Lofty Impressions

Hanging pictures can be such a hang up. But really, it is quiet easy, once you know the strategy.

When in doubt, hang it lower. When hanging art over a sofa, between the bottom of the frame and the top of the sofa back there should only be about 18 inches at the very most. It should be possible to view the sofa and art as a coherent group. The eye should not have to travel up from the furniture to the art above it.

Another sign of confusion: A pair of pictures hung staggered horizontally. Sometimes they are hung with the left one higher, sometimes with the right one higher, and often over a bed or on a blank wall. Either way—always wrong. Glance through decorating books and magazines. This is something you will never see done by professionals, yet homeowners do it all the time.

If two or more pictures are stacked vertically, they need not always line up on the center axis, but they should be stacked in relation to something else. Note in this photo how the vertical arrangement reflects the form of the secretary.

Sometimes pictures are “worked in” to make a cohesive grouping. In the image below, hanging the art centered over the console would be odd, since the “wall” is really the stairs. The lamp and statuary balance the grouping and add dimension.