I love art wall collages especially when the pictures are collected for their beauty or interest and not because they’re the latest trend in home fashion.

Could you have two columns instead of three by putting the bottom left picture above the middle picture and then move the top left picture on the right side of the yellow picture and above the sailor? Of course, you’d have to play around with the spacing between the picture.

Take them down, lay them on the floor, and experiment with arrangements. But, in the process, build off the edges and corners of each. Align tops or bottoms, as you have aligned sides; make spaces run through the grouping.

The larger piece on far right/bottom should be on top/right.

I'm really bad at collages, so following to learn something.

I’ll post some photos later today when I rearrange!

Corinne, I'm not good with them, either. I've seen groveraxle give some really nice suggestions/advice with collages. Maybe she'll see this...

I think having all the bottoms of the art on a straight line would help.

I'd seriosly think about framing the largest picture. I'd also align the centers of the pictures on each side each side vertically. Im also a fan of laying them on the floor and playing around with layouts.

I don't like that the ship one is the middle does not have a frame while the others do. But I have a collage in my living room (photos) where they all have matching frames.

I also read somewhere (sorry, of course I cannot remember the source) that there should be a horizontal line running through the middle. So using the biggest picture, put that in the middle then hang two on each side with a "line" running through the middle. I know I'm not explaining it very well so let me see if I can find something that explains it better.

I also noticed the lack of a frame on the ship painting, when everything else is framed. That bothered me more than the arrangement.

following

Hi! So just to add I purposely didn’t frame the ship because it was going to be the most expensive job and I had already signed over my voice, my soul, & my firstborn over to the framer. I might be able to frame it eventually, but unfortunately for now I can’t make it a priority.

I will be rearranging the photos tomorrow.

Just to reconfirm- these do need to be rearranged right? My husband told me that he likes the setup but something about it feels really off to me.

If the bottoms are level, you can get random with the rest of the grouping. Check for a ready-made frame, rather than custom to save money, if your ship is a standard size.

following

One thing I consider when arranging art is which way the "motion" in the image is going. For instance, the yellow ship is sailing to the right; and so it should be on the left, drawing the viewer's eye rightward and into the grouping. The picture now at bottom left (abstract? or cloudy seascape?) has some rightward motion so it goes on the left, too. Since it seems lighter in motif I'd put it on top, above the yellow boat.

The other three pictures have leftward motion. Since the sailor boy is more static than the blue ship, I'd put him in the middle. The blue ship goes at lower right, sailing boldly into the grouping; and the bottle goes at upper right, its shadow guiding the eye leftward.

The colors of the yellow ship and the brown/green bottle will complement each other across the center of the grouping; and the blue-green-pink-white of the (cloudy abstract seascape?) will echo those colors in the blue ship picture. While brown in his chair will tie into the yellow ship & brown bottle; sailor boy is mostly blue-pink-white and will join with the (abstract seascape?) and the blue ship to form the visual axis of the grouping, leading viewers eyes and attention from the corner by the window into the main portion of the room. The rising visual axis should also help counterbalance having the two comparatively small pictures together on the left side.

... Or else I'm wrong and that will all look terrible. You never really know until you've got them in place, which is why fiddling around with the pictures all laid out on the floor is such a good idea.

There are a lot of different rules for the symmetry of a grouping like this. It is my humble opinion that, as long as you have some principle of symmetry that serves the pieces you're trying to hang, it doesn't really matter which "rule" you pick to follow (I like the symmetry you used in the of the arrangement you have now.)

For the arrangement I proposed above, I'd align the tops of the left- and right-hand columns of pictures with each other, probably at the level of the top of the piece of furniture glimpsed at the left of your first photo. Then I'd center the middle picture halfway between the gaps between the pictures on either side, the way you have it now.

That will make your arrangement much higher on the the left than on the right, but I think that asymmetry will serve and be served by that rising visual axis I was talking about earlier.

And again, that's all unless I'm completely wrong.

May I suggest laying it out this way

I like what Claire Larece proposes. Nice symmetry.

Ok so I’m literally doing this right now at my dining room table-

I’ll post more as I go

Claire your suggestion is by far the most creative. My brain would have never registered this as an option lol.

* for reference my couch is 78” at its widest point. This setup is 60”

I’m posting this one for the hell of it even though I think it’s a hard no.

Looks like a staircase.

On that last one, what it you move the big ship pic up a bit? It's almost like you need one more small picture though, but then you're dealing with an even number and often an odd number creates more interest.

It still has that awkward slanting effect : /

Yah I thought about getting a sixth photo but upon some reflection I’d definitely rather make these 5 work

IMO those pictures just don't work together, I think that's the problem.

too late doods, I’m committed to making them work unforch

I actually like the way you had them hanging originally. It looked more organic somehow. Less "forced".

I think the picture you posted with the comment about the size of your couch works best.

What happens when you spread it all out a little so there is a little more space between the middle pictures?

Try keeping the two pictures on the outside (like you have in the picture) and then playing around with the 3 pictures in the middle. Another thing to try is to swap the horizontal picture on the bottom on the top.

And, lastly, would you consider pulling out the horizontal picture out completely and use it in another area? If so, either one of the last two pictures you posted would work.

Edited: the last picture you posted (with the measuring tape on the table) ... what if you pull the middle bottom picture and put the horizontal picture there?

What isn't working, for me, it that it is getting too tall when you group the 5 pictures together.

I’ll have to try again tomorrow- I cant pull the horizontal picture out but maybe I can follow the other suggestions in the morning!

I actually like the last the best Corrine

Maybe flip it

In the 60" setup, if you put the abstract-y horizontal one on top of the two smaller ones instead of below, the light colors in the ship, the abstract, and the boy might create a nice triangle.

What are the size of the frames here’s another layout

I don't mind what you've posted - it's not supposed to be perfect because your collection: wasn't bought at the same time or place; isn't the same type, same colors. It's more meaningful this way - don't worry if something 'seems off'. To my eyes, I see the right side with a higher item, and from that one a faster step up to top of window, which makes something natural about the highest at right -imo.

Your initial seems best cause darkest [blue] is in center... and an even 2 on both sides.

5 or 4 hours ago, not that way..... 2 largest are next to each other..........

I got frustrated last night and settled on this arrangement.

I also finally managed to paint over all of the former holes in the wall so I’ll probably try to live with this setup for at least a few months:

I think you did very well.

All that matters is if you’re happy with it Corinne.

Looks good! But wondering if the lamps switched places would they be more appropriate to that particular spot. . .

Thank you everybody for the help!

Ellen I never considered doing that, even though my husband has complained that we don’t have enough lighting in our living room!

I’m going to try swapping them as soon as I get home. I think it may solve a lot of problems as that vertical looking lamp probably gives off less light but because of its placement it is used far more often.

Even logistically it makes more sense to swap them, now that I look at it. The vertical lamp looks like it’s meant to light in a specific direction but it’s currently positioned in a spot where it should be lighting two opposite sitting areas.

Yes, switching the lamps might be better. Good call, Ellen!

Please share pics!

I have a large collection of paintings and photos in my living room. It is not easy to get it right, but when I do (to my eye), I am so happy because each piece means something to me. Some times cutting large pieces of paper to stand in for the sizes helps, since you can easily tape them to the wall. I always step away, close my eyes, the try to take a fresh look. Remember that perspective changes perception. Few, if anyone, are going to be standing right in front of the wall to look at the art. Enjoy it. It looks good!

The new arrangement looks great!

Not yesterday, but today I liked this one: blue at left, and yellow upper right - from here they seem the most vibrant and so ok separated for balance? :)

So the only thing that bothers me now (and this is probably a non issue/ just a product of my neurosis): the large round shade sort of eclipses the ship painting from a few angles. Not a big deal?

* Side note: this wall color (Benjamin Moore- Berber White) is one of the few major regrets I have in this home. It only looks right with perfect lighting which never happens)

Does anybody else really hate it as much as I do? It‘s just so tan and BEIGE

I think both lamps need to go back further.

"I always step away, close my eyes, the try to take a fresh look. "

Yes! Sometimes I'll take photos of the space and item(s) in question, too. Just something about looking at them can help me more than standing there in person. IDK...maybe it makes it seem more like belonging to someone else which always makes it easier than working on my own.

You are going to think I am crazy but have you tried the recliner in the corner and the sofa pulled more toward the walk way and at an angle, with your tall display case left where it is. . . So the sofa is a bit in front of the display case. Or not ha ha, I just thought it would feel cozier and not so squared up.

Have to make sure you don’t get a baby blue, if you were thinking of blue.

Corrine what doe you use this room for.....sitting or watching tv? Do you plan on placing drapes here?