Handyman 101: The Art Of Hanging

You’ve taken the time to select a piece of art and have it professionally framed, so why would you leave the final step of the process in the hands of your hubby who – while enthusiastic – has zero handyman skills? We’ll show you how to transform your feature frame wall into an artful display fit for the finest gallery.

While you might try convincing yourself that the hodge podge of artwork that flanks your walls is “eclectic”, sooner or later you’ll forgo this euphemism and realise you’re staring at one big, crooked disaster!

You’ll need more than a handful of new hooks and nails to salvage the mess, instead it’s worth engaging the services of a handyman with a wealth of “hanging” experience and who’s eagle eye is trained to spot any imperfections.

However if you still insist on doing it yourself, follow these simple guidelines:

• Before pulling out your drill you should lay out your frames on the floor to get an idea of how they might look on the wall. Move them around until you’re happy with the arrangement.
• Placement and scale is key. As a general rule, big art goes in big spaces and small art goes in small spaces.
• Where possible, keep the centre of your artwork at eye-level.
• Artwork hung above furniture shouldn’t be longer than the width of the furniture. Art that’s ¾ of the length normally works well.
• Hang frames in a horizontal lines (in a row) to give the illusion of width in a narrow room.
• Hang frames in vertical lines (stacked on top of each other) to “increase” the height of a space.
• To mix it up and add interest to a room consider diagonal or offset (asymmetrical) arrangements, this will create a more casual look and feel.