Our ten most helpful and innovative art and picture hanging tips!

Our customers are always asking us for art hanging ideas that can complement their Systematic Art hanging system. In today’s post, we’ll present ten of our most favorite art hanging tips that make sure you’re getting the most out of your display and may inspire you to give yourself an artwork makeover.

1. Art Symmetry

In general, your art should be in proportion to the size of the wall on which it’s hanging and the size of the furniture and decor in the area. Select smaller pictures for smaller walls and bigger works or multiple pieces for larger areas. Additionally, art that hangs over an item of furniture should not be longer than the furniture’s width.

Choose art that is in proportion to the space and furniture.

2. Picture Lighting

Illuminating your artwork properly provides drama and gives it a sense of importance. Many lighting and shadowing techniques can also enhance the images and draw attention.

3. Color, size, and shape

Try to match the aesthetics of your art and pictures to the type of room and environment it will be hanging in. Keep in mind that the colors presented in your art can transform the entire atmosphere. Vibrant colors bring excitement, while neutral colors bring a calming effect. Also focus on the size – one large painting can make a bold statement while also keeping the appearance simple. Many small paintings can suddenly take a drab, ordinary room and make it feel active and lively.

The design and content of your artwork can also enhance or shift the feel of a room. For example, landscape art can add the look of a window to a room that lacks natural light. Additionally, horizontal and vertical lines are a major principal of hanging art. Strong horizontal lines within the artwork or in the way the artwork is hung can present a calming tone, giving a narrow room the illusion of width. Vertical lines are bit more dramatic, giving a room the perception of greater height.

This display features works in vibrant colors and various sizes.

4. Art Hanging Arrangements

One of the most useful and striking solutions to hanging art is to experiment with interesting hanging arrangements like hanging artwork diagonally or in offset arrangements.  Using a diagonal arrangement can be especially beautiful on a stairwell where the floor level consistently changes.  Instead of a symmetrical look, an offset or uneven arrangement can be useful if you’re looking to emphasize a more casual laid-back atmosphere.

5. Art and Framing Themes

A group of pictures with similar themes that are framed alike and hung together can have a huge visual impact on a space.  Concentrate on collecting and displaying similar pieces of artwork or photography.  You can support your room’s theme by repeating the same colors, motifs and styles throughout the room’s interior.  To harmonize a group of pictures try to frame and hang them alike.  This brings direction and unity regardless of how many pieces you are hanging.

Create an impact by grouping pictures with similar themes and matching frames.

6.  Inspiration

Seek out pictures to hang that inspire you.  Use their colors and themes as the foundation for other elements in the room.  Allow the artwork to influence your decorating style and use it to help guide your choice of fabrics, wall color, flooring, furnishings and overall decor.

Artwork can complement and reflect surrounding design elements, color schemes, and overall decor.

7.  Prepare to hang

Be prepared, precise, and efficient.  If you’re hanging multiple pieces of artwork, figure out how they’ll work together before you start making holes by using math and making a template of your hanging arrangement. Keep a calculator handy to plug in your dimensions.  Use newsprint or butcher paper to create true-scale templates of your frames, then use painter’s tape to figure out the best arrangement.

8. Keep it clean

Hanging artwork can create drywall, plaster, or concrete dust on your carpet, floors, or furniture. So just use this little tip: Add a folded Post-It underneath your marked hole to collect most of the dust made from your drilled hole.

9.  Hanging isn’t just for artwork

If you’ve run out of art to hang or you simply want to visually enhance your space in a new and refreshing way, consider hanging items other than traditional art: plates, mirrors, statues, hats, baskets, shelves, sconces, and quilts can all be hung and displayed.

Think outside the frame! Enhance your space by hanging unconventional objects, such as mirrors and shelves

10.  Use an Art Hanging System!

Here at Systematic Art we obviously encourage using a track or rail art hanging system to display art and pictures.  One major benefit of an art hanging system is that once the track is installed, the wall will never need to be damaged by another nail, clip or other hardware. In addition, a rail hanging system allows users to hang art on unconventional or “difficult” surfaces, such as mirror, title, or marble using cables, rods, and adjustable hooks.  The art hanging system provides the most flexibility to easily change, adjust and rotate your artwork to fit your current mood or to spotlight a new piece.  Finally, our customers simply love how the clean, modern look of a Systematic Art picture hanging system enhances the beauty of the art and surrounding space.  For more information on using an art hanging system, read our previous post on the topic.

Use an art hanging track system to easily display and adjust art on “difficult” walls of glass or mirror.

Now it’s time to evaluate the artwork in your own home!  We hope the tips we’ve provided have given you some new ideas and a fresh perspective on how to hang your art and pictures beautifully and efficiently!