Good wall decorations, combined with the rest of the decor, can transform a room from beautiful to gorgeous. But even the Mona Lisa wouldn't look good on your wall if it was crooked or in the wrong spot. Don't waste time sorting and arranging your photos, postcards and paintings on your walls in search of the "perfect match" for your room. With the tips in this guide, you'll be able to intelligently arrange family photos on the first try.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Part One: Sorting Images Professionally
Step 1. Choose images with appropriate content
In some cases the photographs we like the most are not the best to hang. If you have many options at your disposal, it is best to choose the most characteristic and professional ones. The photos on the walls will be seen by almost any of your guests, and many of them will not be able to capture the funny aspects of embarrassing photos or a shoddy piece of art. For the entryway and living room, it is best to limit yourself to classic family photos (even better if taken by a professional) or traditional artwork - keep your quirky paintings for the basement and photos of your newborn naked for the photo album.
Step 2. Plan your image groups in advance
If you want to add more than one image to a certain part of the wall, great - by playing with the positioning and precise arrangement of the images, you can create a visual experience that is impressive. Before hanging multiple images together, however, create a "template" for each group - if you are sure you can erase them, carefully trace the edges of the frames with a pencil, or else, lay the images out on a sheet of paper and cut out squares. around them. Stick these squares to the wall with masking tape to get an idea of what the arrangement will look like when the pictures are hung. It's much easier to rearrange squares of paper than to hang up pictures.
Step 3. Hang larger images first
Great images, especially those you are proud of, deserve a place of honor. Hang them at eye level, or even higher, where they will be noticed. Prioritize their location - a large photo can also act as the center point of a room. Don't put it too close to the corners - you'll inadvertently give it a squashed look. 30-60 cm of space should suffice.
If the large image you chose doesn't completely detract from the other smaller ones, use it as part of an arrangement of multiple images. If you're not sure how to properly arrange the large image as part of a group, a good idea is to place it in one of the low corners, with the second largest image in the top corner opposite it. Insert the smaller images into the two unoccupied sections of the imaginary rectangle you created
Step 4. Group smaller images into rows or clusters
There's no need to center a room around a huge landscape painting or an old-fashioned portrait. A group of small images, if arranged in a pleasing way to the eye, can be an excellent stylistic choice. Arrange the layout according to the room you are in. Narrow vertical or horizontal lines can allow you to make the most of a wall that offers only a small space, while large cloud arrangements containing images of different sizes can give a room a modern look.
- The most important thing to remember when creating a group of photos is to make sure that the edges of each frame are precisely 90 ° to the others (use a spirit level to hang the images perfectly straight). Also make sure that the distance between the images is uniform throughout the arrangement.
- An added benefit of smaller images is versatility. Put a short row of small photos in a crowded bedroom to make a big difference, or hang some old family photos on a ladder to create a visual timeline of your family history.
Step 5. Choose coordinated frames
Generally, when you group images together, you should combine frames of the same type. This does not necessarily mean that every image in a group must have the same frame (although this is certainly a valid option). Rather, there should be an underlying theme that unites all the frames of a certain group. For example, a group of photos with black frames will look better than heterogeneous groups with metal frames, others in wood, others in paper, etc.
- Experiment with different patterns and colors - try alternating blue and white frames with a checkerboard pattern, for example. The motifs count as a "background theme", and this will give the impression that your photos have been arranged according to a logical choice.
- When in doubt, remember: black and white go with everything.
Method 2 of 3: Part Two: Fit the Pictures to the Room
Step 1. Choose images with the style that suits the room
This may seem like trivial advice, but it's easy to forget. Different images will create different visual impressions depending on the room they are displayed in. Unless you're trying to create a cutting-edge dissonant clash between the picture and the room you want to hang it in, try to match the photos with the atmosphere of the room. Classic landscape paintings and portraits are ideal for living rooms, while smaller family photos are great for entryways, stairways, bedrooms and bathrooms. Impressionist paintings of fruit or kitchen utensils are a good addition to a kitchen. Use common sense - if you already have an idea of the impression you want to make on guests, use photographs and paintings to help you achieve that result.
Abstract paintings can be incredibly vibrant additions to a room - however, if you want to hang a painting that isn't more than a series of shapes and colors, you should make sure the colors match the rest of the room's decor
Step 2. Respect the space by not crowding your walls
One of the best qualities of a room is its spaciousness. A high ceiling can make you feel like you are in a chapel. Large windows can guide your gaze to the horizon. Don't let photos limit the natural spaciousness of a room. Too many pictures can make a wall look like a police station evidence board.
- Pictures on your walls should never compete for space - if you have to move old photos to make room for new ones, you might want to consider hanging them elsewhere.
- On many walls, one or two images will suffice. Or none at all. If you have a great wallpaper, a beautiful carpet, or a great center point, don't be too hasty in distracting attention from these elements with an impressive photo collection.
Step 3. Expand small rooms with large images
A large painting can make a small room seem larger. Similarly, pictures hanging high on the walls will enhance the spaciousness of a room by diverting attention from the massive wall surface to the eye level of guests. For example, a spectacular print hanging high on the wall of a small bathroom will give that room more dignity.
Use large pictures if possible, but don't cover the entire wall. Covering all the walls of a small room with a painting or photo will create too strong an effect
Step 4. Don't let large rooms detract from your photos
Large spacious rooms also present problems. The large, uncluttered, tall walls with widely spaced images are suitable for a modern art museum, not a home. Balance the arrangement of your photos so as not to leave them too isolated. Furniture can be very useful here - tall bookcases and cabinets take up a lot of space on a wall.
If you have interesting wallpaper or a wall painted in one color, you can leave more unused space when hanging photos. White, undecorated walls sadly make for a cold, box-like room
Step 5. Carefully place the furniture
Furniture and wall decorations need to work together to give a room spaciousness. Combine their arrangements intelligently to get the most out of your space. Try to hang pictures in places where people tend to look naturally without interfering with the normal functions of the room. Small pictures are great for thin sections of a kitchen wall, but you shouldn't hang them if they keep you from opening the pantry door. Pictures are great above corner chairs and tables, to create a lived-in and majestic impression, but not at heights where people might hit them with their heads. Use common sense - make a note of your daily routine to find out where you most often put your eyes.
Follow the two-thirds rule - an image hanging on top of a piece of furniture should be at least two-thirds of the width of the piece of furniture. As an example, a 3 meter sofa should have a painting at least 2 meters above it. This rule applies to single images as well as to groups of smaller photos
Step 6. Adjust the placement of the images to the function of the room
Many living rooms, for example, contain a series of opposing sofas to allow people to sit and talk. In this case, give your guests something to look at by placing pictures behind each sofa (you can follow the advice of some interior decorators who suggest hanging the pictures a notch above them). In the kitchen, a few small photos in a corner above a breakfast table can liven up meals and serve as good conversation pieces when inviting guests.
Method 3 of 3: Part Three: Hanging the Pictures
Step 1. Hang images securely
A beautiful work of art can be a source of pride, but also of headaches, if it refuses to stand still on the wall. Save yourself the hassle of having to continually fix and hang up pictures by doing it right right away. In doing so, you will also find that you save money - when a painting falls off a wall it can break very easily, or damage the wall.
- When hanging anything on the walls, it is best to drive the nails in firm spots. For heavier images, this is a necessity.
- When you drive a nail into a wall, do it at an angle of 45 ° or more upward. By doing so it will have a much firmer grip than a nail driven perpendicularly - the contact area between the nail and the wall will be greater and the force exerted by the picture will be less.
Step 2. Invest in alternative ways to hang pictures
In most cases, a single nail will suffice. However, there are more ways to hang a picture. A large variety of hooks, dowels and other products are available for this purpose. Here are some items you can consider:
- Drywall Hooks - small metal hooks designed to easily pierce drywall, which guarantee a good seal even in areas of the wall that are not particularly firm.
- Strong dowels - these are small plastic rails, which are inserted into the wall using a drill and inside which a screw is put (which will support your image). Suitable for heavier objects.
- Butterfly screws - special screws with metal wings that open when you screw them inside the wall, offering more grip and seal.
- Adhesive strips - these are adhesive strips that you can attach behind the pictures to hang them directly on the wall. No nails will be needed.
Step 3. Avoid hanging crooked images
If you hang a beautiful photo of your family on the wall, but don't do it so that the edges are straight, the guests won't notice the adorable smiles of your children, only the slope of the image. Use a ruler to measure the horizontal center of an image, trying to align this point with the nail. When you've hung the picture, use a level to do the finishing touches and find the exact position parallel to the floor.
