apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Is the question asking about picture rails, not picture ledges? Picture rails are the moulding that's up high on the wall - you use hooks and wire to hang art (etc.) from the moulding so you don't have to put nails in your wall.

Well, a picture rail is actually a molding that runs around the upper part of the wall, with little lip that you can hook onto to suspend pictures from...although the ledges are nice too.

Actual picture rails I think can be very cool--they give a clean datum for arranging things, and are a visually interesting way to hang art. I vote yes.

I like these ledges/shelves too. My question would be, if I already have picture rails, at 8' from the floor, would it be too much to add a picture ledge or two? Tricky.

In my old apt in charlestown my bedroom was covered in terrible wall paneling that I painted. I bought several pieces of super cheap metal "C" track at home depot and put it the length of my walls about a foot down from the ceiling. I painted the track to match the wall.

I also bought a bunch of small "s" hooks and some wire. I was finally able to put up a lot of my pictures/ artwork that I hadn't before and could also change it out/or move it as I wanted. It was actually faster than rearranging my furniture which I did too frequently.

Since my application was pretty casual it worked for me, but if you have nice trim work in the room allready or you are interested in displaying nicer artwork you may want to invest in a better system.

We just hung a picture rail in our back bay apartment a few weeks ago and it looks fantastic. I ordered it from a place in Worcester - can't remember the name! It was really easy to install and even my design-challenge husband loves it. Definitely vote yes!

We have picture molding in our apartment and it's great--a bit fussy to get the length of picture wire right, but it's so nice to be able to move art around and not destroy our already-dubiously-stable plaster by trying to hang things from it. It looks like you're thinking of more of a picture hanging system--more modern--and I think it's a great idea. FWIW, if you're using the systems with a track and then rods that come down and clip to the art, you won't need picture hooks, but if you need actual picture hooks I've had good luck with the selection from http://houseofantiquehardware.com/s.nl/sc.13/category.64/.f. They have some pretty frilly stuff but also nice simple ones.

I've never tried it and I really don't like the look - well the fussy old-fashioned look. If I were the roommate or companion of someone who insists on making everything predate 1945, I would have to put my foot down over this look. However, it's a functional thing, and if it can be made to look updated, I would be in. I might look into this for my apartment, because to be honest, I never really thought of it any other way than pretentious reproduction of things from an era. I do like things from that time period, just not the picture hooks.

I think it depends on the kind of artwork being displayed. If you're hanging Modernist or Pop art, it can work well. Not so much with your Van Gogh.

But, as people have suggested above, if you paint the track to match the wall color, it just might work in any case!

I have picture molding in my current apt, and it's SOOO convenient and functional. I collect prints and art work, and it's so easy to move things around whenever I get something new. Yes, finding the right lenght of wire can be tricky, but a lot less tricky than using nails.

I have a HUGE issue deciding on room arrangement. I could think about it forever & never be done. So I have to put things up & live with them for a bit. About half the time-I rearrange. I love the idea of picture rails because it allows you to change arrangement without putting new holes in the wall.

We have picture rails in our current apartment - it's very convenient and works well.

I used picture rails for a gallery that my class put on. They actually don't look terrible (unless you are hanging a ton of pictures) and are really convenient if you like changing out your artwork. I totally recommend them.

If you want something less visable than a molding there is always a thin reveal made specifically for hanging artwork, very clean looking. They do require cutting into drywall, re-taping/mudding, and touch up paint. Pittcon Softforms "SWR-050-HT"
http://www.pittconindustries.com/PDF/wallreveals.pdf

They came with our 1924 bungalow, and I don't know how we'll ever live someplace without them again. It's fantastic to be able to move art around. Like katef, we like the simple hardware from House of Antique Hardware. For most modern pieces, we use fishing line, so it's almost invisible. In the baby's room, we used ribbon to hang.

I use this system from arakawa. Love it! http://www.arakawagrip.com/

If you want to convince your boyfriend you should take him to Ula Cafe in JP. Not only are the treats there delicious, but they hang artwork from local artists all around the cafe. Since it is a display-to-sell deal, they are constantly moving and changing the artwork in there. Somehow it always manages to look clean and well put together!