Help! I moved house - how do I hang all my art?
- Jul 10
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 11
Decisions, decisions...
How to hang your art in your new home
Moving to a new home is stressful, no matter how lovely the new place is. There are a thousand decisions to be made, and each one involves rejecting an alternative choice - Ouch! And worse – your partner may have a different view. So, definitely not for wimps.
Some things are relatively easy, like where to put the spoons in the kitchen, but for others, the choices aren’t obvious, and there’s no roadmap. And to make matters even more complex, every art collection is different – very few people have a uniformly framed set of 19th century architectural watercolors, and nothing else! But, that’s what makes it exciting!
If you have an art collection at all, it’s probably because each piece spoke to you, and each has a special meaning to you. It might bring back wafts of nostalgia for the place you traveled to independently as a young adult. Or it might be the one your grandparents saved from a turbulent life and were finally able to pass to you for safekeeping into the future. Maybe you met with the artist, and they opened your eyes to the fascinating alternative worldview that it represents. In any case, each piece is different, and has not only its own story, but its own style, medium, size and color palette.
Speaking of color palettes, if you haven’t chosen your wall colors, you probably want to do so and get them painted before hanging anything, both aesthetically and logistically! But if one painting is the centerpiece and you know where it’s going, don’t drown it out with a clashing color it doesn’t agree with, or conversely sap its vibrance or energy by using a wall color that makes it look dull.
Step 1: Identify what each room in your new place is for: welcoming guests; snuggling in front of the tv; working out; working; cooking; bathing; sleeping.
Step 2: The biggest and/or most special pieces need to be settled in first. You may have a pretty good idea already. But generally it’s best just to lean them against the wall at this point, not hang them up, because life is full of surprises.
Step 3: Pick a room and figure out what rationally goes in there. This is going to depend on your character and your collection. But there are some obvious pointers, such as food-related paintings in the dining area (or the kitchen if the picture is small or the kitchen is large). Large, vertical paintings can often go in the stairway, if you have one, or facing you at the end of a hallway. Works on paper should stay clear of the steam in the kitchen and bathroom and avoid direct sunlight. Don’t actually hang much, if anything yet – if possible, lean them against the wall on a shelf, table or dresser.
Step 4: Go room by room until you’ve dealt with the low-hanging fruit. Look for similarities in style or color palette that will make different works get along together. The interior architecture, or the view out of the window may influence position by resonating with the content. If you get stressed or get into a fight about placement, take a break. Nothing bad will happen if the paintings aren’t all hung immediately. Better yet, leave the house and get some fresh air exploring your new neighborhood! It’s easier to see with fresh eyes after an hour away, or a couple of days doing other things. Sometimes just giving your ‘decision fatigue’ time to dissipate can lead to an “aha!” moment!
Step 5: The Intractable Ones. These are in danger of becoming a major motion picture in your home. Please stop short of a crime drama! Have a look at what you’ve placed so far. Are any of these there for no good reason? Do you still love them? Has your taste or your quality discernment moved on? Are there any that someone else would be much happier with on their wall than you will? Did you and your partner both think the other was really attached to it when it turns out they’re not? Are you just keeping it because it’s “valuable”? And how about the ones you haven’t placed yet – is one of them unplaceable because really you’re not eager to see it on a daily basis? If any of these boxes are checked, you know what your mission is! Bye-bye albatross, hello breathing space.
Step 6: You love one or two of the paintings but they don’t seem to fit in anywhere. Have you considered whether the frame, rather than the painting, is the stumbling block? Maybe it should be simpler, or have a bigger mat to show off properly, or maybe it should be pewter or white rather than gold… A lick of paint (by someone who will protect the art and the glass – normally by unframing and reframing) might be enough, or it might justify a trip to the framers.
Step 7: Now’s the time to look anew at the first ones you placed, switching a few around, deciding what pairs – or doesn’t pair – beautifully with what. Now you may start hanging everything up! Generally, smaller paintings will go so that your eye is about one third of the way down from the top. Leave a reasonable space between, although of course a pair can be closer. Sometimes one above another works well, smaller above, or darker below.
Good Luck! If it all just seems too much, call an Art Consultant!
Sophie Grillet
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