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How To Arrange Pictures on a Wall

By Autumn Lockwood

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 20Apr2011 Word count: 2336 Viewed: 476 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Conventional wisdom, personal preference, and current trends all play a part in helping you decide what the best arrangement for your picture frames will be. Here are some guidelines to help you get started.

A Large, Single Frame

Give a large picture importance and allow it to command the wall where it hangs by hanging it alone. Make sure you pay attention to scale; this usually can only work well with a fairly large picture frame.

More Than One Frame That Is The Same Size

If you have pairs, hang them in a diagonal arrangement, with slight overlap - during the middle of the twentieth century this arrangement was popular. Many people prefer, however, for pairs of frames to be hung symmetrically either beside one another or vertically, with one aligned above the other.

Sets of Three

Sets of three frames are typically hung symmetrically, but they don't have to be. For instance, three fun pictures in bright blue picture frames can look great in a kid's room when hung asymmetrically, either in a diagonal line, or the two outer frames level, with the third in the middle, either slightly higher or slightly lower than the other two. Another pleasing arrangement, depending on the wall, would be a symmetrical layout with one frame hung directly above the first and the third hung to the side of the first (like an "L" shape).

Sets of Four or more

Four or more frames of the same size are usually arranged in a line or a block pattern, either square or rectangular. If you're hanging pictures that are not a "set" and are different sizes, then here are some additional tips:

Designing a Picture Wall

Groupings of mixed sizes and styles are incorporated into a cohesive design on a picture wall. The frames can be the same style or united by a theme, such as all black or all silver picture frames; however, these types of groupings often incorporate a mix of styles and colors as well. The art showcased can be a collection of family photographs or sports paraphernalia, travel photos or a mixture of different types of art. Some picture walls even incorporate other items like small mirrors, sconces, or other accessories.

There is no one best layout for a picture wall, but there are some guidelines. Groupings look more natural when there is randomness. That being said, try and create a little bit of symmetry without making it look symmetrical - to do this, line up the top or bottom of a frame with its neighbor. Create balance so no one area looks too heavy or too light by varying the frames and separating ones that have thick and thin sides. Don't space the frames apart too much; usually two to four inches apart is best. Any more than that and you risk individual pictures appearing like they're off on their own.

Lastly, pay attention to the overall shape of the arrangement - the outer border, whenever possible, should form a roughly symmetrical shape, like a rectangle or oval. Picture this: if you were to draw the shape on the wall, would the frames be balanced within it? If so, you should have yourself a nice picture wall arrangement. If not, it's time for some tweaking.

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