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How to Hang Your Photos
Janine van der Kooij - Vink
Dos and Don'ts When Hanging Your Photos
Have you taken a beautiful photo on your travels and want to hang it nicely in a frame at home? Wait just a moment before reaching for the screws and drill. Hanging wall decoration is an art form — what is the right spot to hang a photo frame? And how do you ensure your summer photo gets the attention it deserves? With a number of tips & tricks you can hang your photo perfectly on the wall. In this blog you will learn how to do it best.
How do you hang wall decoration on the wall?
On your hard drive there are enough images to choose from, but do not immediately go for the most obvious photo. Go for something unique — for example a photo where you photographed directly into the sun and beautiful shapes and silhouettes were created. Or focus on different patterns of (old) buildings, special colours from nature or the spontaneous emotions and moments of your family.
What do you express with your summer photo?
First decide where you want to hang your wall decoration, because for every spot in the house there are different recommendations. Popular places include above the sofa in the living room, in the bedroom above the bed or on an empty wall.
Once the location is decided, it is good to know which size suits that spot best. Below we give you the most practical tips and rules of thumb for the popular hanging spots.
Hanging wall decoration in the living room: above the sofa
✘ DON'T: Make sure your wall decoration is not wider than the sofa.
✔ DO: Use a measuring tape and apply the 2/3 rule.
Hang your wall decoration no higher than 155 cm above the floor, measured from the floor to the centre of the piece. A good rule of thumb is between 145 and 155 cm.
The width of your wall decoration should be at least 2/3 of the width of your sofa. The wall decoration must not be wider than the sofa. Tip! Multiply the sofa width by 0.66 to find the ideal decoration width.
The distance between the bottom of the wall decoration and the sofa should be between 20 and 25 cm.
If you plan to hang multiple photos above the sofa, leave 5 to 15 cm between them.
Hanging wall decoration in the bedroom: above the bed
✘ DON'T: Don't hang a frame that's too small above your bed.
✔ DO: Hang one large or several smaller wall decorations next to each other. It is also fun to combine with accessories such as a mirror or matching ceramic wall plates.
The width of your wall decoration should be at least 2/3 of the bed width. Multiply the bed width by 0.66 for the ideal decoration width.
The distance between the bottom of the wall decoration and the bed should be between 20 and 25 cm.
If hanging two or more, keep 5 to 15 cm between each piece.
Tip! Print a calming landscape or photo on dibond for extra serenity in the bedroom. Or hang a motivating quote.
Extra tip! Prefer a smaller format? Place a shelf above the bed with your favourite photo combined with decorations like a lamp, plant or vase with dried flowers.
Hanging photos on an empty wall
✘ DON'T: Don't place the wall decorations too far apart.
✔ DO: Leave 5 to 15 cm space between your wall decorations.
Choose a beautiful photo or multiple photos you want to hang on the wall.
Calculate the ideal width: the total width you want to fill with decoration is at least 4/7 of the wall width. Tip! Multiply the wall width by 0.57 for the ideal decoration width.
Decide whether you choose one or multiple decorations next to each other based on that calculated width.
Hang the wall decoration between 145 and 155 cm above the floor, measured to the centre.
If hanging two or more photos, make sure the spacing between them is equal — 5 to 15 cm.
Tip! Make your photos stand out with a photo behind plexiglass — the crystal-clear material makes colours really pop.
Wall decoration above mantelpiece or cabinet
✘ DON'T: Don't hang a wall decoration that is too large above the piece of furniture.
✔ DO: Create a beautiful composition between the wall decoration and the accessories on the cabinet or mantelpiece.
Choose which photo you want to combine with which decorations.
The width of your wall decoration should be at least 2/3 of the piece of furniture. If you want to place many/large decorations around your photo, you can deviate from this rule to free up more space.
Hang the photo between 10 and 30 cm above the piece of furniture.
Hanging wall decoration above the stairs
✘ DON'T: Don't hang different sizes next to each other.
✔ DO: Let the photos come together and tell a story.
It is important that the wall decoration is positioned at the height of a stair tread.
Keep equal spacing between the wall decorations — measure by stair treads rather than centimetres. For example, keep two treads between each piece.
The distance from the stair tread to the centre of the wall decoration should be between 145 and 155 cm.
Use the same format for all pieces along the stairs for a calm, harmonious look.
Tip! Choose a framed photo and let the unique frames match the colour of your stairs.
Hanging wall decoration: photo collage on the wall
✘ DON'T: Don't hang the photos randomly on the wall.
✔ DO: Make sure the colours of your photos match well.
Have you ever visited someone and been completely impressed by their wall decoration collection? You can create this too! Read below the tips & tricks for a successful photo wall or grid:
Photo wall
Place your centrepiece as the largest format in the middle according to the rule, between 145 and 155 cm above the floor.
Put a line between 145 and 155 cm using tape. This is your horizontal centre. Also make a vertical centre with tape.
Keep the spacing between all items equal (between 5 and 7 cm) and you have a stunning photo wall.
Tip! Vary the type of images. Combine a family photo with a nice macro photo and poster, or add a fun text.
Extra tip! Besides mixing and matching photos, also create a nice combination in the type of wall decoration.
Photo grid
Make all your wall decorations the same size — no larger than 20 cm each.
Put a line between 145 and 155 cm above the floor using tape. This is your horizontal centre.
Hang half above the central line and the other half below it.
Keep the spacing between all items equal (between 5 and 7 cm) and you have a beautiful grid on the wall.
Tip! When making a photo grid, use the same colour frames and type of wall decoration for the best result.
Easy-to-use hanging systems
With all wall decorations from Profotonet you can order a strong hanging system at an affordable price. With our hanging systems you can be sure that your wall decoration hangs safely and securely on the wall. These systems are attached by our specialists, so you only need to hang it up. Depending on size and weight, choose a mirror hanging system or an aluminium profile.
A mirror hanging system is mainly suitable for prints on light material such as polystyrene and forex in small and large formats. An aluminium profile is the most luxurious hanging system we offer — extremely strong and hangs your photo stably on the wall. We recommend this for heavier and larger format wall decorations.
