a guide to art placement

Interior DesignInterior StylingInterior Decorating
Written By Elevated.

I will say this over and over again: design rules are meant to be broken. There are plenty of designers that throw rules out the window because they have years of experience, are super talented, and have a cool, funky style. BUT if you have no idea where to start, or there’s something in your home that’s a little ‘off,’ these rules can help guide you and change the whole look and feel of your space. When it comes to placing and hanging your art, here are a few tips: 

Tip #1:

  • Art should be hung 60” from the floor to the center of the artwork. Why? Because 60” is the ‘average’ person’s eye level. THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISTAKES I SEE - we all tend to hang art way too high. If you and everyone you know is super tall or you have very high ceilings, this is the exception and you have my permission to go a few inches higher (same goes for all my shorties out there). Otherwise, go around your house with a measuring tape and chances are you’ll have to lower some art. The good news is, patching holes in the wall from nails is one of the easiest things to fix. 

    • If you have a gallery wall of art, the center of the entire gallery should be at 60”. 

    • If you have 3 pieces of art hung in a row that are all different sizes, the center of all of them should be at 60” (aka do not line up the bottom or top). 

    • Measurement example: If your art is 18” in height, the middle point on the art would be 9”. To find 60” to the center: measure from the floor up to 69” for where the top of your art should be (then adjust the nail placement based on how the hanger on the back is situated, i.e. ½” down from the top of the art = nail hole at 68.5”)

Tip #2:

  • Art should be placed 6-8” above the furniture, such as a couch or console table. We tend to hang art too high, but lowering it will make the vignette complete and ground the art rather than have it appear to be floating.

Tip #3:

  • 2 or more pieces of art next to each other should be 3-4” apart and fill ⅔ the width of the furniture. For example, you’re hanging art above your couch that’s 75” long. 75 x ⅔ = 50. Your art should take up 50” of space. You may be thinking, 50” is a huge piece of art! But what if you found 3 pieces that were each 14.5” wide and hung them each 3 inches apart? You’ve achieved the same goal. 

client testimonial: “After hearing this tip and looking around my house, I took out a tape measure and sure enough - every single thing on the walls was way too high. It felt awkward to move art down, but once you’ve done it on every piece, your whole room or whole house feels like it’s back in balance.” - Hannah S. 

where to buy art online: 

Art is so personal and there is so much out there. Some of the coolest and best art might be passed down through your family, a photo you took, art found on vacation or at a street fair, or in a legit gallery where you sipped champagne, met the artist, and discussed the nuances and meaning behind the piece… if that’s the case you are much cooler than me.

But these days you can also find great art online! Here are some of my go-to websites: 

elevated essential:

One of my current favorite pieces of art is from Poster Store. It’s abstract, neutral, simple, can stand on its own to make a statement or blend in perfectly to a gallery wall:

https://posterstore.com/posters-prints/illustrations-abstract/curves-poster/

elevated partnership: Article for Trade 

I love my clients - each and every one of you - and love finding you the best products for your space. But it is hard for me to design a room without including a piece from Article. According to the website, their mission is to “make great style easy, long-lasting and well-priced.” Sounds like a company we can get behind, right? Article works directly with their manufacturers and focuses on unique, durable pieces made with only high-quality materials. In our first partnership at Elevated by Elise, we’ve chosen to spotlight Article. If you want more information, a discount at Article through our design services, and some inspiration for your own home - please schedule a consultation here.

Elevated.
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