How to Hang Art: Vertically or Horizontally?

Let the shape of your space and architectural details guide the design of your gallery wall

Shoshana Gosselin
I am an Interior Decorator in PA, stitching my urban roots into suburban spaces from NY to Philly. I am living my dream helping people achieve inspirational spaces. Visit me at www.loveyourroom.com and check out my blog for inspirational ideas.
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The direction your artwork hangs on a wall can have a dramatic impact in your home. Whether you are working with one large piece or a group of smaller pieces, choosing to hang them horizontally or vertically is as important as finding the right scale and color. Some artwork can only be hung either vertically or horizontally, but more abstract pieces can go either way. In many cases, your walls determine the proper direction, but sometimes it is just a matter of opinion.

Tip: When I buy an art piece that can be hung vertically or horizontally, I have a friend hold it up for me on the wall in both directions while I snap a picture of it. Looking through a lens, I find, is very helpful for making the decision.

More: 10 Design Strategies for Art Lovers
asian living room by Craig Denis
by Craig Denis
by Craig Denis
Do you have a long piece of furniture or built-in that covers much of one wall in length, but not in height? Fill in the empty space between the furniture surface and the ceiling using a one wide piece and give dimension and focus to the upper wall. You can also use a group of smaller art pieces hung in a row if you can't find a large wide piece.
Private Comment
contemporary living room by Emily Hagerman Design
by Emily Hagerman Design
by Emily Hagerman Design
Choosing a work of art that carries itself on a narrow wall above a fireplace can increase the magnitude of the fireplace. The long and narrow scale of this piece, along with its deep tones, balance the fireplace below, pulling your eye up.
Private Comment
contemporary living room by Peg Berens Interior Design LLC
by Peg Berens Interior Design LLC
by Peg Berens Interior Design LLC
Want to create an interesting gallery feel? Choose to hang some pieces vertically and some horizontally. By changing up the direction, you are increasing the significance of each individual piece. If each piece was lined up in the same direction, your eye could move too quickly across the wall.
Private Comment
contemporary bedroom by Joel Kelly Design
by Joel Kelly Design
by Joel Kelly Design
To increase the height of a headboard, hang art vertically. It draws your eye up, adding to the drama.
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contemporary bathroom by Zieba Builders, Inc.
by Zieba Builders, Inc.
by Zieba Builders, Inc.
Go in the direction of your wall. I can imagine this artwork both horizontally and vertically, but this wall is wider than higher, so the scale of the piece looks stunning hung horizontally.
Private Comment
contemporary bathroom by SRM Architecture and Interiors
by SRM Architecture and Interiors
by SRM Architecture and Interiors
Here, a large vertical piece works well because the wall is higher than it is wide. Again, it pulls your eye in and up!
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modern living room by twenty7 design
by twenty7 design
by twenty7 design
Here is an example of a well-planned wall of art. The wall is wide, so this art collection is hung side by side, filling the space horizontally. If you want to hang similar art, keep in mind how many inches you will leave between pieces. You do not want to leave too much breathing room or they won't connect to one another.
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contemporary dining room by Marie Burgos Design
by Marie Burgos Design
by Marie Burgos Design
I like the idea of hanging artwork over a television so you are not always focused on the TV. Horizontally hung art works well for this. It looks great when the piece or pieces are longer than the television.
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contemporary dining room by Smith & Vansant Architects PC
by Smith & Vansant Architects PC
by Smith & Vansant Architects PC
Relate the direction to your wall size. In this case, two smaller pieces of art hung vertically work better than just one, but the small scale keep them from feeling overwhelming for the size of the wall.
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contemporary living room by Noel Cross+Architects
by Noel Cross+Architects
by Noel Cross+Architects
A wide piece of art balances out a large piece of furniture below it, but it can look overbearing if it is wider than your furniture piece. Use a piece of art that is not quite as wide as your furniture.
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traditional living room by Hugh Jefferson Randolph Architects
by Hugh Jefferson Randolph...
by Hugh Jefferson Randolph...
Create a second space in a large room using artwork to ground it. The artwork pulls your eye in to this little area, creating a separate space visually in a big room.

More: Visit an Art Lover's Inviting Abode

A Gallery Wall for Every Personality
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Comments

Great Ideabook. For sleek, frameless displays check out our collection of photos at http://www.printedart.com. We print in various zies and mount under acrylic with an aluminum dibond backing for a durable, easy to clean, frameless design. For a matte finish or a more traditional look, we also mount on dibond without acrylic or on stretch canvas.
5 months ago ·
mmsalg says:
Displaying art is as important as buying art. Here's a great blog about this topic: http://blog.custommade.com/2011/11/the-art-of-displaying-art-some-custom-approaches/
5 months ago ·
Laura says:
5 months ago · ·
Great job, and I like that you showed a mix of two and three-dimensional work. Having grown up in California (earthquake territory), I cringed at the beautiful metal sculpture above the bed. I hope it's really well attached to the wall. The painting over the tub is great. You can only use oil or acrylic on canvas in such a location, because of the humidity. Nothing on paper or under glass. I'm sorry, Laura, but the two examples you posted are not the best arrangements. Groupings need to form a composition, be balanced, and have some connecting thread, whether in theme or color.
5 months ago ·
I love to see large scale art if the home has the wall space. The first photo is a great example. The photo I have added is an 11 ft. long piece I did a couple of years ago.
5 months ago ·
Framing and displaying art can either make or break a space. These photos are terrific examples of art done right - well integrated and yet a focal point of the spaces.
5 months ago ·
Wow! These are great pics and ideas!
5 months ago ·
VREY GOOD DESIGN IN INTERIOR DESIGN IDEAS AND HARMONY.
5 months ago ·