Little Wall Space

Dear Melissa:

My kids are moving into their teen years so I decided this was the time to redo the playroom. I put in a wood floor, painted the walls a bright color, and replaced toys with computer equipment. My problem is that the room has a low, slanted ceiling on opposite sides of the room; the one wall at the end of the room has a nearly floor-length palladium window in it. So, there is very little wall space. I’d like to put up a few pictures/posters that are framed but I think they would look strange attached (somehow) to the ceiling, and strange on the waist-high walls. I am putting one next to the window, but am I limited to one picture in the room? J. M., AK

Dear J.:

The room sounds great so far. Alas, we all have only so much wall space, which is a problem for art lovers. You don’t have to be limited, however. You can stack smaller pictures one above the other on the wall, placing the ones with more visual weight on the bottom. Another option is to store and rotate your pictures seasonally for a fresh new look. (Just hide the previous holes.) It’s perfectly all right to place pictures on the floor and lean them against the wall, even overlapping them slightly, for a casual look. And don’t forget tabletop and freestanding easels. Now your picture count is around seven. M.A.K.

No Flatscreen over this Mantel

Dear Melissa:

We have a couple of questions concerning what to do with our walls. Could you tell us when to place art or a mirror over a fireplace mantel? I don't need mt TV in this room. Also, where is a good place to group family pictures; we live in a raised ranch and have a long hallway leading to the bedrooms, and an entranceway with a massive wall that needs something. Thank you.

D.Z., NJ

Dear D.Z.:

Let me address the fireplace mantel first. Since the fireplace is usually the focal point of a room, one has to consider what is worthy enough to occupy this “seat of honor.” Artwork, clocks, and mirrors are all perennial favorites for this prime real estate. Sculpture, collections, and candles also work well. Artwork and other objects placed over a fireplace become slightly more important than the other accessories in the room, so choose something you love. Consider adding a spotlight or a picture light.

Mirrors add sparkle to a room and can help to brighten it when placed near a window or other light source. When placing a mirror over the fireplace, or anywhere for that matter, one must also take into account what else will be reflected in the mirror besides light.

Whatever the choice, keep the scale in mind, trying to complement the size and shape of the fireplace, neither overpowering it nor letting the fireplace dominate.

The location of family photos is a personal choice, but my preference is to display them in a more private area of a home, like a bedroom, family room, den, or that hallway you mentioned. I think that would be a perfect location for a grouping of photographs.

As for the large entry wall in your raised ranch, the options are endless. An accent wallpaper or paint color can be a good foundation. Since this is a large area, either think big or think multiple arrangements. Something sculptural or three-dimensional would be a nice change from the usual pictures. (Just make sure you can get past it on the stairs.) Whatever you do, try to avoid a single row of pictures marching up the stairs like little soldiers. Groupings are much more interesting. Overhead lighting is critical in this typically dim space, so explore wonderful chandeliers, pendants or accent lighting.

M.A.K.

Must Paintings Line Up?

Dear Melissa:

In my bedroom, I have a painting on each of three walls. Do they have to line up with each other? What do you do about paintings? Barbara,  IN 

Dear Barbara:

Here are some guidelines for hanging paintings. Proportion is important. A single, tiny painting looks lost on a large wall. Conversely, a gigantic painting that practically fills up an entire wall will also look odd. Smaller pieces can be grouped into an arrangement for more stature and visual interest. Sometimes all you need to correct the size issue is to change the frame or mat. Keep in mind though, that the frame is supposed to enhance the painting, not detract from it. Ornate, heavily carved frames were used historically to separate those bold, colorful masterpieces from the ornate walls of the period. A heavy frame won’t make sense on a line drawing hanging on a painted white wall.

Placement is also important. I’m sure you’ve heard that you should hang a painting at eye level. But whose eye level? The person who is 6’3” or the one who’s 5’2”? This guideline applies more to gallery spaces. If you are showcasing a painting, it should be hung at the height where most viewers can interact with it.  In one's home, that means it could be at chair height.

Artwork in homes is typically used to unify furniture with walls; therefore unless a painting is large and dominant, it is often placed over something, like the bed or a dresser. Artwork should hang relatively close to the piece of furniture, creating a composition. I want to say hang it no higher than 12 inches above the furniture, but it really depends on each situation. Just remember, if you aren’t sure about the height, err on the side of hanging it too low rather than too high, even placing it on the furniture. Please. It makes me crazy when pictures look like they’re drifting up towards the ceiling. And treat each painting separately. M.A.K.

What to Put on the Walls

Dear Melissa:

We have a couple of questions concerning what to do with our walls. Could you tell us when to place art or a mirror over a fireplace mantel? Also, where is a good place to group family pictures; we live in a raised ranch and have a long hallway leading to the bedrooms, and an entranceway with a massive wall that needs something. Thank you.

D.Z., AL

Dear D.Z.:

Let me address the fireplace mantel first. Since the fireplace is usually the focal point of a room, one has to consider what is worthy enough to occupy this “seat of honor.” Artwork, clocks, and mirrors are all perennial favorites for this prime real estate. Sculpture, collections, and candles also work well. Artwork and other objects placed over a fireplace become slightly more important than the other accessories in the room, so choose something you love. Consider adding a spotlight or a picture light.

Mirrors add sparkle to a room and can help to brighten it when placed near a window or other light source. When placing a mirror over the fireplace, or anywhere for that matter, one must also take into account what else will be reflected in the mirror besides light.

Whatever the choice, keep the proportions in mind, trying to complement the size and shape of the fireplace, neither overpowering it nor letting the fireplace dominate. Scale matters.

The location of family photos is a personal choice, but my preference is to display them in a more private area of a home, like a bedroom, family room, den, or that hallway you mentioned. I think that would be a perfect location for a grouping of photographs.

As for the large entry wall in your raised ranch, the options are endless. An accent wallpaper or paint color can be a good foundation. Since this is a large area, either think big or think multiple arrangements. Something sculptural or three-dimensional would be a nice change from the usual pictures. (Just make sure you can get past it on the stairs.) Whatever you do, try to avoid a single row of pictures marching up the stairs like little soldiers. Groupings are much more interesting. Overhead lighting is critical in this typically dim space, so explore wonderful chandeliers, pendants or accent lighting.

M.A.K.

Don't Hang 'Em High

Dear Readers:

A lovely woman recently asked me for some tips on hanging pictures. I told her a condensed version of what I tell my students, and what I’ll share with you.

There are some obvious guidelines such as hanging large pieces of artwork on large walls and smaller pieces on smaller walls. There is a little more to it, however.

If you are lucky enough to have a gallery wall, you have the luxury of hanging a painting at eye level, which allows the viewer to "disappear" into the painting. Most people, however, just want to accessorize a room with something pleasing on their walls. Unfortunately, paintings are not meant to replace wallpaper. By that I mean their purpose is not simply to fill up space on a wall. Artwork should be placed judiciously.

The foremost purpose of a painting is to highlight the artist’s work. Its secondary purpose is to complement the grouping of furniture below it. I think we all get the first part, but I know from experience that very few people understand the concept of working with the furniture beneath the artwork.

Valuable artwork should have pride of place. Lesser works can be thought of as part of the composition that a piece of furniture and its accessories make. Most people hang artwork too high. Paintings should be low enough (yes, sometimes even sitting on furniture) to seem to belong to that little vignette. The viewer’s eye should circle around the arrangement created by the furniture and the artwork. Leaving empty space in the room (and therefore on the wall) between these groupings is okay, and helps to give them more impact. There are some exceptions, but these are usually space related and have to be judged on a case-by-case basis.

As for the colors in paintings matching your décor, in a word: “Don’t”! This is art. Please don’t buy a bunch of meaningless pictures in a particular color palette as though you were decorating a motel room. Take your time. Buy what you love. You will find a place for each piece of art and conversely, you will find the perfect picture for each furniture grouping eventually.

M.A.K.