Hang your pictures...PERFECTLY!

For the most part I don't walk into places, my friend's houses, and mentally critique their decor (well it does happen sometimes, but only if it is really bad and those people aren't usually my friends...cause I would have already told them what was up), but one thing that I see all the time that drives me crazy is artwork that is not hung at the right height.  Men tend to hang stuff WAY too high and women...well that goes either way. 

So here is a great tip that will make picture hanging a simple, pleasurable task. The tip is to always hang your art at 65" on center. "On center" means that the middle of the picture is at 65" (obviously, the hook will be higher). Interestingly, the 65" standard represents the average human eye-height and is regularly used as a standard in many galleries and museums.

If you stick to this standard, you create a harmony among ALL the pictures in your home, as they will always hang in relationship to one another from their centers, not their sides. Additionally, I have also found that this helps solve the problem many people have, which is that they hang their pictures too high.

Step By Step:

1. Measure and lightly mark 65" on the wall
2. Measure top of your picture to the middle (or take height and divide by 2)
3. Measure top of your picture to the tightened wire (a small amount)
4. Subtract this last amount to tell you how far above 65" your hook should go
5. Measure up from 65" with this last amount and lightly mark on the wall

Example:

1. Picture is 20" tall
2. Middle is 10" down from top (this should rest at 65")
3. Wire comes to 2" below the top
4. 10" - 2" = 8"
5. Lightly mark 8" above your first mark OR 73" on the wall

Though this may seem complicated to read, it is quite simple when you do it. The thing to always remember is that the CENTER of all your pictures are hanging at the same 65", and you are just figuring out where the hook goes above it.



The artwork in this picture is hung about 12 inches too high,
while the collage is interesting, it looks like it is hung on the
vertical center of the wall (not good)



This 65" also applies to groups of pictures. Think of a group as ONE picture. After you arrange how you want them all to hang (doing this on the floor makes it easier), start with the center picture/pictures and get them at 65" on center. Then surround them with the rest of the group.

One except to this rule is if you’re hanging art over a sofa, table or chest, the bottom of the art should be 4-8″ off the furniture.

Check every picture and painting in your home and rehang them………..lower.