Hanging Your Architectural Elements

Architectural elements such as corbels old windows and chippy wooden designs from porches and old houses are great to use as wall decorations! You can hang them up as is or make special frames for them. Either way knowing how and where to best hang them will insure that you give your walls old world charm and appeal.

In your collection, you have a wonderful piece from an old porch that will be a focal point of your theme in the kitchen. You mark your spot and drive a nail into the wall above the window and slip your piece from an old porch onto it. Nothing could be easier!

You take a step back to admire your handiwork. You tilt your head from one side to the other and back again. You squint at the piece. Something doesn’t look right.

If you have found yourself staring at something you have just hung up trying to figure out why it doesn not look right, your not alone. There are a few common mistakes that look funny to the eye, but that you don’t quite know how to fix. Here’s some tips that might help when trying to hang wall art or décor on a wall:

Hanging Large Architectural Pieces:

large corbels or other architectural pieces can be the focus of your décor so you must make sure you hang it in a spot that is appropriate for the size and focus. Where do larger pieces look the best? Try over a couch, behind the dining set, over a fireplace or on a feature wall. A feature wall is where the placement of furniture or the layout of the home naturally guides the eye to a wall - a great place to feature architctural elements.

Hanging Small Pieces:

Grouping smaller pieces looks nice and can make a great statement. Use a common theme like, color, framing or style to pull them together. Otherwise anchor the small piece visually by hanging it low and close to furnishings so it doesn^t appear to be floating on the wall.

Architectural Groupings:

Make a statement by grouping your collection together on one wall. To get them to look right, you must space them properly. Try to have them spaced approximately 3 inches apart. Before you start making holes in the wall, try laying them out on the floor so you can figure out the best spot for each piece.

HEIGHT:

Architectural pieces should be hung with the center of the picture at eye level. That means the center should be about 60 to 66 inches from the floor. If you've visited a gallery you will see that the frames are not lined up by their top or bottom edges but that the pictures are all centered at the same height.

If the piece would be viewed from a sitting position, then hang it at the sitter’s eye level.

If you are hanging it behind the couch, make sure it is no more than 10” above the back.

When you use these easy tips, you’ll be able to create great wall décor that looks like it was arranged by a professional.