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Choosing Art for your Home

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO

Choosing and Hanging Art for your Home

By Candace Fries | 14th April 2020

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO

Choosing Art for your Home

By Candace Fries, 14th April 2020

As a designer, I believe Art is personal.

Picking the right pieces for your home can be tough, and there's no one formula you can follow to make a space that expresses who you are.
The pieces you choose should be unique to you: a reflection of your passions, history and style.
Sometimes these choices are driven by a need to fill a specific space - a spot over the couch or in an empty hallway.
Other times you want to find the perfect spot for that great canvas that spoke to you - your centerpiece.
Either way there are no definitive rules. But there are a few helpful guidelines to make the process of hanging your art so much easier and less confusing.

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Tip #1:
Establish "House Height"

What's House Height and how can we use it?

One of the most common mistakes I see is art hung too low or too high.
This is where House Height saves the day.
A good rule of thumb is roughly 60” from floor to the center of the artwork, approximately "eye level". If you're particularly short or tall, varying this measurement slightly to an average height will look best to most people.
Once you have established this “house height,” use it to create flow and consistency throughout your space.

If art is hung over a bed or piece of furniture, make sure the artwork feels connected to the piece and not hung too high or it may appear disconnected. 4-8” is a guide, but you’ll really need to step back and eyeball it.

An alternative:

Keep in mind, you don’t have to hang all your art. You can simply lean pieces against the wall. Fireplace mantles and shelves are a great place to do this.

2. Match your  

Make sure to consider the size of the piece in relation to its surroundings as well. Proportion and placement are important factors when assessing whether a piece will work in your space.
 
Horizontal or Vertical?
Try to match the orientation of the artwork in your space.
 
For a horizontal wall(explain more?), use a large landscape piece or grouping. For a vertical space, use a style portrait piece. on a horizontal wall and a vertical piece or stacked art in a vertical space.
 
 
Gallery Wall
When grouping artwork together…think of the group as a whole. Hang an anchor piece at the correct height and then branch out from there. I would recommend getting a ‘feel’ for how the pieces work together. A “bohemian” mixture of shapes and sizes can work well but should be considered.
 
If you want something more organized, a grid format works. Matching sizes and frames with a minimal profile work well for a clean modern look. For a more eclectic look, you don’t need to pay attention to the frames its more about an assorted look with a varied style to add interest.
 
 
 
Beauty and Emotional Power
 
The definition of art is: the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.
Don’t limit your art to one medium. Hang a canvas alongside a piece of driftwood, a piece of woven fabric, a ceramic plate, a collection of feathers…you are the curator of YOUR collection.
 
So, go ahead….express yourself, have fun and be fearless,
Candace
 

If art is hung over a bed or piece of furniture, make sure the artwork feels connected to the piece and not hung too high or it may appear disconnected. 4-8” is a guide, but you’ll really need to step back and eyeball it.

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