Home Decorating Tips: How to Hang a Large Picture

Hang the art at eye-level. That means when standing back to look at the art, your eyes should reach the middle of the painting or photograph. This way, you and visitors can appreciate the art at its best without having to crane your neck. To accomplish this, it is often helpful to get some help hanging the art. This way, you can stand back and make sure it reaches this level.

Hold a blanket or paper of the same size up to the wall to help you decide on where to place it. Doing this can keep you from having to put more holes in your wall and can speed up the decision-making process.

Pay attention to color. A piece of art can either enhance or clash with furniture and decorations already in a room. That does not mean it has to be super matchy-matchy. Just make sure that colors are complementary to your space. If you are not sure, looking at color palettes or color wheels online can help you get a feel for what goes well together.

With a pencil or your finger, mark where the top of the artwork will sit. From there, measure the distance down to the wire or hook from which you’re hanging it. If using a wire, be sure to pull it taught before measuring. Doing this will ensure you get the nail in the right place the first time.

Hardware stores such as Lowe’s also suggest you make sure to hang heavier art on a wall stud. Drywall and plaster walls are common in modern homes, and neither material has the strength to carry the weight of a weighty painting on its own.

For wide pieces like panoramas, it’s a good idea to place two nails. The art will stay more balanced with more than one nail or hook to support it.

Once you have the picture leveled out, it can be helpful to add a command strip or other wall-safe adhesive to the bottom of the frame for extra support and balance.

Hooks. Not all hooks are created equal. Watch for ones that come with pointed nails, as that will make smaller holes in your wall. Also, be on the lookout for hooks that hold more than one nail for extra strength. On the other hand, crimped hooks have a more sturdy design and can often get away with one sturdy nail to still carry the same weight.

Cable systems. This rare method is perfect if you want to display multiple pictures. Here, you will also use hooks, but instead of nailing them to a wall, you use them to hang each painting or photo on a cable. Hook the artwork to a length of cable which extends from a rail system already attached to the wall. No nails are required, and it’s easy to interchange art pieces. 

Wall anchors. As mentioned earlier, wall anchors come in very handy. They are perfect for homes that do not have studs or situations where you are unable to reach the stud to hang your art. Just be sure to use metal ones instead of plastic, in this case, as plastic will not have the strength to hold any art over 20 pounds.

Sawtooth hangers. These make for a quick solution for wall art because they make it easy to add multiple hangers and extra support. Heavy-duty sawtooth hangers can often hold over two-hundred pounds and still will not bend.

French Cleats. Not the soccer kind. These unusual types of hangers are perfect if you find you need to remove your art often, such as to show it to a guest or to clean the wall. Hangers like this are not as common, but they come in handy.

D-rings. D-rings are sturdy and used for many things besides hanging large pictures. The intentional design of this type of hanger makes it durable. Look for D-rings made of strong steel, and you can have peace of mind that your art is safe.