Objects & Craft
Hanging Pictures Is Governed By Eye Height, Not Wall Height
Pictures are hung to be looked at, so the centre of the image belongs near standing eye level regardless of the height of the wall or the furniture below.
Most pictures in houses are hung too high. The reason is that people position them relative to the wall or the ceiling rather than to the person looking at them.
The reference point is the viewer
An image is comfortable to look at when its centre sits close to the eye level of someone standing in front of it.
Hanging higher forces the head back and puts the image at an angle, which is why gallery hanging conventions settle on a consistent centre height.
Wall height is irrelevant to this. A tall wall does not move anybody's eyes upwards, and a picture placed to balance the wall will be uncomfortable to view.
Furniture changes the rule only when it is close
A picture above a sofa or a mantel is read in relation to that object, and a large gap between the two makes the picture appear to float.
Keeping the space between furniture and frame relatively small links them visually, and the pair reads as one composition.
Where the room is used seated rather than standing, lowering the centre slightly acknowledges where the viewer's eyes actually are.
Groups behave as a single object
Several pictures hung together are perceived as one shape, so the rule applies to the centre of the whole arrangement rather than to each frame.
Consistent gaps between frames hold the group together, and the gaps matter more than whether the frames themselves match.
Laying the arrangement out on the floor first, and measuring the overall rectangle, converts a difficult judgement into a simple one.
The fixing depends on the wall behind
A masonry wall takes a plug and screw almost anywhere. A stud partition holds well only at the timbers, and plasterboard between them needs a fixing designed to spread the load.
Heavier frames concentrate load on a small hook, and the failure is usually the fixing pulling through rather than the cord breaking.
Two hooks spaced apart rather than one in the centre keeps a picture level and halves the load on each, which is worth doing on anything substantial.
Light and position shorten a picture's life
Direct sunlight fades pigments and paper, and the damage accumulates without ever being noticed on a particular day.
Positions above radiators and in bathrooms subject work to heat and humidity cycles, which distort paper and loosen mounts over time.
Questions readers ask
How often should a mattress be replaced?
Commonly quoted figures of seven to ten years come largely from the industry. The practical test is whether you wake comfortable and whether the surface has a permanent hollow.
Is a firmer mattress better for back pain?
Not necessarily; studies have generally found medium-firm to be preferred by more people than very firm. Anyone with persistent back pain should see a clinician rather than choose by rule.
