How to hang your painting

• A tape measure and pencil
• A spirit level (or the level on your phone)
• Picture hooks rated for the weight of your piece, or wall anchors for drywall
• Painter’s tape for planning

Stretched canvases and framed pieces arrive with hanging hardware already attached.

Hang the center of the painting about 57–60 in (145–152 cm) from the floor. That’s average eye level, and the height galleries use. In rooms where you mostly sit, such as a dining room, you can go a few inches lower.

Leave 8–10 in (20–25 cm) between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the painting. Choose a piece, or a group of pieces, about two thirds the width of the furniture beneath it.

1. Cut a sheet of paper to the size of the painting and tape it to the wall to try the position.
2. Mark the center point on the paper at your chosen height.
3. Measure from the top of the painting to the hanging point (the wire pulled taut, or the sawtooth hanger). Mark that distance down from the top of the paper.
4. Fix your hook at that mark, remove the paper and hang the painting.
5. Check it with a level and adjust.

• Under 10 lb (4.5 kg): a single picture hook is usually enough.
• 10–25 lb (4.5–11 kg): use two hooks spaced apart, or a drywall anchor.
• Over 25 lb, or plaster and brick walls: use heavy-duty anchors or screw into a stud.

Two hooks also help a large painting stay level.

Lay the arrangement out on the floor first, or trace each piece on paper and tape the shapes to the wall. Keep 2–3 in (5–8 cm) between frames, and treat the whole group as one piece, with its center at eye level. See our gallery wall ideas for layouts.

Avoid direct sunlight, spots right above radiators or fireplaces, and damp rooms like bathrooms. Our care guide explains why.