How to hang paintings on your wall the right way

Original paintings can enhance your home decor significantly, but to enjoy that new look, it will require you finding those fantastic artworks and hanging them correctly on your wall. However, the excitement and joy that comes with acquiring a new piece of art can immediately turn to a stress when it’s time for the painting to go up on your wall. 

Many questions come to mind, how high should the piece be mounted on the wall? How best can it be arranged to make a statement of inspiration which it intends? And, the most vital concern, how do you ensure that when the painting is finally hanging in the right position and in the right way, it does not end up crashing to the floor? 

As an art collector or just an individual who loves artworks, you need to understand the basics of hanging paintings, and in this guide, I will be highlighting a few tips to help you achieve the ideal placement and installation of your art pieces in the future. 

The basics 

First, you will need to find and acquire that precious artwork you want in your living space. On GalleryToday, you can find amazing original paintings from several talented artists who spend their time creating impressive pieces in various categories including, abstract, figurative, floral, landscape and much more. Whatever tickles your fancy, this platform has got you covered. 

Secondly, you will need to get the right tools for the task; every job is relatively easy as long as you can acquire the proper equipment. With a small investment, you can get the nuts and bolts required for hanging art securely. You can use picture hanging hooks as opposed to settling for large nails or screws.  

When getting the hooks, you will need to factor in the weight of the painting, a one-nail hook can hold up to 30 pounds, while a two-nail hook will take about 50 pounds and a three-nail hook will hold from 75 to 100 pounds. As a best practice, endeavor to always use at least two hooks for each painting, so this way the artwork will remain level at all time. 

Also, you will need to use a level and a ruler to make sure both the hooks and D-rings are aligned when hanging the artwork. 

The third and final step will require figuring out how to stylishly arrange the artwork to decorate your space. After placing the hooks using the level and the ruler, you will need someone to assist in holding the painting against the wall as you hammer in the hooks. 

Take a step back and have a look at the artwork, get a sense of the proportions and colors as you picture it against all of the design elements. Also, when hanging a painting on a wall, if it is a single painting, ensure the center of the piece stands about 60 inches off the ground to place it at the eye level. If it’s a pair, still treat them as one larger picture, even if they vary in size, locate the center point between both pieces and stick to the 60-inch rule. 

Maintain two inches spacing between two large paintings and for the smaller artworks; you can use a one-inch difference. When installing multiple art pieces on a wall, you should understand that there is no right way to arrange them. Consider starting from the middle and working your way out using the required measurements for all the different sizes of the paintings.