The easiest way to hang a gallery above a fireplace
Hanging pictures around the house is all about trial and error, there are no magic rules or a single trick of the trade that will guarantee success. However, there are a few tips and tools we can give you to help make the process as easy as possible! If you like this display over our fireplace and would like to recreate something similar in your own home, we will walk you through it one step at a time. Don’t worry – it’s easier than you think. Let’s get to work!
About 99% of the time, if there is a fireplace nearby, it becomes the focal point of the room - so it only makes sense to enhance that space with art.
We made the art – do you like it?
Since our chairs are a soft blush color we opted for a similar shade for the art to tie the space together. Considering that Spring is just around the corner, we went with pictures of peonies framed with large white mats and white frames. This created the fresh airy look we were going for! (If you want to create similar art like ours, click here.)
How high to hang the art?
When hanging pictures in rooms where one would spend the most time sitting, such as dining rooms, living rooms or offices be sure to judge the picture height from a sitting position. Have someone move the art up and down while you judge from your seat, ensuring that it sits low enough that it can be comfortably enjoyed from any chair in the space. Since our mantel is quite high up, we wanted to be able to see the art easily and hung the frames only 2” away from the mantel.
About the picture frames
These frames may look like any ‘ordinary’ frames, but they aren’t. We used our brand new Place&Push frames, which, as the name suggests, allows you to simply push the frames into the wall to secure them. It may seem too good to be true, but it works as easily as it sounds - making art projects a breeze! Why waste time trying to find hooks or nails when the frame is your hardware. (Check out this short 30 second video on how they work!)
P.S. The frames also come in black. They are 15”X15” and made out of solid wood making them durable and high-quality.
Figuring out how to display each frame
An easy way to perfect a multiple frame display is to lay them out on the floor to determine the best possible arrangement before hanging. Try to imagine a vertical line running through the middle of your display, and check that items on either side are visually equal in weight. Then balance colored items, or light and dark pieces, equally across the arrangement moving them around until you find the combination that you feel is right. This will also help you determine the right spacing between each piece.
How to hang each picture frame
Starting with the bottom row:
- Centre the first frame in the middle of the mantle, and once it is in the right spot, push into the wall to hang it.
- We hung the first frame 2” away from the mantel.
- Tip: we used SpacingStrips, a black and white arrow, to space all of the frames. Each strip is 2” long, the perfect distance between our frames since we wanted the width of the display to fit within the mantel.
- To speed up the hanging process, simply place a tiny level on the top of the frames as you hang them. This way you can be sure that each piece is perfectly straigth each time. (Our PlaceandPush frames come with a level and SpacingStrips!)
- Make sure to take a step back to make sure the frame is straight before hanging the next one. If it is crooked or you are not happy with the height, fix it right away.
Pushing frames into the wall to hang them is a brand new way of hanging art! With the frame sitting flush up against the wall a flawless sight line is created, making this project not only easy but beautiful.
To hang the 2nd frame, place a SpacingStrip next to the middle one, line up the tops, and when the bubble in the small level is straight just push in to hang. Done!
Repeat the same steps to hang the 3rd frame, then moving onto the second row by again beginning in the middle. Line up the frame using a SpacingStrip, then repeat the process and push to secure the frame to the wall.
Finally, repeat with the final frame. Since they are only 2” apart it is fairly easy to hang them visually. No measuring needed!
So let's recap, this is the order in which we hung each frame starting with number 1, the middle point of our gallery.
About the SpacingStrips
These strips have a very low amount of adhesive so they won’t damage your wall, and are re-usable! Just remove the spacers, save them for other hanging projects, and ta-da!
We kept the mantel free of accessories on purpose to keep the look fresh and modern, making us even more excited for Spring.
If you’d like to buy picture frames like the ones used in this post you can purchase them directly through our online store!
Questions? Comments? Please let us know, we are here to help.
Thanks for dropping by!
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