1. First decide what sort of impression you want to make with “pictures”. Do you want to be fashionable and arty or do you want to display family photos, nostalgia or personal interests? If you wish you can include all of the above, but you may make a better job of it if you have designated areas for each. For example you may want to make a statement with an impressive single abstract piece in your living room, while in the hall or dining room you could display more personal items. There are no rules as such, but try to harmonise your displays so that they do not compete for the viewer’s attention. If you can try and rationalise where and why you hang each item. Ultimately you will get more out of each piece and your guests will sense yours to be an organised and methodical household.
2. Keep your choice of art in proportion to where you will hang it. If a picture is too large it will look cramped and suffocated, if it is too small it will look lost and insignificant. Many people think that if there is room for a picture to squeeze in between the mantelpiece and the ceiling it will work there. Not so, you must allow the space around the picture to become part of the framing too. All surrounding space must be balanced and equal.
3. Never try to save money by forcing a picture into a frame that neither suits it, fits it or displays it to the best advantage. A cheap frame is a false economy for you can end up with a dreadful result that simply looks “make-do”. Compared to furniture and flooring, pictures can often be thought of as of minor importance in the grand scheme of the room. This is not so at all. Think of a picture as the Tiara on the Bride or the Cream on the Cake. It is the finishing touch that will often turn into the major focal point of the room. If it looks denied its full potential splendour – so will the room.
4. Always consider the picture first when framing it and not the d