Photo Credit: MyDomaine.com
I was recently asked during an interview, "What are your interior design pet peeves?" My first response, without hesitation, was, "Art and wall decor hung too high!"
It might be an OCD thing but seeing a room with the artwork hung too high on the wall gives me anxiety. Like in this pic...
Photo Credit: Uglyhouse.com
OK....a lot of things give me anxiety about this pic but look at that picture. LOOK AT IT!!!! Aaaaarrrrgggghhh! Where's my Xanax...?
Admittedly, that's an extreme example. On a lot of levels. Let's take a look at another...
Photo Credit: zoewithlove.com
Again, I need a Xanax - or, maybe something stronger. Here is why...
simple rules for hanging your art
Hang your art at "eye level." Unless you're Manute Bol, typical eye level is 57- 60 inches from the floor to the center of the pic or artwork. That's important.
If you're creating a grouping or gallery wall, treat the group as one entity and center the group to about the same 57 inches.
If you're hanging art or a grouping above a sofa or entertainment center, start at about anywhere from 4 inches to 8 inches above the furniture. (Or lower!) Some designers recommend 8 - 10 inches but I personally prefer starting a tad lower. You can see in the above pic that the grouping appears to be about 10- 12 inches from the sofa. To me, it all feels disjointed and drives me nuts. I would love to reach in there and lower it all by at least 4 inches.
Compare to this pic...
Photo Credit: Real Simple
Ahhhhh. Like a fresh summer breeze. Perfection. Can you see the difference? It all feels like a cohesive presentation. Not disjointed and disparate. Plus, think of the money you will save on Xanax! OK, Fine. The money I will save. Don't judge me.
Now, like everything, there are exceptions to the "rules."
Photo Credit: Lonny Magazine
Here you can see that the designer took artistic license with the space at hand. That 57-inch rule is right out the window because, well, they could. And it's fab. You will notice though, that the art starts low above the TV. Just sayin'.
And here is one that I stared at for quite awhile...
Photo Credit: Pinterest
Let me start by saying how much I love everything here. Almost. While it's hard to measure via a photo, that art looks a wee bit low to be at eye level center. This is only exacerbated by the framing millwork. I would raise it a smidge. How about you?
You can see that breaking the rules is a bit more difficult and subjective. Hiring a trained eye is probably not a bad idea if your space is unique.
Are you struggling to get your artwork just right? Shoot us an email at info@darlpowell.com. We can totally help you with that - or anything else.
Thanks for reading and see you next week!
