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Expert Talk: Lean or Hang Artwork?
Professional designers explain why a tilt is sometimes better than a nail for artwork around the home
Houzz Contributor. After graduating from UC Berkeley, I found myself utterly unprepared for the real world and at a loss as to what I should do next. Luckily, one day I stumbled through the doors of Architectural Digest and was taken under the wing of legendary editor Paige Rense. She had the vision to look past my uninspiring sociology degree and my general lack of experience—an unlikely journalism career was born. After AD, with my magazine karma still intact, I was hired by yet another publishing legend, the food critic and writer Ruth Reichl. I currently ply my trade as a freelance writer and editor and live in stylish Mid-Century-Modern comfort with my dog, Mike.
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Houzz Contributor. After graduating from UC Berkeley, I found myself utterly... More »
There's a good deal of speculation, and a number of theories, floating around as to why designers lean paintings and photographs against walls instead of hanging them. I'm not much for speculation, so I decided to skip all that stuff and go straight to the source. Here are some reasons and ways to do it from the designers themselves.
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| Become your own curator. For this family room, Karen Soojian, principal at KSID Studio, leaned the art and varied the height of the pieces to provide a contrast with the boxy shape of the fireplace. She notes that "juxtaposing several pieces of art and other elements is more entertaining to the eye, and this type of art installation allows flexibility — our client has a hassle-free way to change the arrangement of their art." |
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| Test it out. "Necessity was the mother of invention," says Laura Martin Bovard of LBM Interiors. "We were waiting for the clients to decide whether or not to purchase the art, and leaning it made it feel more flexible and casual without committing to damaging the wall covering in the dining room of this townhouse." |
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| This is another design by Bovard where she was waiting for the clients to commit, or not, to the artworks. And, as with the dining room, "we decided we liked how they looked just leaning," she says. |
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Create a bathroom gallery. When this master bath was remodeled, designer Andrea May created a wall splash topped off with a shallow gallery ledge. "These paintings are by a family friend and really connect to a personal narrative," she says. "I like to prop art, not only because it allows flexibility, but because I feel it makes the art less precious, more casual and more accessible."
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Layer your art along with your bed. Even though these are small vignettes, the layering has a big impact. "I wanted to lean the framed prints in order to create a very layered and collected look," explains Jessica Pakzad Bennett of Jessica Bennett Interiors. "My client loves to collect prints and couldn’t choose just one to hang, so she wanted to have them all on her bedside table to enjoy. We also loved the idea of hanging the antique frames behind them for an even more dramatic impact."
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| Change it up. "I decided to lean an oversized colorful painting against the wall for two reasons," explains Mark English of Mark English Architects. "The first being that I wanted a feeling of changeability in the room, the idea that the art could move around. Secondly, I wanted the painting to seem more like a furnishing than wall art." |
| Rotate your collection. "The inspiration for the photo shelves came from an art gallery that my client had visited," says John Lum of John Lum Architecture. "They wanted a flexible system that could accommodate various sizes of photographs, since they have an extensive collection of black and white photography. The shelves allow them to rotate their collection without having to constantly patch nail holes in the walls." Lum also noted that the shelves pull out in case the homeowners decide they want to place something entirely different against the walls. |
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Take a modern approach. "I actually leaned the art because the client wasn’t sure if they were going to purchase it or not," says Mark Newman of Mark Newman Design. "However, in some cases, I do like a leaning installation — it makes a room feel more approachable and less stuffy. In a contemporary environment, it’s especially easy for art to become really serious, and this takes it down a notch and makes it more approachable."
by Annette English
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Create a sense of symmetry. "This master bedroom was designed to have a tailored look and an airy, soothing color palette," says Annette English of Annette English and Associates. "We liked the idea of adding an unexpected element to the room and felt the leaning artwork adds a casual feel, while still reinforcing the symmetry of the space."
More:
How to Hang Art: Vertically or Horizontally?
A Gallery Wall for Every Personality
More:
How to Hang Art: Vertically or Horizontally?
A Gallery Wall for Every Personality
Ideabook published on April 24, 2012.
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Off to rearrange!
thanks so much, lovely photographs.
At PrintedArt.com we favor frameless displays for our and our customers' photographs. We print is various sizes and mount under acrylic with an aluminum dibond backing for a durable, easy to clean, sleek design. For a matte finish or a more traditional look, we also mount on dibond without acrylic or on stretch canvas. All of these mediums are ideal for either leaning or hanging - whatever suits your space.
For attached photos:
http://www.printedart.com/content/winter-branches
http://www.printedart.com/content/belly