Anyone who has read my blogs or listened to my podcast knows that I rarely pay attention to ‘rules’, ‘hacks’ or ‘trends’ because they are usually just someone else’s idea of what works and I prefer to trust my intuition and create what makes me personally happy.
When it comes to hanging artwork and creating layouts, there is some genuine brain science behind it. Our brains are drawn to odd numbers and thirds. The Golden Ratio has been present in art, architecture and more for thousands of years. Euclid first discussed the idea in his book Elements in 300 BCE and many philosophers and mathematicians have discussed it since. I was taught to use the golden ratio in art class. The idea is that compositions feel more balanced when the focal point is a third of the way into the image or space. You may have spotted this used on smart phones when the 3 by 3 grid pops up to help with framing.
The same concept can be helpful when hanging your artwork.
Using the 2/3 Rule
When choosing a piece of art for your space, it is recommended that you choose a piece that is 2/3 the size of the item of furniture that it will be displayed above. This creates balance. The piece does not overwhelm the space nor feel lost as if it’s floating around.
Alternatively, you could flip the ratio so that the furniture is 2/3 the size of the art…
The same concept can be applied to creating gallery walls, some examples of which you can see below.
Creating Your Own Gallery Wall
For more help creating gallery walls, I have created a free step by step pdf guide to help you choose the art, layout and tools to help you create a beautiful display. Get it here.
If you have been meaning to hang up your recently (or not so recently) purchased artworks or do something more interesting with the family photos, then this guide is for you!
In this 14 page full colour guide, I will be taking you through the 5 steps to an amazing gallery wall that showcases your personality and makes you smile every day. I’ll cover:
Step 1: Theme
Step 2 - Framing
Step 3: Art
Step 4: Layout
Step 5: Hanging
All this and a few extra tips sprinkled in there too.
