I've not done it, but I see no reason why you shouldn't be able to do it successfully. As far as I can tell, all the frames relate in some way, as does the art's colors (not that that's even necessary).

One suggestion would be that, when hanging, space more closely together than the pieces you're showing in the first picture of your DR. Frankly, I think there's far too much empty space between each piece. Second thought: the three pieces in the heavier frames (second picture of your DR) should be among the ones on the bottom row of your arrangement. That way, they can anchor everything. If they're in a higher row, it might seem as if they're compressing the art.

Third, consider a simple geometric layout of rectangles or square, rather than the diamond-shaped layout you show in the first picture of your DR. That way, the layout will presumably mirror the shape of the hall itself. My opinion, at any rate.

Definitely. I even suggested this once on here and another posted laughed. LOL

For a gallery wall or hanging several pictures, to me it's just easier and you won't make mistakes.

Thanks Lynke, that was very helpful. :) I think you are right, I was thinking the heavier pictures in the middle, but I think the bottom is probably best. I wonder how low I can go with them.

I totally agree they should be closer together.

So you think the paper on the wall first would be helpful? Or wing it?

I would love to add in some plates that I have too that are black and white. maybe that is overload? I thought it might round it out some. take the edge off.

If you look at your inspiration pictures, the groupings are not symmetrical, but they are balanced. Making a grouping symmetrical (like the diamond in your DR or above the buffet in your DR), it makes it look too planned. An asymmetrical grouping makes it look like it was something that was added to over time.

It depends.

I love mixing things on the wall, but in my experience you need a thoughtful plan. So if you don't mind a mild critique to help you, I offer these thoughts.

Brown paper can help you see it, but it won't help you balance the images themselves, or the varying weights of frames. For that, I prefer to lay the whole business out on the floor.

The problem I see with your current arrangements on those pretty walls is that they are all too far apart to feel like a unit, and the whole assemblage is too high on the wall to sit still.

I know that sounds odd, but if you look closely at the inspiration walls and then at yours, you'll see that hanging them close to the ceiling with no lower ones to anchor them, and too far apart, makes them appear to be floating up and away from each other.

And you'll see that, differing from your second shot, the pictures aren't asked to compete with a lot of objects on the furniture that completes the composition.
You won't have that issue in a hallway, I imagine, but when there is no furniture below the pictures, they have to do the whole job themselves.

You will also notice on the inspiration walls that, among the differing images and framing, there are pairs and groups of like things, and that the things with pale mats are distributed to make the weight of dark and light feel balanced.

Whenever you hang a lot of things on the walls, you'll need to start much lower than eye level for the bottom row, and pull things in to between two and six inches apart (a rule of thumb that you can violate, but carefully).

For a long hallway, I like to think of the wall in sections, and consider establishing more than one group - dividing things up so that there are six pictures arranged opposite each doorway, for instance, or perhaps five equal length areas, with three groups and an equal space between them. The characteristics of your hall will guide you.

And I also think a hall of pictures is the perfect place for modest track lighting, so that you can create a gallery feeling, and encourage people to really see the images.

I do think that haphazardness never works. What I think you really mean is informality - instead of framing different things alike, and/or establishing a strict border so that the outer edges all line up, you want irregularity. But unless you plan for balance and harmony, you risk a disorganized wall that is unsettling and stressful instead of pleasing and happy.

Wow - great advice stephf and bronwynsmom. That was a lot of info, Bronwynsmom. I need to read that a few times.

Very helpful to think of the weight of the frame too. I kind of figured I needed to do the brown paper. I just don't think I have the room to do this on the floor.

I should have been more specific too, it really isn't a hallway. It is more of an upstairs little area. It is not long. Let me see if this helps...

This hutch china cabinet is now gone. :( I sold it so I could put hampers there. I am really trying to live the life I have, not the one I want to have. :)

There is another little stretch of wall too, I don't have a picture of that. So you can see I don't have a lot of wall area to work with, I may even have too many pictures. There are a few more that I have in the attic too.

I have to figure out how to get DH to let me do this myself so He doesnt realize how many holes are in the walls, :)

one other question. Do you think it would look odd to have some items over the doors? Maybe the plates there? would you feel like they were falling on your head?

Here is my office sort of currently. Gaps are now filled in down to the basebaord. and I will be working w/ a photographer to assist me w/ the arrangement for above the corner FP since it is such an awkward space. She has an amazing eye!

I haven't ever tried the brown paper trick as I've never had the patience. I lay all of the frames out on the floor first and then let the arranging begin. I get up on a ladder to get a good birds eye view. I let my arrangement be dictated by the frame and not the frame w/ the picture already in. I match picture to frame after the arrangement is laid out. I also mix old and new photos as well as cards and postcards to get a nice layered look.

When it comes to the actual hanging the fact that many of the pictures hooks are not even I rub the hook w/ a pencil and then rub the hook on the wall where the picture should go to lightly mark or burnish the wall w/ the hook. I've included a neat trick that I am going to try for my next arrangements.

So sort off current:

and a few older pics:

Looks like a great hanging tip:

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This post was edited by TheFoxesPad on Wed, Feb 20, 13 at 11:55

I don't think I would have the patience for the brown paper test-run, but I love the suggestion that TFP has shared!

Hope you don't mind but I've included some hall galleries and arrangement suggestions. Good luck!

{{!gwi}}

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Here's one w/ different shaped frames:

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More mixed frames:

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I remember many moons ago where lynette jennings hung a grouping on a wall just one at a time, using her eye and similar spaces between the frames to make a grouping and it came out great. You have to have some confidence in your ability to balance the grouping, but it can be done. The results are not as strict or formal but rather more relaxed.

;D You are funny. Yes, I needed to do it at DD2's house to keep from having extra holes in her freshly painted walls. At my house, I just start hanging.

DD2's Living Room - wedding and engagement pictures have been replaced with baby to 18 month pictures:

Here is a link that might be useful: Randomly Spaced Picture Wall

I recently painted our hallway and re-hung my pictures.

I did take a roll of Christmas wrapping paper and used the white side to stage the wall.

Put it on the floor, and visually broke it into three sections. I had my mother-in-law visiting and she helped me. It was great to have a second set of eyes.

We really kept in mind the size and thickness of the frames when laying them out. Lots of re-arranging.

I traced each picture and marked on the paper a description of the photo. I then marked where the nail hole was. Keep in mind, that I had to measure the back of each picture to find the precise placement of the nail. The hangers are not standard measure from the top of each frame. This was time consuming, but worth it.

All in all, it took about 5 hours to complete. I was off on maybe two pictures - but thankfully, the extra nail holes are hidden behind the picture.

I don't even want to tell you how many pencil marks and holes are all over my walls!

I use the wonderful Floreat hangers, which I buy in bulk from Ziabicki Import Co. in Wisconsin (no connection -- just a happy customer).

They use the same strong slender nails for all sizes, and leave teeny holes that you can patch with toothpaste if you don't have the strength to haul out the spackle.

I love these things - and the knock-offs in the big box stores are not a patch on them. They look like they would be, but they aren't.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ziabicki Import Co.

Yes, I have used brown paper to trace my frames and try the placements before drilling holes. I am not a visual person, so it was very helpful to me. I had some oval frames and it seemed difficult to layout the placement until I used this method.

As others have suggested, I lay out the frames on the floor. Love the foxespad's pics. I plan to add to the arrangement over time.

This post was edited by pps7 on Wed, Feb 20, 13 at 17:54

Bronwynsmom --
Are those hangers different from the "ook" brand?

I used to use nails that were really, really thin - like ook, but have found that ooks leave a bigger hole. Maybe I was using Ziabicki

I have more things to hang - on wallpaper, no less. So I need to find a tiny, tiny - strong - nail

Don't know ook, so I can't compare, but I looked them up, and they are similar - I've tried others that look like that, but their nails were fatter, and didn't slide into the wall nearly as well.

"Floreat" is the brand of the hangers ... Ziabicki is the supplier I use to get them for a good price. And their nails are very slender, and strong.

The trick with them is to hammer gently - you don't need to hit them very hard at all.

Have any of you tried Hercules Hooks? They are sort of c-shaped and you shove them into the wall, but don't use a hammer. I love them because they leave a small hole and are so easy to get in and out.

I have an artist child that has hung two halls of pictures for me and multiple other walls in our home with art. His first advice to me was not much white space. I let him do the hanging from that point on, but I had hung plates and a few other pieces of art prior to that, and I used TFP idea, "rub the hook w/ a pencil and then rub the hook on the wall where the picture should go to lightly mark or burnish the wall w/ the hook."

I keep his children over the weekends for their nights out so he will hang 'stuff' and repair broken 'stuff' for me. I like the kids, he and wife like having the time away and he hates hanging for me but that's part of the deal.

Thefoxespad - your rooms are gorgeous. You did such a fabulous job. And thank you for sharing more inspiration pics. It really does help to see how the successful groupings are done.

Janice - yours looks great!

I really dont' see me spending 5 hours on this though. I think I might wing it this weekend. I feel less like I am winging it with all this help though. :)

Heavier pictures at the bottom and working on one patch of wall at a time I think will make it doable. I have to make sure we have hangers and that I have all the options for pictures out of the attic.

I am excited to give it a shot.

Once you get the first three pictures up, it's easy peasy after that. No need for paper or anything. Doing a picture wall is kind of like a puzzle, it's fun adding the pictures because you'll know when they fit.

I have a corner I want to play-up.
Perhaps something like this is will bore me soon.
(And leave me w/a lot of holes)

... and fall off the wall if you cut it too close going around the corner ...

These collections of framed works have become very popular, but they are hard to pull off well, and a bit of a PITA to do.

I totally agree that you need to lay them out on the floor. And then get up on a ladder to make sure it works. iMHO it's the only way.

I undertstand the first tip, with the big sheet of plastic.
But would someone please explain the second one, with the round mirror and ruler?

(Checked my pride at the login screen. That's the way it has to be sometimes.)

Threeapples, I have something labeled "monkey hooks" that looks almost identical to the Hercules'. I've only used the Monkey Hooks on wallboard, and they claim to work only on wallboard, not plaster. Have you ever used the Hercules Hooks on plaster walls? A reviewer on your link said she drilled first, but I don't want to drill. I think I'd get crumbling just like when I try to hang things the traditional way.

Jamies - if you click that picture and then click again. it brings you to the explanation. :) linked below.

having some company now this weekend. I hope I still get to hanging pictures. I cant' do it when the kids are asleep since it is upstairs. I think it will wake them. :)

Here is a link that might be useful: how to hang a picture

Hey Boop, I was digging around for something else and found this thread. Did you get your photos up?

90% of the time my walls have posterboard taped up before I nail anything. I did a gallery wall (photographs) recently and spent some time arranging the frames I had on the floor and cut out some posterboard to mock up others until I got an arrangement I liked. I then bought the rest of my frames, traced everything out on posterboard and taped in place. The paint stir stick idea (or ruler) is wonderful and saved me a lot of time. I put a screw threw the stick, hooked it to the frame, lined it up with the posterboard, made a mark on the walls, and hammered away. It was seriously much faster for me with the stir stick. I used a mix of frames but they're all black.

What a fantastic tip! I wish I'd had that last week when I was hanging all DH's diplomas and stuff in a hallway in his office.

Fox, so glad you posted those wonderful office pictures. You have the BEST OFFICE anywhere!

I have done both--- used paper and just eyeballed it. But when I have eyeballed an arrangement I do it with a little jar of spackle and a vial of touch up paint so my mistakes are never seen.

This is a wonderful thread, and I'm taking notes. Thanks so much for starting it.

I noticed that at least a couple of groupings by TheFoxesPad seem to have a centered picture that the eye rests on and that seems to act as an "organizing principle" for the entire wall. In those cases they're higher than typical, but then the groupings do go to the ceiling.

Which reminds me of a grouping of pictures on Houzz--because of your desire to loosen it up a bit. I can't point you to the one, but it starts with a dominant, centered piece. This is symmetrically topped and flanked with pictures of matched sizes/visual weights (side matches side, top matches bottom). THEN, as the grouping moves out, it starts bringing in pictures of different sizes and weights and loses its symmetry (but I think not the overall distances between pictures). By the time it gets to the edges pictures are pretty loose, quite different sizes and shapes hung at different heights--and possibly slight different in some of the distances at the edges, but the feeling of the strong order in the center extends across the wall without being noticeable. It's all one. Like these great arrangements posted here.