Small things can make a big difference. When one thing is out of place, you may not even notice, but your brain sees it and makes it feel awkward. If you have books out for a decorative arrangement and two of them are large and one is tiny, it will look strange. Your brain doesn’t like it, or at least feels uncomfortable.

When I work on a photograph, I have to watch that everything is in the right place; the composition of a photograph is essential. It can mean the difference between the viewer enjoying the scene and just walking by, ignoring it altogether.

This same principle applies when you start to hang art on your walls; if the placement on the wall or the size of the objects around that placement makes the arrangement feel off, not quite right to the eye. Even keeping things level makes a difference in how people view the art hanging on your walls.

Some sound advice to get you started:

1. Yes, it should be “eye level”, but not if your ceilings are really low (typical is 8 – 9 feet) and not if you are really tall. If the wall were cut up vertically into four sections (going from bottom to top) then think of the art being in the third quadrant (counting from the floor).

2. If it’s a collection of art, then you need to treat the whole collection as one piece, and start and stop it where it makes the most sense, as if it were one.

3. Engage as much of the wall as possible and orient the collection in the shape of the wall. The last thing you want is your art to look itty-bitty on a big wall. It doesn’t look intentional and isn’t making your art look its best.

^[1] Emily Henderson has some excellent articles to help you avoid making the “Biggest Design Mistakes” How to Hang Art Correctly