How to hang three pictures on the wall beautifully. Pro tips: how to hang a picture on the wall

An experienced decorator or artist understands at first glance whether the wall is suitable for placing paintings, what quantity will be optimal and how they can be arranged. But among our readers, there are probably many who are far from this. And paintings are hung in the house for two reasons: either they especially like something, or because “that’s the custom.”

Indeed, paintings perfectly decorate the interior, especially if they are in harmony with the style. It is also very important to hang them correctly on the walls or place them on another plane, for example, on shelves. This is exactly the question we will tackle in the new guide for those who like to decorate walls.

We will be helped in this difficult matter by the professional artist Cedar Lee, who has been working in the gallery for more than 10 years, and her own paintings are present at many opening days in major cities in the USA and Canada.

This guide is divided into several parts:

  • The 6 most important rules for hanging pictures from Cedar Lee are short and easy to remember;
  • 10 examples of placing different numbers of paintings in the space of two rooms;
  • and 12 more interesting ways to hang pictures and decorate the wall around them.

Let these rules and little tricks help you place your favorite paintings so that they really decorate your home! And don’t forget to read our detailed article about paintings in the interior from a designer’s point of view, and also look at other galleries on similar topics, links at the end of the publication.

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tip 1:

Start with modeling. If you liked some painting in the salon, do not rush to purchase it, at least until you find a worthy place for it. Measure the dimensions of the painting, and make a mock-up of it at home from cardboard. Apply it to different walls, adjust the height, you may even need to move the furniture a little. Then step back and see what happens. Repeat until optimal impression is achieved.

tip 2:

The proportionality of the size of the painting relative to the furniture over which it is located. This is one of the most important rules. The picture should neither dominate nor be lost. The best option is that the outer vertical lines are slightly shorter than the length of the furniture. This applies to chests of drawers, consoles, and sofas. The same applies to a composition of several paintings, unless you decide to fill the entire space of this wall in a gallery style. But in this case, the remaining walls should be free. Look at the examples:

tip 3:

Never try to fill the entire wall space with paintings or even all the walls in the room. You don't live in a museum, do you? Around each painting there should be a certain “buffer” - a free part of the wall necessary for the eyes to rest. The size of the free space should be proportional to the size of the picture. It is this rule that will help you enjoy your favorite collection or even one painting to the fullest, and the interior will become harmonious.

tip 4:

Focus on the center of the picture. Its horizontal midline should coincide with the focus of vision. If you have high ceilings, choose the middle of the wall for this point. The same applies to a composition of several paintings.

It is advisable to tie the format of the composition to the style of the interior: for classics there are stricter rules and symmetry is important, for modern style you can use freer techniques. Check it out in the pictures:

how to correctly determine the height of a large painting: the focus of vision of the person standing next to it should be in the middle

elegant classic solution: use the space between the windows, create a central axis of symmetry

for originals: dissimilar paintings can be combined with other elements of wall decor, fitting into an imaginary rectangle

tip 5:

Try to avoid hanging paintings next to tall cabinets and never lower them lower than 60cm from the floor, unless you are deliberately placing paintings on the floor - only contemporary paintings are suitable for this purpose.

Also use visual effects: vertically placed paintings perfectly increase the height of the wall on which they are placed, and horizontally located ones increase its length.

tip 6:

Don't forget about lighting, it makes the picture more impressive and attracts attention to it in the evening. And one more thing about the design of the walls themselves: a monochromatic or not too colorful pattern is optimal.

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10 options for hanging paintings

2-3 pictures:

Using examples you will see how you can place 2 paintings. For 3 paintings, the techniques are similar, but it is necessary to take into account their size and proportionality relative to the furniture standing next to them (see tip 2 from Cedar Lee).

4 paintings:

if they are the same format, we advise you to maintain symmetry, as in the left picture, and if they are different, you can play with rotating the frame by 90 degrees, the main thing is to choose a horizontal axis, relative to which the top and bottom edges of the composition will be at the same distance.

5 paintings:

a more strict placement is to fit it into an imaginary rectangle, a looser one is to group it around the largest picture, keeping a single line at the top or bottom.

6 or more paintings:

if you are almost having a vernissage, and of a heterogeneous plan, the paintings can be placed more freely, however, do not forget that some element should be unifying (color or material of the frame, subject, style of painting). And another option is to arrange everything on neutral-colored shelves.

If we are not talking about paintings, but about a collage (lowest photo), all the elements can be placed in an original frame, this will create the necessary order and harmony.

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One of the most affordable ways to get rid of empty walls is to hang pictures. They do an excellent job of not only decorating, but also maintaining the overall style, color scheme, and mood. All you need is to select suitable images and choose the option for their location on the wall.

Ekaterina Domracheva

Anna Kaplun

Vera Nikitina

Basic options and methods for arranging paintings.

With one picture everything is clear. Whatever one may say, she will become the center of attraction. That is why its size must be appropriate; hanging one small picture on the wall is not worth it.

The next option is two or three images. They can be placed in a row horizontally, vertically, diagonally, or in a triangle.

Alexey Solovatkin

Ekaterina Domracheva

Denis Krasikov

If you have more than four canvases, this is much more interesting and difficult. There are many options for arranging compositions from paintings, let's look at the main ones.

A symmetrical arrangement of paintings.

To implement it, you need to draw an imaginary line (axis of symmetry) and hang the pictures equally on both sides of it. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that this line can be drawn at any degree.

Maria Yangolenko

Alexander Bereznev

Asymmetry in the arrangement of images.

The main thing with this option is to balance the overall appearance of the composition so that not one of the parts catches the eye. Large and small canvases should alternate and be distributed along the wall.

Victoria Nazarchuk

Andrey Litvinenko

Alexander Reguzov

Vera Nikitina

The presence or absence of a composition center

Evenly or have a central image, relative to which the rest of the ensemble will be built. For greater effect, it is better that it differs from all others in size or shape.

Anna Chesnokova

Olga Colak

Natalia Serebryakova

Composition with or without clear contours

The most common option is when a composition of paintings repeats (fits into) one of the geometric shapes (square, rectangle, circle). By the way, you can post images in the form of a heart, a daisy, your name, an elephant, in a word, anything that seems appropriate to you in your interior.

Evgeny Zhdanov

Galina Ryazanova

Olga Dubrovskaya

Do not forget that the pictures can be arranged absolutely chaotically; no one forces you to adhere to any rules in this matter. You shouldn’t limit yourself to limits, especially if the style of your interior is modern, youthful, and relaxed.

Nina Romanyuk

We pay our main attention to options for the arrangement of paintings, while forgetting about such an important point as free space. It is very important to choose the correct distance between images. You can place images close to each other that are similar in style, color scheme, size, and in the same frames. If the paintings are too different, then the distance between them should correspond to approximately a third of their size.

Inna Mikhaiskaya

Olesya Kubiv

It is impossible not to mention the rapidly gaining popularity of modular (composite) paintings. They represent a ready-made composition of several canvases, which are obtained from one image. Most companies that sell them provide a custom-made service. You will be able to select the image, its size, quantity and options for the arrangement of modules. There are no fewer online services with similar offers on the Internet; they offer delivery throughout the country.

In conclusion, let me remind you that paintings are not only square or rectangular. Round, oval, triangular, and diamond-shaped canvases look much more interesting. In addition, there are many more ideas for arranging paintings of such unusual shapes.

Daria Arkhipova

Nina Romanyuk

Tatiana Povarova

Olga Colak

Often, owners of private houses and apartments dream of having their own art gallery in the living room or dining room. But often they are afraid of hanging pictures unharmoniously, so they limit themselves to only one frame. You can decorate the walls of your apartment with posters, paintings, children's drawings, clippings from vintage magazines - in short, whatever you like.

But how to hang them in such a way as to create a single composition that will look harmonious and stylish? We will take a closer look at how to hang pictures on the wall correctly in our article.

How to hang pictures on the wall correctly

Many people choose one watercolor landscape or an avant-garde poster to decorate the interior of their apartment. But, as a rule, after this you will want to place another painting on the wall, a good photograph, etc. How do different shapes, sizes and stylistic directions combine correctly with each other? Are there any rules for placing pictures on the wall?

You can place images:

  • chaotic, which corresponds to fashion trends;
  • in a clearer order, reflecting the individual characteristics of the owner of the paintings.

The layout of the paintings on the wall is chosen by the owner himself. Some options for hanging pictures on the wall are presented in the figure below:

In order to create a single composition, it is necessary to select a group of drawings that correspond to each other according to certain parameters, for example:

  • By color scheme or specific shade. In order to beautifully hang paintings on the wall, you should pay attention to the fact that the general color shade of these works coincides, or they complement each other.
  • Within the meaning of. The motives of the images or their semantic load must correspond to each other.

If you like a painting in a store, don't rush into buying it before you've found the right place for it. Measure the dimensions of the painting and cut out a layout from cardboard or paper. After that, attach this layout in different locations - above the sofa, or. Calculate the height and be prepared to even move the furniture before you find the right place for the painting or composition of paintings.

2 Choose proportions

The painting should be in proportion to the furniture in the living room: this is very important for the overall composition of the interior and visual perception. It should not get lost against the background of the furniture or take away all the attention.

It is believed that the painting is placed optimally if its side borders are slightly shorter than the furniture over which it is located. The same applies to compositions from paintings or photographs. The exception is the option when the designer fills the entire wall with paintings according to the gallery principle (now this is a fashionable microtrend), but at the same time the remaining walls should be completely free.

3 Think about the background

If you do not follow the museum principle described above, then you need to create some kind of “buffer space” near each painting to relax visual perception. This technique will allow you to fit the paintings into the most organically.

4 Create a plot

Figuratively highlight the center of the picture or composition so that the middle horizontal line of the picture coincides with the focus of the eye. The easiest way is to hang a picture or several pictures in the center of the wall. Match the image and style of the plot to the style and concept of the interior: for example, classics are friends with symmetry and stricter lines, and are combined with bolder colors and images.

Avoid placing paintings near high cabinets and below 60 cm from: if you want low, it’s better to just place the painting leaning it against the wall. Please note that large vertical images can visually increase the volume of a room or wall, and too small paintings will not look very organic on an empty wall.

5 Large-scale composition

If you have enough wall space to place a large number of small paintings or posters, it is better to approach this project with preparation. Take your time and put together the perfect composition of works of art in different styles. Ideally, you need to experiment with future hanging, laying out the composition on the floor and choosing an asymmetrical scenario, in which large images gather small-format illustrations around them.

6 Group of paintings in the corner

Corners are a weak point in many apartments, but if there is a small empty partition after the corner, this is your case. There will also be its own line of symmetry - the joint between the walls: in this case, the composition will stretch horizontally in one direction and take up space in the wall on the other.

7 Pictures on the shelves

One of the simplest schemes that allows you to harmoniously arrange photographs in frames is to organize them on several. For example, fill a niche or space between cabinets in this way. You can arrange the paintings one next to the other or even overlap.

8 Gallery hanging

This museum technique, in which images are attached to fishing lines, is often used in cases where it is not possible to drill into walls in ten places. For an apartment, there is a simpler and more original technique - stretch the fishing lines in the space of a large frame, and hang the paintings symmetrically in it.

9 From floor to ceiling

This one can also be adopted if you are not afraid of bold experiments. The obvious advantage of this approach is that the collection can be supplemented and modified according to one’s mood, without fear that the scheme will fall apart if any fragment is removed from it.

10 Above the door

Usually it is recommended to place photographs and paintings at eye level to make them easier to look at, but the design world also knows more cunning tricks. For example, too high ceilings in the living room (and this happens!) can be visually lowered if you hang images right at the ceiling - above the line of cabinets or doorways.

There are quite a lot of decorative techniques that modern designers use. These include various arches, colors, specially placed mirrors and other little things in life that decorate the space of a room or completely change it. However, as in the relatively distant past, one of the most frequently used methods of decorating walls – paintings – does not lose its relevance.

Like the paintings themselves, their arrangement can significantly create an original decoration of the walls in a room for any purpose. At the same time, despite the fact that paintings were used as a method of decoration many centuries ago, they do not lose their relevance.

In this article we will talk about how, using the original arrangement of paintings on the wall, you can achieve an interesting effect.


Let's first talk about the sizes of the paintings that you decided to place. Often, in modern living conditions, large sizes of paintings are not even discussed. After all, few people agree to place a painting in their room that will occupy the entire surface of the wall. And the fastenings of such art will be quite powerful and complex structures. Today, compositions of larger sizes are often created from several small or medium-sized artistic canvases, photographs, and posters. Such a design can even take up an entire wall, while still looking light and relaxed, giving you the opportunity to systematically introduce something new into it.


There are several simple rules on how to arrange paintings on the wall. The painting should be located on a free section of the wall - not overlapped by other interior items. Regarding the position on the wall, one thing can be said - do not hang it too high (to the ceiling) or below the middle of the wall. And then in the matter of placement, be guided solely by your own taste and concept of beauty. But it’s worth remembering one nuance - a sufficient amount of lighting should fall on the picture so that anyone can see what is depicted there, and, at the same time, the sun’s rays should not fall, as they will spoil the image.

The rules described above apply to the classic way of placing a picture - when one canvas is placed on the wall. However, if we talk about entire compositions of paintings, then you can get a rather interesting effect that can add zest to your interior.

Composition


When assembling paintings into a composition, it is necessary to assemble a group that will fit certain parameters. The most common parameters are:

  • Color or color scheme. When choosing paintings, pay attention that their color scheme matches or complements each other.
  • Meaning. The semantic content or motives of the paintings should be intertwined with each other.

It's quite easy to create similarities between paintings yourself. This can be done by inserting them into identical frames or adding a similar element to the design of each of them.


The next step in order to create a composition of paintings is to choose the form in which they will be located. In order to imagine what your creation will look like in the final result, you can initially draw a sketch. But the most important point here will be maintaining the scale. It is he who will help you in the future arrange the paintings and other elements of the composition correctly. In addition, before placing pictures on the wall, you can figure out how it will look by placing them in the correct order on the floor.

Most often, the composition of paintings is arranged either in clear geometric shapes or in complete chaotic disorder. Straight geometric shapes are suitable for paintings of the same size or those that you specifically placed in the same frames.


Such square or rectangular shapes will be a wonderful decoration for a study or even an office space. If you want to bring a little chaos here, in such a composition, you can move one extreme picture.

If the paintings you have chosen are similar to each other in content or color scheme, but completely different in size, then it is worth remembering the basic rules of composition. The “weight” of the entire composition should be evenly distributed. This means that a large picture in one corner must correspond to several small ones in another. The same applies to color saturation. If you have a rather dark picture on one side, then you shouldn’t place light ones on the other - everything should be balanced.


Series


Quite often there are paintings that consist of several parts. This original genre in art allows you to create a feeling of lightness of the picture despite its overall large size, as well as integrity despite its actual disunity. The simplest option is a triptych, which is quite often found in the design of various types of premises - residential or even office. The painting itself will tell you how to hang pictures correctly. It often consists of a series of pictures that are meant to be placed together and are hung in much the same way as a puzzle is put together.


Photo

Ideas for hanging paintings in your home: