Are all those great photos you took during the holidays still sitting on your hard drive? It’s time to print them out and frame them up. A dramatic picture wall—whether filled with photos of your family or artistic images you have found—can turn an ordinary room into an extraordinary space. Even if you don’t have the most artistic of eyes, these easy tips will help you create the perfect picture wall in your home:
Choose Your Wall
While any wall will work, if you want to create the perfect picture collage look for a space that is between 6 and 8 feet wide. “This will give you enough space to get frames of varying sizes to fit without them feeling squished,” suggests Amanda Thomas of QuickandDirtyTips.com. “If you’re planning on including pictures with people and other small, personal images, you want your guests to be able to walk up and view these pictures from very close range.” For spaces above bulky furniture (i.e. sofa), consider using larger photos that you can enjoy from afar.
Create A Layout
Martha Stewart, the queen of all interior design tricks, suggests putting paper down on your floor and experimenting with different design layouts with your frames. “Once you are happy with the frame layout, trace the outline of each frame onto the paper with a pencil,” adds Stewart. Some tips for creating a great layout:
- Heavier pieces should go below lighter pieces—this doesn’t necessarily have to do with size, but color. “A large, delicate oil may seem lighter than a small, darker, more rustic woodcut,” writes Katharine Kaye McMillan and Patricia Hart McMillan in Home Decorating for Dummies, 2nd Edition.
- Leave several inches of breathing space around each frame. “Pieces hung too close together lose any sense of individuality; those hung too far apart don’t look like a group.”
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Master the Art of Hanging
“Don’t use nails—well, not JUST nails,” says Bob Vila. “A single nail hammered into drywall is not stable enough to support much weight, so invest in the right hardware.” His go-to options include self-tapping threaded anchors and screws, which provide a wider balance point without using wire. You may also wan to consider steel, hooked wire hangers. Not looking forward to the drywall dust that may accumulate? “Add a simple, folded Post-It underneath your marked hole to collect most of the dust,” suggests Vila.
Talk to us: What is your biggest picture-hanging hang up?
image courtesy of flickr CC/Travis Isaacs