A neat, geometric arrangement looks cohesive and clear.
Design a tasteful arrangement and use the right lighting and suitable frames to draw attention to oil paintings, family portraits or photos from your last vacation.
A little preparation will ensure that pictures are hung properly, arranged stylishly and shown in the best lighting conditions.
The basic principle when arranging pictures is that the horizontal center of each picture or group of pictures should line up at eye level on the wall. You can drop the centerline 12–24 inches (30–60 cm) in areas where the admirers will mostly be seated, such as a living room. Beyond that, you are free to arrange them as you like, but observing certain ground rules does help.
• Hang pictures that are the same size and shape next to or underneath one another in strict geometrical order.
• Create a harmonious arrangement by organizing pictures of different sizes according to imaginary lines that go through the middle and the lower or upper border of the specific picture.
• Be creative: Arrange a larger group of pictures in a square, oval or circle. Alternatively, orient them according to an imaginary cross in the middle of the arrangement.
• Even in a well-illuminated room, a picture light can accentuate a piece of art or group of photos.
• Well-placed lamps either below or above can cast a mellow light on pictures.
• To bring out the glow in a photo, illuminate it from behind. Press a photo to a piece of plastic wrap, glue it on matte glass, and install a light behind it so that it shines through the picture.
Besides the good old picture hook in the wall, there are many other options for hanging pictures almost invisibly.
• Hang pictures from a rail or molding using nylon line that matches the color of the ceiling and is almost invisible. You can move them back and forth and adjust them for height, too.
• Hang artwork on the wall over an art shelf, or set it directly on the shelf.
• If a picture always hangs askew, use a little adhesive or masking tape behind the corners of the frame to hold it in place.