Hanging a picture

Topic: Interior Decorating Author: Paul Cameron

1. Assess the layout

First and fore most you need to decide where you want to hang the picture. The best way to do this is to get a friend to hold it against the wall so that you can get a feel for the position and how it ties in with the rest of the furnishings in the room.

2. Find the spot

The method  below is commonly used in art gallery exhibitions. Remember the eye wants order and this is the time to establish it.

• Hold up the art work so that the centre of the image is 1.6 meters above the floor level. This allows for most people to look directly into the picture. Tall folks will be looking down into the picture, but experience has shown this is far easier than having short people look up. (Life is full of compromises.)

• Measure the distance on either side of the frame toward the edge of the adjoining art work or piece of furniture. The spaces should be even on each side. You may use a measuring tape if desired--a hammer's handle or the span of your hand work well too.

• Start with the picture in the centre of the available space. Slowly move it away from the object. Your eye will feel the moment when the room starts to balance, and will relax. When you feel your eye relax, stop. That's the spot to hang your picture.

3. Mark the spot

An excellent tool for finding the spot for the nail can be made from a 10-inch length of coat-hanger wire. File a point on one end and use a pair of pliers to bend the wire 90 degrees (a right angle) at one and a half inches from the pointed end. Use the pliers to make a loop big enough for your finger at the other end. Now set the picture wire on the right angle bend with the point towards the wall, and hold up the picture with your finger in the loop and the other hand supporting the bottom of the frame. The loop should stick out from the top of the picture. When the picture is centred and straight, press gently to the wall. The pointed end will leave a mark in the wall where the nail will go. Remember: if you're using hooks, the mark shows where the bottom of the hook goes (not where the screw is screwed in).

4. Install hooks, nails or screws

Personally I think that all pictures should be hung using wall screws and wall plugs. It is by far the strongest method and when it comes to removing the picture, its very easy the fill the hole with a bit of Painters Mate. All these items can be found at your local hardware store. You will need to drill a hole in the wall just large enough to allow the plug to slip through (usually 6mm). Once the plug is in place, tighten the screw clockwise to secure it snugly in the wall.

All that’s left now is to hang the picture and admire the artwork. Well done!

Lastly, If all this is too much for you, then call on a Handyman for some help.