How to avoid high-flying artwork

I recently worked with a lovely (and hilarious) couple who were downsizing and moving into an apartment in a retirement community. They had a LOT of amazing artwork and needed help arranging in their new place.

We ended up hanging 70 (count 'em, 70!) pieces that day and it occurred to me that they aren’t the only ones who might want some ideas about how to show off their treasures.

Here are 3 tips for hanging decor in your own home:

Avoid high flying artwork

A mistake I see many people making is hanging photos or artwork too high on the wall. Not only does everything look lonely and out of place floating way up there, but it’s hard to appreciate something you can’t see.

The eyes have it

If you’re not sure about where to place your wall décor, the rule of thumb is that photos or artwork should be hung roughly at eye level where you can see them comfortably.

It gets tricky because eye level is higher or lower for different areas in your home. In the living room where you do more sitting, your eye level is generally lower than it would be in areas where you’re more likely to be standing, like in the hallway.

So hang things a little lower over a sofa or a chair. Use the rule of thirds, and break up the empty space around the art by leaving one third of the space below it and two-thirds above it, like in the photo above. (This photo is from a project I recently finished. Big shout out to you, Leslie!)

By placing your artwork closer to the furniture than the ceiling, you’re creating a grouping which is pleasing to the eye and your room will look more pulled together.

The head-slapper method

This sweet little tip has saved my sanity on numerous occasions. If you have a framed piece that requires pounding more than one hole in the wall to hang it, use blue painter's tape to measure the distance between the two holes. Or cover both holes with a strip of the tape and poke holes in it where the nails should go. Then peel off the tape and place it on the wall where you want the artwork (and use a level). Duh.