For centuries, gallery owners have known a secret that few homeowners have taken advantage of. When you hang a painting or any framed object on your walls, there is an “ideal” center point around which to position a single item or a group of items.
The first secret
Thought to be based upon ancient architectural principles, but more likely on the average level of the human adult eye when standing, the so-called secret number is 57. That is the ideal height, in inches, for the center of your artwork or wall hanging. When putting up several items as a group, fix the center of the group at that height and you’ll get the same harmonious look.
For some unknown reason, this intriguing distance has many effects on the look of a room when wall hangings abide by the 57-inch rule. Everything appears to be related! Artwork in the kitchen, living room and bedrooms all seem to be coordinated in some unspoken way, even if the pieces themselves are wildly diverse.
Spend a few minutes the next time you visit someone else’s home and investigate the average height of their wall hangings. You’ll most likely notice that they are higher, sometimes much higher, than the 57-inch point. You may also notice that the farther the center is away from the 57-inch mark, the less attractive the arrangement looks. It’s hard to explain, but is just one of those mysteries of design that operates almost like an ancient, unwritten law.
The second secret
Now that you know the gist of the main secret, you are ready to decorate your walls with skill and professionalism by employing the second secret, which is admittedly neither as ancient nor as secret as the first secret. It pertains to finding the correct place for the hook in the wall. Remember, the hook will NOT be at the 57-inch mark.
After adhering a hanging wire to the back of your wall piece (whether it is an expensive painting, a framed photo of your beloved dog or an autographed poster), gently tug on the center of the wire and measure the distance between the taut-wire’s center and the top of the wall hanging. Now measure the top-to-bottom distance of the hanging itself. You are now ready to plug these numbers into the magic formula and determine the exact point for the hook.
Add one-half the height (in inches) of the wall hanging to 57. Say, for example, your framed picture is 24 inches tall. You will add one-half of 24 to 57. So, you’re adding 12 to 57, which is 69. Now, subtract the distance you measured from the taut-wire’s center to the top of the piece. Let’s say it was 1 inch. You will, in this example, be subtracting one from 69 for a result of 68. That means you would want to place the hook exactly 68 inches from the floor in order to have your wall hanging perfectly centered at the 57-inch point.
Remember…
Make precise measurements and keep in mind that for groups of items, you need to treat the entire group as if it is one wall hanging. It helps to make a rudimentary diagram on paper with the measurements written on it before doing any actual hammer-and-nail work.
Good luck. May your walls mystify and intrigue those who view them!