Art for your home

While most people have hung a piece of art in their home, it tends to be an activity that is not very well understood. Here are some helpful tips.

We’ll begin with what is easily the most common mistake people make: hanging their art at the wrong height. Art should be hung so that the middle of the work is roughly at eye level, regardless of the size of the image. A general rule of thumb is that the center of the work should be 59 inches above the floor.  Following these steps should help to get you on your way:

1. Measure and mark 59 inches on the wall

2. Take the total height of the image, and divide it by 2

3. Measure top of your picture to the wire (making sure it’s tight, as if it were hanging)

4. Subtract results of step 3 from step 2

5. Add the results from step 4 to your mark for 59 inches, and that is the mark for the hook.

There are some exceptions to the rule however. If art is being hung above furniture, the bottom of the art should be 4-8 inches above the top of the furniture. This way you ensure that eyes are drawn to your artwork as opposed to your wall. Another thing to keep in mind is that a piece of art should not be wider than the width of the furniture it hangs above. Generally, the work should not be more than 75% the width of the furniture.

It is also important that art is proportional to its surroundings. For example, larger pieces of art should be reserved for larger wall spaces, and smaller pieces of art for smaller walls.

One can also arrange smaller works into groupings, which has a similar effect to one larger piece. In this case, the center of the grouping should be used when determining height.

It should also be remembered that art should be kept out of direct sunlight, as it will lessen the quality of the image over time. If you choose to highlight your art under special lighting, use incandescent rather than halogen bulbs.

Art is an important component of every home, and ArtStar wants to make living with art as easy and comprehensive as possible. By keeping some of these ideas in mind, you can rest assured that your collection will look great.