Photos and art add character to a home, helping turn it from a showroom into a place with personality. But, what many don’t realise, is that just the placement of said photos and art on the walls can sometimes be as important as the pieces themselves. Two framed pieces hung side-by-side on a wall will have a completely different look and impact than if they were placed vertically.
“Hanging artwork incorrectly at the wrong height is the #1 most common design mistake we see,” reads a blog post on American interior design studio Studio McGee. They suggest hanging single pieces at eye level and hanging gallery walls — grouped art or photos — with cohesive spacing.
“When designing a grid gallery wall, we use prints and photos with a similar theme and consistent frames,” the post reads. “They could be black and white photos, botanicals, sketches, etc. Or we go with completely different pieces in mixed frames for an eclectic look.”
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But aside from eye-level single pieces and a gallery wall, what are some other options for hanging art and photos? Ahead, a few ways to hang a photo or frame you might never have thought of, identified by Architectural Digest.
Layered Frames
Take a page out of New York City designer blogger Chelsey Brown’s book and layer your frames.
“Basically all it is, is different sized nails,” she says in an Instagram video. “The ones closer to the wall have shorter nails and the ones I want to layer just have longer, thicker nails. I love the layered look. It’s probably the biggest feature statement in my home.”
Brown adds that while you can use layered frames on modern frames, she prefers vintage pieces as she finds it looks better.
Bathroom Gallery
Next wall-hanging trend to try? Displaying pieces in your bathroom.
If you’re hanging framed art or photos on tiles, use water-resistant mounting strips, like New York City home-design influencer Shelby Roebock.
Some other bathroom wall-hanging ideas, courtesy of Pinterest:
Picture Rail Art
Many Art Déco homes in Australia have wall mouldings that can be used as picture rails, but if your home doesn’t and you want to create a gallery wall without the effort of hanging individual pieces, consider installing one.
A picture rail also lets you easily reposition or replace your pieces. You might even consider swapping them out with hanging mirrors or plants, if you want to really change up your space.
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