A lot of items tend to go in the living room so it’s important to arrange them all in a balanced and well-proportioned way. Once you’ve arranged the living room furniture, you need to place the accessories in a balanced way. Here are a few tips for hanging and placing living room accessories.
Artwork
- One of the most common places to hang artwork in the living room is above the sofa. If this is the case in your space make sure to get a piece that isn’t too large or too small. The piece of art should be about two-thirds the width of the sofa.
- If you want to use a few smaller pieces in a group the same rule more or less applies. Just be sure that the space between each frame is the same (around 2″ to 3″ is preferable).
- To prevent the art from being too low, hang the bottom of the frame about 8″ to 10″ from the top of the sofa back.
- Whenever you’re hanging art remember that it should be at eye-level. Many people make the mistake of hanging art too high. You shouldn’t have to lift your head to look at the piece.
Hanging Sconces
- The rules for hanging sconces are fairly similar to those for hanging art. The placement will always depend on the size of the wall, but you want to be careful not to hang them too high. Just above eye-level is ideal (around 66″ to 72″ from the floor).
- If you’re hanging sconces on either side of a mirror or piece of art be sure to leave enough space for the piece in the center to breathe. The amount will depend on the size of the space, but be sure not to overcrowd and squish the art or mirror.
Window Treatments
- Curtains and drapes should always kiss the floor (or puddle on it). A very common decorating mistake is to hang curtains that are too short and don’t reach the floor. It looks truncated and out-of-proportion.
- When hanging a drapery rod or track it should be installed at least 2″ above the window frame and anywhere between 6″ and 16″ beyond each side.
Television
- When trying to decide where to put your television remember this: the bottom of the screen should be at chest level when you’re seated. While hanging a television above a mantel is a bit trendy right now, it’s not the best place because you can strain your neck.
- If possible in your space, multiply the diagonal width of the screen by three to determine the optimal viewing distance.
