focusing on the Focal Point
Don’t feel overwhelmed by an entire room. Start with the room’s focal point. If the room has a fireplace, this is probably the spot. If the room has one large couch or sofa along the largest wall, then that is probably where everyone’s eye naturally heads.
Fireplaces are rather easy to manage. You can choose to either hang one large piece that is nearly the same size at the fireplace opening itself or you can combine an even number of smaller pieces in a tight grouping that will create the illusion of a single piece. Whenever you make a grouping, you need some shared element that will make individual pieces into a cohesive collection. It could be similar frames, similar colors in the artwork or even a similar theme – such as Christian wall plaques.
Play Around First
Before you start driving nails into your wall, it’s a good idea to lay your artwork on the floor to see which arrangement looks the most appealing to you. If you are creating a grouping, you might think about setting out a large sheet of butcher paper on the floor. Place your artwork in different configurations until you find the one that suits you. Trace around each piece and then tape the paper to the wall. Now there is no question where each piece belongs or where to drive the nails!
Tips to Keep in Mind
If you are hanging a grouping of Christian wall plaques behind the couch or a cluster of chairs, your set will look best if the grouping occupies 75 percent of the space behind the furniture. Also remember to hang pieces at a height where the center of a large piece or of the group will be at eye-level.
Tight groupings with an even number of pieces look nicest when frames have only two to three inches in between. If you want a looser grouping you can allow more space between pieces, but keep it less than six inches.
Asymmetrical Balance
Maybe you don’t have four, six or eight similar pieces. In that case, you can still put together a pleasing arrangement with an odd number of mixed pieces. For instance, you can center a wall shelf behind your sofa and flank it by two similar horizontal pieces. Space the pieces four to six inches apart for a balanced look.
Asymmetrical groupings of pieces dissimilar in size should be staggered so that the base of one picture does not match the top of another.
Your home is your space. It needs to feel comfortable and relaxing for you. And it should say something about you too. If you are a Christian, decorating your home with Christian wall plaques is one way to have your home reflect your heart. By following a few simple design rules, your collection of pieces can become art that finishes a room. Check out the variety of Christian wall plaques available at The Printery House today.