How To Hang Artwork
Hanging an artwork can be a daunting task- But it needn’t be! We have compiled our tried and tested method for easy hanging…
There are a few considerations that need to be thought out before we begin measuring. Firstly, determine how your artwork will interplay with the rest of your interior space. Will there be a piece of furniture underneath your artwork?
Is the artwork the right size for the space and the furniture within it? Will your art be the feature piece of the space? Are you hoping to achieve a symmetrical look or would you prefer your artwork to be off centred?
The general rule of thumb for placement of your artwork is that the centre of your artwork should be positioned approximately 150cm above the floor if there’s no furniture beneath it. Artwork hung above a piece of furniture such as a console or sideboard should sit approximately 15-20cm above your furniture piece, whereas we usually position the bottom of our artwork approximately 30-40cm from the top of a lounge (depending on the ceiling height).
Now let’s work out what type of hanging equipment we need for your wall. Is the wall brick or gyprock? If your wall is constructed of brick, you’ll need a quality drill with a size 6 masonry drill bit, plastic wall plug (we use the green wall plugs), 35-40mm metal screw, safety glasses and a pair of ear muffs - safety first! If the wall is gyprock, we recommend using large gold hooks such as the Everhang 8kg Brass Hooks or the Ramset white nylon ‘Wallmate’ plasterboard anchors along with a metal screw, that's approximately 40mm long. Both the nylon plasterboard anchors and brass hooks will each hold approximately 8- 10kg, which is a much safer alternative than stick on hooks, particularly if your artwork has a glass frame. If using the Wallmate wall plugs, be sure to check that there's not a wall stud behind the gyprock/ plasterboard, as the wall plug will not go through timber. A stud finder can be purchased through hardware stores if needed.
When we would use a nylon wall plug vs a brass hook: On most occasions, we use the brass hooks as they leave a smaller hole behind once the artwork has been removed. We do however use the nylon wall plugs if the hook/s on the back of the artwork are located right at the top of the frame (usually with no string on the back of the artwork). Otherwise, the top of the brass hook would be noticeable!
Ok, lets measure…..
1. Work out the middle of your wall (or the mid point of where you want to hang your artwork).
2. For an artwork with a string, you will need to determine the tension point by pulling the string towards the top of the frame tightly. Whilst holding the string at tension, put your tape measure on the string to measure the length from the top of the string to the top of the artwork frame. Similarly, for an artwork with a hook/s attached to the frame, measure from the top of the artwork to the point that the hook will sit. Write down the measurement of the tension point.
3. Mark the wall where you would like the top of the artwork to be with a pencil. Holding the artwork up against the wall can be helpful when working this out! Tip: When hanging a pair of artwork, we use a measuring tape from the ceiling or cornice to measure down to the top of both pieces of artwork to ensure they’re completely level.
4. From this point, use your tape measure to measure down from the pencil line of where the top of the artwork will sit using the distance that you wrote down from step 2. This will give you the exact location for the screw/ hook. It is often worthwhile double checking that this point is still in the centre of the wall or mid point of where you want to hang your artwork.
5. Before you make any holes in the wall, check the wall for any power points, water pipes, gas pipes or any cables that could be in line with the positioning of your hanging mark. If there is a power point or gas point underneath your pencil mark we suggest to NOT proceed with hanging your artwork in this position. Instead, determine a safe position either side of the obstacle and create a new pencil mark in this location. Also check to ensure a timber stud isn't present if using the Wallmate wall plugs- if you tap lightly on the wall, you should be able to hear a different sound (that doesn’t sound very hollow) when you’re tapping over a timber stud. Alternatively, we suggest using a stud finder.
6. Once your location has been determined;
If you have a brick wall then slowly drill into the wall for approximately 30mm. Then hammer a green or red plastic wall plug into the wall, depending on how crumbly the brick is. Usually, a red coloured plug is suitable for an older crumbly brick wall such as those in terrace homes, and a green plug is perfect for new builds.
If your wall is gyprock and you are using a wall mate, slowly screw the wall mate into the gyprock using a hand held screw driver (not a drill). Once in place, then screw your metal screw into the wall mate itself. Be sure to leave the screw sitting out from the wall by approximately 1cm to allow the artwork to hang from it. Tip: If you're using a gold hook, ensure that the bottom of the hook is situated on your pencil mark (Do not put the tip of the nail on the pencil mark, as this was cause your artwork to hang lower than planned).
7. Place your artwork onto the hook, ensuring it is level.
Hanging A Pair of Artwork
If you are feeling up for the challenge to measure a pair of artwork side by side, then follow these steps below. Keep in mind the two pieces of artwork are the exact same size in height and width.
For a large pair of artwork like the ones pictured above, we usually recommend for the gap in the middle of the artwork to be between 12-14cm. If the gap is too large your artwork will lose their relationship to each other and look lost. Being too close will cause the artwork to look too crowded.
1. Find the middle point of your wall as we did in the steps above.
2. Measure 7cm on either side of the middle point you just marked on the wall. These two points are now your end gaping marks which is where the inner edges of your artwork will sit.
3. Measure the width of one of the artworks and halve that figure. For example: The width of your artwork is 60cm. 60 divided by 2 is 30cm. Align the start of your measuring tape to one of the end gaping marks and measure 30cm out. Repeat this step for the other side of your gaping mark. These new marks are the middle point for your where your two artwork will be positioned. Now we’ll determine the height. Stay with me, we’re nearly there!
4. For an artwork with a string, you will need to determine the tension point by pulling the string towards the top of the frame very tightly. Whilst holding the string at tension, measure the length from the top of the string to the top of the artwork frame. Similarly, for an artwork with a hook, measure from the top of the artwork to the point that the hook will sit. Write down the measurement of the tension point.
5. Mark the wall where you would like the top of the artwork to be with a pencil. Holding the artwork up against the wall can be helpful when working this out to initially see where you'd like the artwork positioned. Tip: When hanging a pair of artwork, we use a measuring tape from the ceiling or cornice down to where we'd like the top of the artwork to be so it's even for both pieces of art.
6. From this point, use your tape measure to measure down from the pencil line, using the tension point distance calculated in step 4. This will give you the exact location for the screw/ hook on the first artwork piece. Eg if you want the top of your artwork to sit 40cm down from your cornice, and your tension point is 15cm, then you can measure 55cm from the cornice.
Using the tension point calculated for the second piece of artwork, repeat this step for the next artwork. Keep in mind, this can often be a different measurement to your first artwork, and therefore your hooks will not be placed evenly on the wall.
7. Knowing that the two pencil marks from step 6 are correct in height, it's a good idea to double check they're correct in width- Remember how you were leaving approximately a total of 14cm gap between the artwork, along with the 30cm. Also check to ensure a timber stud isn't present if using the Wallmate wall plugs.
8. Screw/ nail the hooks into the wall. If you're using a brass hook, ensure that the bottom of the hook is situated on your pencil mark (Do not put the tip of the nail on the pencil mark, as this was cause your artwork to hang lower than planned).
9. The moment of truth! Hang both of your artwork on their respective hooks. Be sure hang the correct artwork on the correct hook (as calculated by your tension points). Ensure they're straight and level.
10. Enjoy! Time to sit back, relax and admire your new pieces.
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