'PEOPLE CONSTANTLY hang their art too high or too low,' says Karin Weber, of Karin Weber Gallery. 'When I go into someone's home I suggest they change the height.'
Although Weber is quick to spot when art is hung wrong, there's no science to getting it right. 'There's no standard ratio of wall size to frame size, or any rule of thumb,' says Elaine Holt, of Gallerie du Monde. 'You're going for balance.'
Both Weber and Holt have suggestions for how to ensure the artful display of paintings, photographs and other works that will save time and frustration.
'Before I hang a show, I put all the work on the floor against the wall all around the gallery and look at it,' Weber says. 'I can see when it gels and if it doesn't I just chop and change and move it around till it does and only then do I start hanging. Doing this at home can prevent major mistakes.'
She has a hanging-rail system in her gallery that allows maximum flexibility for spacing the work and ensuring nothing is too high or low. 'These are excellent, but can be costly,' says Weber, who spent about $8,000 on her rails. She says they look great in homes and suit people who rotate works in and out of their collections.
Holt also arranges art on the floor before drilling holes in walls. 'Arrange them how you like and then start measuring from the centre work,' she says. Once the measurements have been recorded, the hanging co-ordinates can be transferred to the wall and it's safe to begin installing.