I am often asked for suggestions on how to hang artwork on a wall. And by this I mean how to arrange the artwork, not the actual act of affixing it to a wall. Several years ago, I enlisted Teri Brajewski, an avid art collector and interior designer who has become a friend, to give a talk on this topic. Here are some of her tips.

Generally speaking, people tend to think that each piece must be shown off individually on a big wall, but this is not a hard and fast rule. It is a common way to show off a piece, for example:

There is also a rule of thumb that artwork needs “space to breath” around it, implying wall space. But sometimes that is just not possible and a painting can work well in a tight space if the painting will stand out. Here two “sister” paintings have a conversation with each other, therefore bringing attention to them (their silver frames also contrast nicely with the dark wood background), while on opposite ends of a wall with a large window between them:

Smaller paintings, like this 12” x 16”, can command a starring role in a small corner space, where it is balanced out by furniture and other decor:

There is no rule that says you have to hang artwork as if in a gallery, i.e. all in a row. In fact, by staggering the placement of artwork, you can bring attention to different pieces by making the eye move non-linearly (plus deal with things like air vents that can not be moved), as in this example:

Or below, a large abstract piece dominates the wall next to a dining table, but the smaller figurative paintings add visual interest. Note that the one on the left lines up with the top of the center piece (and avoids the light switch), while the painting on the right lines up with the bottom. A subtle reddish brick tone runs through the paintings and the ceramic piece on the table.

If you have a large number of pieces (or expect to add more), a practical and interesting way to display your collection is to create groupings.

While you can go full on “salon style” that was popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, in my humble opinion, this way of displaying artwork is not ideal. This approach resulted in paintings hung almost from floor to ceiling, cheek by jowl:

Groupings can be made from a set of paintings or other wall art according to a theme, such as landscapes, cityscapes, figurative, or travel; or around a predominant color scheme or an abstract pattern. Here is an example of a grouping of urban views in an office setting:

In the example below, note how the small painting on the bottom right picks up the colors of the backsplash tiles below it, and the dark frames and darker artwork “match” the TV and its console. And there is a palette of grey and green common through all of them.

If you like to collect other kinds of objects, pairing wall art with those objects is another way to have some fun with how you display your collection. In this example, the toy truck is “parked” in front of the loading dock in the painting.

And below, a sculpture and other objects on the dresser balance the artwork hung on the wall:

As you can see, there is not one “correct” way to display the works of art in your space.

If you still have questions and/or trepidations about going about this on your own, here are some helpful people and resources:

Arrangement: Teri Brajewski, interior designer, twbdesign.com, teri@twbdesign.com

DIY hanging instructions: ArtinRes.com article, https://artinres.com/articles/hanging-guidelines.

Professional Installer: Andy Smenos, Asmenos@gmail.com

I would love to hear how you have approached hanging artwork in your space. Please leave a comment here!