Home Decorating Pictures
Showcase Your Unique Style

Home decorating pictures play an important role in our decor and imparts a unique style all our own in our home. But hanging the wall decor can baffle many. It's hard making that first nail in the wall!

Follow these guidelines, and hanging creative works of art will be much easier.

Scale wall decor to the furniture

Hang your pieces to relate to something underneath and consider the size of the art to the furniture.

Your art wants to be about 75% of the width of what you are hanging it above.

The bottom of the artwork should be no higher than 5"-8" from the furniture it is hanging above. You can eyeball this. Leave a little breathing room but not so much that the space appears too spacious.

If the picture is difficult to see and admire, then it is hung too low or too high.

Artwork generally should be hung so the center point of the image is at eye level. In a gallery or hallway it will be eye level when the viewer is standing. The general rule is about 60" from the floor.

When viewing art in the living or sitting area, keep in mind you most likely will be seated, so the artwork can be a little lower.

Balance the artwork to the wall

Relate the size of the art to the area of available wall space. Narrow pieces should be hung on smaller walls and the larger pieces should of course be on the bigger expanse of wall.

Look for themes that fit into your decor when possible, but only buy what inspires you and display what you love.

Support the style of your interior by repeating some of the elements from the art into the room through fabrics, wall color, flooring and accessories.

When selecting several pieces of art for one room you may wish to unify the paintings through similar frame styles or the tonal value of each painting. The subject matter doesn't have to be the same. You can mix and match styles in a room as long as there is a common thread to each.

An arrangement with home decorating pictures

If you have only small to medium size paintings to hang, intersperse with other accessories to make an arrangement. It is a nice way to add dimension and interest to the wall.

Photographs, mirrors, brackets, wall shelves, paintings, clocks and architectural elements are just a few of the objects you can use with much success.

The grouping can be of any shape as long as you keep it in balance and scale it to what is under the arrangement. Remember too, home decorating pictures can lean on shelves and fireplace mantels.

Start by gathering the pieces you want to hang. Lay out the individual pieces on the floor before hanging to get a sense of how things will look. You could also make templates of each piece by tracing around them and taping them to the wall with masking tape to experiment.

Have someone help you by holding your home decorating pictures up to the wall while you step back to appraise. When you are satisfied, make a pencil mark at the top of the frame on the wall to mark where it will go. Measure down from the top of the artwork to where the picture hanger is.

Hang pictures securely to the wall using the proper hardware. There are picture hanging hardware that is rated to the weight of the art, or (whatever you are hanging). Picture hanging kits can be purchased at places like the Home Depot or any hardware store.

Turn any wall into an instant focal point... if your room doesn't have any interesting architectural elements artwork can make a great impact.

• A group of pictures will have greater impact when they are framed and matted in a similar manner and hung together.
• Pictures can also have a big impact when the mat is a contrast to the wall color.
• For a formal feel hang pictures in a row, or use a symmetrical arrangement. Symmetry arranging is the mirror image to each side when cut in half.
• For an eye catching display in a casual setting, use an asymmetrical arrangement.

The use of line can set the mood in a room.

• Horizontal lines in the artwork or the way that it is hung tends to be calming and gives the illusion of width.
• Use similar items to hang together to broaden the expanse or in a hallway. If you are creating a modern gallery look, leave breathing space between each piece.
• Vertical lines add to the feeling of height, and tends to be more formal.
• Landscapes are good choice to visually open up a room, as well as paintings that draw you in. Like a country road or cobblestone street.

Rotate wall hangings from time to time to keep things fresh.

Let your home decorating pictures tell a story, compliment the theme of the room and reveal your personality and lifestyle.

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