Post #532413 by DejaVoodoo on Wed, May 26, 2010 3:08 PM

On 2010-05-26 08:23, VampiressRN wrote:
Hope this is the right place to post this, but if not, sure it will be moved.

I have a collection of Tiki art from the fabulous artists here on TC. It is just a start, but want to get it hung on my walls. I have a 14 foot ceiling in my lounge, so think I should start at the top and work my way down the wall with the pictures very close to each other in random fashion. I was going to stick with just bamboo frames, but have decided to mix it up with a variety. I am hoping folks will provide suggestions for hanging...what are the best hangers and do you also secure with sticky strips on the bottom to be sure pictures don't move.

If you could post pictures of your gallery walls here, I would greatly appreciate it. I need inspiration...and it might help others too.

Fantastic! I love your enthusiasm. A word of caution though, as much fun as it would be to frame everything differently, it might make it difficult to construct a gallery collage that makes sense. Keeping the frames all bamboo, or at least similar in wood tone/color/finish will make the frames more or less look cohesive, like they all match even if they don't, and the artwork will really stand out. Having too many different frames on one wall might wind up making the arrangement look slap-dash and cluttered. Now, I know controlled clutter with various layers of textures and detail is one of the trademarks of Tiki decorating, but if the rest of your room isn't Tiki, I vote for keeping the frames all bamboo or similar in wood tone. Doing so will led a certain sophistication to the art and, like I said before, visually connect one piece of art to the other.

Depending how large the framed art is, I see no harm in using the sticky tape to prevent the frames from swinging on the wall. Also, and this is slightly out of order - I probably should have mentioned this first, lay out your art in the arrangement you want on the floor, work out the kinks, then measure the entire group of art and all the spacing in between the frames, height from the floor/ceiling, etc. Finally, transfer those measurements to the wall. Don't just start randomly hanging pictures on the wall or else be prepared to patch a lot of holes! Trust me. It sounds like a step worth skipping, but making a plan for where and how you want to hang your chosen art actually saves time in the long run.

Now for the how: for large/oversized art, picture wire and two nails, to evenly distribute the weight of the frame, glass, what have you, usually works great. Smaller items can hang beautifully on nails with a small head tapped into the wall at a slight angle or dedicated picture hooks. A multitude of picture hanging hardware, including products rated for specific weight loads, can be found at any big box home improvement center.

Above all, do what you think looks best. And level everything after it's hung. I hope this helps, and good luck!