Don’t know how to hang paintings? Are your living room walls too bare? Don’t worry! I’m here to help you.😊

Where to start

The first thing to do is to focus on the wall you want to decorate and the size of the painting itself.

You can try to:

• Draw the wall, the furniture and the composition of the paintings on a sheet of paper, naturally in scale (the most recommended is 1:20), to estimate the final effect (recommended if you are an architect, an engineer or simply a perfectionist).
• Cut out all the silhouettes of your paintings on cardboard and attach them to the wall, using self-adhesive tape (recommended if you are a DIY fan).
• Put the pictures you want to hang on the floor, at the chosen wall, so that you can see the effect (recommended if you are not a DIY lover 😊).
• Take pictures of the paintings and reconstruct the wall on the computer, simulating the combinations on the screen (if you can manage with graphics).
• You can follow the advice of many architects and interior designers who suggest using a large picture (150 cm base), to be centred on the wall, or use several pictures to be placed next to each other respecting the chromatic harmony.

Let’s say lively sobriety and good taste; in case of doubt, better to rely on an artist (you can find my contacthere)

At what height is it better to hang the picture on the wall?

At eye level, but to make things easier to calculate, if the pictures are aligned at the bottom, the latter must be about 120 cm above the ground. Alternatively, you can hang the middle of the painting 140 cm from the floor. If they are in front of a sofa, always calculate 90/100 cm (an adult sitting).

• Paintings on the wall in a row
  If you want to put several pictures of the same size one after the other, you have to place them in a row, keeping the lower side of the frame as a reference point.
• Pictures with different frames
  Enclose the whole you want to create in a sort of imaginary geometric figure, usually a rectangle or a square in which to insert all the paintings, the large ones above, the smaller ones below.
• Single painting
  When it is a single painting, it usually occupies the entire wall. The chosen image should be of great impact and should have a portion of the wall around, that will frame it and give it the right perspective. It is the ideal choice for a wide space.
• Portraits
  Always keep in mind that the heads must face each other, creating a harmonious effect between the different lines of vision. On the contrary, if all the subjects look on the same side, there will be an unnatural effect and a sense of confusion.
• Series of paintings
  Arranged in sequence, and all of the same size, the paintings may enhance the sense of depth of the room, but at the same time they reduce the height of the ceiling. Impressive in corridors.

How to place the pictures in different rooms

• In the corridor: single frames to be interposed between one door and another, with a perfect alignment of the paintings.
• In the bedroom: we usually tend to arrange the pictures above the bed, a surface that most of the time remains free from furniture and wardrobes. But it is not certain that a painting cannot be placed above a chest of drawers or even a bedside table! Remember, that the mood should be relaxing: the colours have to conform to the furniture. It is also important that the painting does not go beyond the width of the furnishings.
  The horizontal alignment requires the layout along an ideal straight line, the vertical one must have a reference, which can be the structure of a door.
  The paintings can also be hung in clusters, arranging the largest group first and ending with a single image (like an inverted pyramid).
• In the living room: the empty walls above the sofa, for example, can be decorated with large, well centred paintings. Simply calculate the middle of the wall and hang the centre of the picture at the centre of the wall.
  Even combinations with multiple frames are pleasant to look at, as long as the outer perimeter of the composition is aligned with the armrests of the sofa, almost forming a single block.
  In any case, the height from the floor must always be between 110 and 120 cm. Keep in mind that the larger paintings should usually be placed in the centre and the smaller ones above and below.
• In the dining room and kitchen: these are places where paintings can be appreciated especially when sitting. They can therefore be fixed a little lower than usual: the lower edge should be placed between 90 and 100 cm from the floor. The wall above the kitchen table is usually free of cupboards and suitable for hanging pictures on it. The single subject is perfect, in a central position in relation to the table. To get a homogeneous mood you can choose a theme such as culinary recipes, motivational phrases, travel, flowers, still life, abstract,
• The entrance: these are usually small and dark areas or, on the contrary, spacious but a bit dispersive. Here the paintings may have a double function: lighten the walls with clear and simple subjects in the first case, or create motion in the second. A better effect is obtained if the frames are coordinated.

It is always recommended to avoid placing the pictures on top of heat sources (such as fireplaces, stoves, etc.) as the temperature range would accelerate the ageing of the picture and the frame. It is also not recommended to place the pictures in direct sunlight: it would cause the fading of the image.

For every setting the secret is always to find the right picture. Don’t worry, I can help you in this case too: on my website www.magalyarocha.com you can choose between different categories: from nature, to landscapes, and hommages without nudes and portrais. You will certainly find the one that can perfectly suit your room.

I hope this article may have helped you to understand how it is best to hang paintings on the walls of your home.

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Sources

• Anna Bogoni: Appendere i quadri: come disporli bene sulla parete? cosedicasa.com
• Gaia Miacola: Come disporre i quadri: segreti per una giusta composizione. gaiamiacola.it
• Filomena Spisso: Come appendere e disporre i quadri idee da copiare e consigli, pianetadesign.it
• Anna Franceschi: Come disporre i quadri sulle pareti del soggiorno, designmag.it