September 2022

Whether it’s art or other decorative items, hanging things on the walls of your apartment or townhome can be a source of anxiety. Given all the different types of hardware, concerns over height and spacing, not damaging your walls, etc., it’s not surprising. Here are some simple tips to help ease your concerns and make sure your place looks amazing.

• Not every wall needs something. First decide which walls would benefit from a piece of art. Think about where your eyes land when you walk into a room. Those are the most important places to hang something.
• Art should hang at eye level. This means the center of the work should be about 60 inches off the ground. The one exception to this is when you have unusually low ceilings – say under 8 feet. Then hang things about 2/3 of the way up your wall.
• If you’re hanging a collection of items, lay them out on the floor first. Treat them together as a single piece of art. Adjust the total size and spacing between the items so the overall shape and space fits your wall well.
• When spacing multiple items, the vertical and horizontal spacing between them doesn’t have to be the same. It just needs to be consistent.
• If you’re hanging art above a piece of furniture, leave at least 6-8” between the bottom edge of the art and the top of the furniture. If you’re hanging something over a sofa, the art should take up about 1/2 to 2/3 of the sofa’s width.
• A piece that is slightly too big for a space is always better than one that is too small. Small items in a large space should only be used if you’re grouping multiple items together as a gallery wall.