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Tip No. 1 - How high should you hang your artwork?
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As a general rule of thumb, most art pieces should be hung at eye level. Of course, eye level is different for different people. So try this suggestion, hang
the center of the art piece approximately 60 inches from the floor. If your family is taller than average, you might want to raise it a little, but do not get carried away!
A key for important pieces of art to be hung over a sofa should be approximately two thirds the width of the sofa. This picture should be hung roughly 4 to 12 inches above the sofa.
(Usually in the 6-8 inch range) Rarely is a larger space between the sofa and artwork appropriate. If your artwork does not allow you to meet the above criteria, use several smaller
pieces to create a grouping of similar space. This primarily holds true in other areas. Typically about two thirds width of the wall space should be covered. Combine this with the
rule of thumb for picture height and you have got it!
Groupings, however, will often require the pieces to be hung at various heights for interest and balance. They eye level rule will not work for all the pieces in the grouping, but
should be applied to a couple of the groupings components.
Have a good time with art in your home, it’s an element of decorating that reflects your taste and style.
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Tip No. 2 - Where in the house should you hang your artwork?
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There are a number of places you should try to avoid when hanging paintings or displaying other delicate pieces: above fireplaces, on heated walls (including outside walls),
next to windows, or close to heat vents. An ideal spot for exhibiting artwork is one where the temperature is consistent, and not hot. When surface heat rises, or the temperature fluctuates,
irreparable damage can be the result.
If your choices for displaying are so limited that you must break this rule, at least find a way to insulate your pieces against the heat. An example of
this would be to partially control environmental temperature by backing a painting with a layer of foam core, which can help to insulate it against the heat from an outside wall.
Also, over time, light can have a damaging effect on your art collection. Of course, you need light to effectively display your pieces, but be careful to keep them away from
strong, direct light.
Paintings and prints particularly suffer when exhibited close to sunlight or even to artificial light. Even electric lights on a frame can be bad news. The more delicate the materials, the
more susceptible they are to fading. You can go a step farther and filter out damaging ultraviolet rays by using special museum glass designed for that purpose.
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