Placement - One of the most common mistakes made in hanging artwork is placing the art too high on the wall. A good rule of thumb is to hang your artwork with the center of the picture just about eye level when standing (Illustration 1), and just below eye level on pieces over 30 inches tall. However, if you sit in a room more often than stand, you might consider placing your pictures just below standing eye level.

For photos, we recommend hanging them on small walls, in hallways or entrances, where they can be viewed and appreciated close up.

Art Size Related to Furniture Size - When hanging art over a piece of furniture, such as a table, chair or couch, the artwork should not be wider than the furniture itself. A rule of thumb is to limit the art width to 80% or less of the furniture width (Illustration 2). As for height, 6-10 inches above the furniture is preferred, regardless of the ceiling height.

Art Size Related to Wall Size - As a general rule, the size of your art should relate to the size of your wall. Hang large artwork on large walls and smaller artwork on smaller walls. You can also use groupings in place of larger artworks.

Environment - Paintings and prints often have a tendency to fade when exposed to direct sunlight for an extended period of time. Bright rooms are fine, as long as you hang the artwork away from direct exposure. If you must hang art in direct sunlight, consider using Conservation Glass which is designed to block some of the damaging UV light.

Placement of art near steamy showers, tubs or various dry heat sources should also be avoided whenever possible.