no, i haven't to tell the truth..but then i'm very sentimental

i did think to embellish the garage with everything I find of less importance..)) it's calculated into the question lol

(not much space there too-we put an old kitchen in there, to put there what won't fit in the new kitchen)) our kitchen now is not big at all, but the next one will be smaller

don't ask me what I was thinking with when getting this place....it was a stressful year..

I also hang lesser things (much lesser) in my garage. I love my garage.

As a guest I wouldn't care what you choose to put on your walls, unless it's something weirdly embarrassing, esp. at dinner, and I don't think that's the kind of stuff you hang on your walls. :) I'm also in earthquake country and have stuff, including a large heavy mirror hanging over my couch. I have some smaller photos over my bed, but I think if the Big One comes while I'm asleep, they will drop down behind the bed rather than on my head. I know it's a foolish thing to say, but earthquakes are way down the list of what keeps me awake at night.

Maybe you need "Earhquake Putty." I have no idea how effective it is in earthquakes, but it is supposed to be good at helping secure art objects to the walls and surfaces on which they set. I like the idea of rotating displays. : ) Haven't ever experienced earthquakes, so no opinion on art placement in relation to them.

"As a guest-what you'd experience as less comfortable? Art over the
sofa/s (we're in earthquake country), or art in the dining area, where
you eat, communicate. etc.? Or both are bad options lol?"

I am never uncomfortable in my friends' homes regarding where they place their art. (Well, sometimes I want to have them hang it lower, but that's something different than what you ask). I love looking at others' choices in art, especially. Over the sofa, even in earthquake country (me, too) I assume the owner doesn't want to have things crashing on her head so would secure items appropriately.

Here's an earthquake picture hanger - they definitely work but are a bit difficult to use, although I will say that it is slightly easier to removed a painting from these hangers than to hang one. We use them on almost all of our art. Fortunately, I also have a lot of tapestries, and I've hung them with Velcro, using a slat for the half of the Velcro that gets screwed to the wall through the Velcro. I sew the other part of Velcro to the tapestry - by hand or machine, depending on the piece. I would never put a mirror above a bed or sofa. The putty does not work well, and I've had pieces come off their putty simply over time with no quakes at all.

We have also hung paintings on most of the walls of the garage and have stacks of paintings that we rotate.

After experiencing a 7.2 quake in Mexico City in 1979, I did have a lot of earthquake dreams, but now not so much.

Living in SoCal, the only place I don't hang art is over the bed. I wouldn't be uncomfortable with pieces over the sofa or in the dining room because I would be awake and able to cover my head to protect it. That said, I don't have any large mirrors anywhere except the bathrooms.

I have art stored away because I don't have enough sun-free wall space to hang everything. I thought I would rotate pieces, but I haven't done that.

I think art in a dining room is attractive - though that's one place I would not want mirrors. I don't want heavy artwork over beds - and I don't live in earthquake country - there are other reasons paintings can fall. Anywhere else is fine.

Unlike Oly, I think a lot of people hang art too low - I appreciate art at eye level, more or less. If I ever live with someone short, we'd have to compromise somewhere in between.

I currently don't have art over the sofa, but that's merely because there's a picture window there...

Consider installing picture rails so you can easily change out your art seasonally without leaving the wall full of divots.

If the gallery wall has some permanent anchors in the larger works, changing the smaller things periodically keeps it interesting. I'm working on getting some small things I like for a rotating display in some areas - the key is to have them in frames of the same size so changing one doesn't wreck the spacing.

Rotating has been my saving grace. We had all the art we needed--then began inheriting some lovely pieces. The idea came from my MIL--a librarian whose library had art one could check out--she would often have incredible scenes on her walls then they would be gone. It confused me or years until her secret was revealed.

I think that most dining rooms and walls over couches need artwork, or else they seem barren.

As far as art and earthquakes, also in SoCal here and have no worries at all. As you know from my posts I'm in the process of installing art glass over my couch! Honestly the likelihood or something falling on someone's head is so slim, compared to enjoying art you love everyday, totally worth the almost negligible risk IMO. I've also seemed to have notice that people raised in earthquake country worry about it much less than people who grew up elsewhere, hmmm.

Well I kinda..um..have a historical line of mishaps that kinda um..aim at my head lol..starting with a kitten defending himself from my generous help to get off the roof when I was five(I had this scar for years after)..then breaking my nose during a fierce snowball game when I was 12(did someone here ever had a complicated plastic surgery, no anesthesia? they didn't waste anesthesia on me back then..just tied me with belts..if you had it-you know..very helpful for the future when you need to encourage yourself or something)..and then to the various motor vehicle accidents, including being hit by a van.. I wouldn't say it's earthquakes per se..)) I also don't sleep at night for all sorts of reasons but earthquakes. it's more like I'm a well informed optimist lol..chances being hit in the head being statistically slim and all..)))

(we had this saying: "a pessimist is a well informed optimist, an optimist is a well instructed pessimist.".))