The Art of Hanging Paintings
Hanging paintings correctly is an art by itself! Installing an artwork goes beyond hardware — once you have found a painting you love, it is also important to integrate it into the design of your home and ensure that the viewing angles allow the work to shine.
Below are some of the factors that need to be taken into consideration when hanging artwork:
- Best location for displaying artwork
- Height for hanging art on the wall
- Grouped artworks
- Artworks above the sofa
- Diptychs, triptychs and other multiples
More specifically…
The Best Locations for Artwork
Ideally, artwork should be displayed in key gathering areas for the family — your paintings should be in a prominent spot where everyone can enjoy them daily! Over the years of working with clients, I have found that the key areas tend to be the entryway, the formal living room and family room, the dining room and, lastly, the study.
Wherever possible, artworks should be hung on a large expanse of wall space with an uninterrupted view, so that you can clearly see the artwork from multiple angles.
Hanging Height
The correct height to hang an artwork is a function of a few factors: the height of the ceilings, the size of the room, the viewing distance and the size of the canvas. Typically, artworks are hung such that the center of the artwork is about 57 to 60 inches from the floor. Viewers should not have to crane their necks to take in the painting!
However, sometimes a painting needs to be hung so that the center of the canvas is higher than eye level, as seen in the image below. This specific room was a large space with high ceilings and combined the formal living, dining and study spaces, so the viewing distance was relatively long.
Grouped Artworks
When hanging multiple artworks together, treat them as one cohesive unit — take care to make sure all the works are hung in one straight line and with the same distance between them. In such a situation that requires a high level of precision, we recommend hiring a professional installer.
Artworks Above the Sofa
If hanging your artwork above a sofa, aim to leave about 6 to 8 inches of space between the top of the sofa and bottom of the artwork. This gives the canvas some visual breathing room as well as protection against heads touching the canvas.
Diptychs, Triptychs and More
If the painting is intended to be displayed in a pair (diptych), a group of three (triptych) or more, we recommend hanging each canvas about ½ to ¾ of an inch apart, so there is some breathing space but the composition still reads as a whole image.
We hope these art installing tips help you highlight the paintings in your home! If you would like more tips on interior design, check out our blog on layering art in the home.
— Sonia Patwardhan