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How To: Hang Art in Groups (Like Kate Spade)

5-7-katetop.jpg

Full disclosure: I think Kate is soooooo much cooler than Andy Spade (and, yes, I'm a guy). Hilary (woman) may lose, but Kate (woman) has won. Her style seems so much more grown up, fun and exciting than his little confused downtown boy club around the corner from her SoHo store. Okay, that's harsh, but it's true (his bags are nice, but that's it). And even though I have NO USE for anything in HER store (bags, glasses, etc), I still go in there and I like it. I know, metrosexual, wierd...

 
 

5-7-kate1.jpg
This is the starting picture - the keystone - everything hangs off of it. Look how nothing maintains the horizontal line. Every pic "steps" down.

In the back of the SoHo store is a big wall of art hung in a very cool way. An eclectic assemblage, it mixes size, style, drawing and painting in a lively and convincing way. While I won't try to give tips on art buying (except that I love the Agnes Barley piece on the bottom row, right), I will try to tell you how the assemblage is so successfully mounted - and why Martha Stewart would never do it this way.


5-7-kate2.jpg

In this view, I wanted to show how all the pictures "weep" or "slope" down from that center picture.


Martha hangs pictures on horizontal lines, Kate does not. The pictures in this assembly seem - to me - to center around one picture and then "cascade" down on both sides. The genius of this is that when you have dissimilar pictures you never get into a rut trying to make them all match up. If everything is slightly off, slightly off is perfect. Take a look at my markups.


5-7-kate3.jpg

In this picture look at the keystone picture and how there is an X and Y axis to the whole thing. Outside of pic #1, these four pictures anchor the whole assemblage.

To do this sort of thing, you want to start on the floor with all the pics you have available:

• Choose your center pic - it doesn't need to be the biggest, but it does need to have some size.

• The center pic should be precious and needn't attract the most attention on its own.

• Move - generally - from large to small as you move to the perimeter.

• Always allow for more weight or mass on the left (it's just a rule of optics).

• "Weight" means either darkness, size or thickness (this assembly has more pics on the right, but the center pic is moved to the left of your vision so the weight is there)

• When you have your assembly set on the floor, hang from the center pic outward.

• Enjoy. Try it at home.

Best,

Comments (23)

I have one bedroom apartment and 29 original paintings. I definetly can use this idea to create a gallery style .

Thanks Maxwell.

posted by New York Muhtari on May 15th 2008 at 6:46am
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Thank you! I was really stuck with straight lines and too many small things.

posted by rorarora on May 15th 2008 at 7:21am
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I love hanging art this way. It's so eclectic and free--it puts the emphasis on the owner's broad range of art/photos/mementos instead of a rigid grid or pattern.

posted by Ironsides on May 15th 2008 at 7:33am
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I really like this set up. I will be garage-saleing this summer to find picture frames and finaly get all my photographs up. Hurray!

posted by revolution9 on May 15th 2008 at 7:54am
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These diagrams are great! But I'm a little confused about the "Hilary {which is misspelled, if you're referring to Clinton} (woman)" and "Kate (woman)" thing. Was there a point to putting that in this post? So odd.

posted by kat98 on May 15th 2008 at 8:02am
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Well you see, kat98, it's because it's still so novel that Hillary is a *woman* and actually wanted to run for the big ol office of president. I hear there was more to her platform than being a woman, but I dunno.

posted by a.meyer on May 15th 2008 at 8:18am
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Oh, hoorah, for the return of the personal pronoun "I" in an opinon entry. The editorial "we" makes me think of a corporate mission statement.

I'm afraid of Kate Spade's bags with the open tops that let your stuff spill out, or thieves' hands creep in. What was she thinking? Easy access for all?

posted by Ter on May 15th 2008 at 8:22am
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I second Ter's opinion. "We" is okay sometimes, but it just doesn't work in every context. Thank you for realizing that! Also, love the tips. I would never have figured any of that out myself, and I'm sure if I had tried to replicate it based on just the photo, it would have looked "off" to me.

posted by shayshay213 on May 15th 2008 at 8:42am
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It's worth noting that this method of hanging art works best when the frames themselves are, as above, of different weights/thicknesses and colors/tones. The same goes for the mats (or lack thereof). And the art itself, for that matter.

(And I totally agree that the Hillary/woman comment was way weird.)

posted by Anna at D16 on May 15th 2008 at 8:55am
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That whole first paragraph is really just confusing me.

The rest however, is very helpful as I've been trying to figure out how to fix my own art wall thing, and I think these guidelines/ideas are just what I needed.

Also, Kate Spade's advertising and website are genius. (Um, although they don't actually make me want to buy anything, so maybe they aren't.) But they're definitely well designed.

posted by small clever rooms on May 15th 2008 at 8:58am
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I love Kate too. But, give me the tried and trusty grid any day! It is a repeatedly proven component of great design.

posted by quiltmaster on May 15th 2008 at 10:09am
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This is very helpful to me--thanks!

posted by jen_g on May 15th 2008 at 12:44pm
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a.meyer, I must have forgotten that when talking about Hillary Clinton, one must always use her first name and point out that she's female. (and maybe that was the reason for bringing her in to a discussion about handbags and decorating, too!) Although I don't know how that's possible, because I'm an architect, and so I'm reminded EVERY DAY how unusual it is to be a woman and successful. Mostly by the mail and email I get that's addressed to "Dear Sir" or "Gentlemen" or some other greeting that reminds me that I'm an anomaly. Or by the people who assume I'm the secretary and will get them coffee.

posted by kat98 on May 16th 2008 at 7:20am
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I like my collages more organized then sporadic...so for those of you who are more like me here is a different way of doing it:

http://designformula.blogspot.com/2008/01/making-picture-wall-collage.html

posted by pkswede on December 23rd 2008 at 2:28pm
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I have always used the more organic method of hanging art, but my way is simpler (although potentially more dangerous!)

I hang something at a relatively nice eye level. Usually the biggest thing. Usually somewhere in the center of the space I'm decorating. But not always!

Then I just hang the next thing nearby, never aligned top and or bottom with the first thing. I try to leave at least two inches and not more than about six inches between things. Keep the exterior outline of the arrangement irregular.

And so on!

I NEVER arrange things on the floor, and only once in a while do I pound my picture hook in a location a bit too close to something else and have to pull it out again and move it.

I like to mix something three dimensional and/or not rectangular (round plate, floral plaque, fancy mirror, candle sconce...) in every once in a while, too. Not too many and not too near each other.

Just did a big collection of mostly small things in a stairway, and it looks great if I do say so myself. (I do have an art background and a good eye for this sort of stuff. It might not work for everybody.)

But if you use picture hooks, it's easy to change and fix and very free form -- you can add or remove things at will...

I say be bold! (Unless you have real plaster or your landlord gets really cranky about nail holes...)

posted by SherryBinNH on December 29th 2008 at 6:59pm
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who knew hanging pictures could be so complex?!

posted by freedomisavoice on February 9th 2009 at 3:44pm
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What's the 57 rule?

posted by kristin_g on April 28th 2009 at 2:08pm
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Yes, what's the 57" rule?

posted by AussieBird on April 29th 2009 at 1:26am
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I've been trying to figure this out! thanks!

posted by dabble on April 29th 2009 at 10:07am
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There are so many different ways to hang art. I have to try this method.

posted by thesamefire on April 29th 2009 at 10:37am
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I'm doing gallery style at home, so this will help out alot! Thanks!

posted by krpm1 aka Kelly:) on April 29th 2009 at 11:17am
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this is a great idea explained meticulously.. and I am going to try it. (I don't like the individual pieces that are displayed but i like the idea).

posted by Drops of Jupiter on August 12th 2009 at 1:15pm
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