The Importance of Proportion In Hanging Your Wall Art

The Importance of Proportion In Hanging Your Wall Art

Proportion is that one important element which will determine either the impact of your art falls on the side of beautifully enhancing or overwhelming or greatly underwhelming the space by your wall art pieces. It is the execution of proportion while hanging your wall art that makes your artwork enhance that room, or works against it. Here is why proportion matters and just how you can ace it.

Role of Proportion in Design
Proportion refers to the size of your art in relation to the wall or space where it is going. Proper proportion creates a feeling of balance and harmony within a room. When art is hung with a thinking mind toward proportion, it can create a space that feels very cohesive and visually appealing. Poor proportion can disrupt a flow, making a space feel chaotic or disjointed.

Guidelines to Harmonious Proportion
Size of the Art Relative to Wall Space: The general rule is your art must be proportionate to the wall space. Large walls take large art or arrangements with a gallery wall. Unless one is going for a big dramatic statement by an oversized art piece on a very small wall, it easily tends to overwhelm it. For practical purposes, the proportion of the artwork would be around 60-75% of the wall space.

For the best visual effect, art should be placed at eye level. This is often taken to be about 57-60 inches from the floor, averaging eye level. Of course, it can be a bit more or less depending on the functionality of the room and the viewpoints from which one will be viewing the piece.

Size of Frame and Art: When framing art, choose a frame that will complement the art being framed and the room. A large frame on small art can actually make the piece look smaller, and vice versa, where a small frame seems out of balance with a large piece. The frame should not compete with the art but rather harmoniously extend from it.

Grouping Art: Also consider how much space there should be between pieces when putting together a gallery wall. Even 2-5 inches of uniform spacing makes the whole look cohesive. Finally, ensure that the overall scheme works well in the space it occupies and balances the weight of each piece visually.

Scale and Proportion with Furniture: The art should also be proportional to the furniture or architectural elements it is going to be near. For example, if hanging over a sofa, that piece should ideally be about two-thirds the width of the sofa, making it pretty balanced. Hanging above a fireplace means the art should be proportional to the mantel and the whole wall.

Tips for Achieving Proportional Perfection
Use painter's tape. Tape up the wall to approximate dimensions of your art work. Sometimes it helps to see how the piece will fit in that space.
Function of room will also determine proportion. Large, bold pieces make a great statement in a dining room; however, the same pieces are more likely to be considered sedate in a bedroom.
Seek the Experts: In case of all else failing, just take some guidance from professional interior designers, who can educate you further about perfect proportions of your art work.

One of the most basic considerations that may great affect the way an area looks is proportion. Considering which suitable size of art will fit within a space, determining a great location to place this art, and considering the relationship between this art and other elements in the given room are very important in forming a friendly and beautiful space. Therefore, the next time you want to hang a piece of your art, think about this proportion; then set it up to create the impact you wish to leave behind.

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