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This blog is held by Anne Stuart and Emmanuelle Lemoine, both Interior Designers working from their own practice.
This is a space where to communicate about Interior Design issues, with a special emphasises on the importance to be environmentally responsible.
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Tip of the day

A north facing and a south facing room don't need the same colours or lighting. Always check before the orientation of the room before planning your new design.


Sunday 24 October 2010

Designer's tips on wall displays


Pictures

The first consideration when deciding what to display on a wall is to stand back and study the dimensions of the wall with furniture in situ. This will then give a rough idea of the dimensions of what is to be displayed. If it is a large wall, the mistake a lot of people make is to hang two small pictures, miles apart at either end, this will not look good! If there are many small pictures to be displayed (say 8) then hanging together in a symmetrical manner would make the group look as a visual square or oblong. For example, if there are two large pictures and four small, the large pictures could be hung at either end with the small arranged symmetrically in the middle – it is all about balance.

If there are an odd number in different shapes and sizes then setting them out on the floor would be an option. This way the pictures could be rearranged to suit without knocking unwanted holes in the wall or make templates of the pictures and stick them to the wall with a mounting putty (available from Stationery shops) rearranging and stepping back until you have an arrangement you can live with. Keep them as close together as possible, that way they will be looked on as one unit from afar. Remember, do not place large pictures on top of small, if will make the arrangement look very top heavy.

With these kinds of displays, continuity is the key. If the room has a traditional theme, then use wooden or possibly gold carved frames, for a more up to date look either black or brushed or polished stainless steel. Also, keep a theme going about one subject matter or pick out the dominant colour in the room, whether it is the colour of framing or colours within the pictures.

If there is a large picture to be displayed, a very effective way of displaying would be to hang it behind but slightly above the settee, but make sure the settee is positioned slightly away from the wall, that way the picture won’t get knocked. By placing a carefully angled down light pointing at the picture, this would make a wonderful focal point in the room. Be careful though, not to position the light so that it dazzles the person sitting on the settee.

If there is a tall narrow bit of wall and all the frames are the same size why not hang them in a row down the wall but do be careful to balance the amount of wall showing either side of the pictures. Too little and the pictures will look too big for the wall, too much and the pictures will look lost.

Also, try not to have all the displays assembled on one wall, try to balance it out with something else on the other side of the room, whether it is a mirror or a vase of flowers.

Collections

Are you a collection addict? Whether it is holiday memorabilia such as pebbles, boarding cards, beer mats etc., they will all end up in a box at the back of the cupboard or collecting dust. Well, one way of displaying these bits and bobs would be to buy shadow box frames. This way the three dimensional items could be made into a design within the frame, stuck with glue then displayed on the wall without fear of having to dust them every now and again, always a plus for me! Buy more than one frame, then tickets could be in one, pebbles in another etc,.

Another way of displaying a collection for example, plates, would be to buy a large piece of hardboard and paint or cover it in the desired colour then display the plates on the hardboard. This way the display is visually ‘anchored’ to square or rectangle of hardboard. Be very careful to use strong hangers, this kind of display can become very heavy. This way of displaying items would become the focal point of the room and look very attractive.

I hope I have given you some ideas with wall display. Check out Emmanuelle’s recent photos of recent trade shows, there are some good examples of unusual displays for mirrors.

One last thought, please be careful to avoid electrical cables when knocking nails into walls.


Anne Stuart

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