1. Hang art that is in harmony with the rest of your furniture. You want to use the art to enhance your room and what it hangs above.
2. Hang art in pairs or groupings. Art usually has more impact when it´s hung in a pair or a group unless the piece is so large that it can carry the whole wall.
3. If you´re unsure about the space in between each piece of art... double the width of your frame. For instance, if your frames are 2 cm wide, make the space in between each picture 4 cm.
4. In general, most pieces should hang in eye-level. If you had to pull up a chair to reach, you´ve aimed too high.
5. Think about each piece in the group. They should relate either by subject or color.
6. Don´t forget about proportions. The arrangement should occupy about 2/3 of the wall above the furniture. Be careful not to hang outside the width of the piece of furniture below.
7. Don´t be afraid to hang art low. Place a small piece of art approximately 30 - 35 cm. above the table. Don´t worry if the lamp on the table covers part of the frame. It´s all about layering.
8. Use a group of pictures to expand your space. Hang stacks of art on either side of a narrow piece of furniture to make the space seem wider.
9. Hang items other than traditional art. Display collections of things you like. If you love hats, display them in a group on the wall.
10. Most importantly.. hang pieces you love. Don´t focus on trends.. you´ll tire of it too quickly. Go with things you love and want to surround yourself with.
bonus tip : before you put the nails in the wall... start by tracing each picture onto brown kraft paper and tape each piece up to the wall and play around with the arrangement until you are happy. Once you like the look of the grouping, you can hang them up. Easy as pie!
Try these roquefort grapes at your next gathering... Roquefort Grapes
Serves 25
1/2 lb Roquefort cheese
1/2 lb cream cheese (not gum-based)
1/4 lb pistachios
1 bunch (about 1 lb) seedless green grapes, chilled
Thoroughly blend the cheeses, then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. In a food processor, chop the nuts finely. Remove the grape stems. Coat each grape by flattening a small amount of the cheese mixture in your palm then rolling the grape and cheese between both palms; transfer to a waxed-paper-lined pan. Refrigerate for 3 hours until firm. Roll the grapes in the chopped pistachios to cover completely. From Glorious Food (Stewart, Tabori & Chang)
from Elle magazine
