ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 25, 1996 TAG: 9602280031
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: D-2 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Antiques & Designs
SOURCE: KATHY SUE GRIGG
Hanging pictures and other things around the house is something many people dread. It can be a real job.
However, the art of hanging pictures and making groupings isn't as hard as you may think. First, you need to find some unifying factor to bring together your collection of paintings, posters, prints, plates, photos or whatever.
One example of what they might have in common is the frame. Perhaps, all of them are made of the same kind of wood or all painted the same color. Or the frames and matting are different, but all the art has the same subject - people, flowers, dogs, etc. Or all the subjects are objects that are similar - such as rug beaters, baskets or keys with other metal objects and prints with keys in them.
The point is to give unity to your groupings.
One of the easiest ways to get the right grouping for your wall is to place the items you want to group on the floor in front of the wall you're working with. This allows you to experiment with the groupings and become satisfied with your arrangement before you start hanging.
Start the grouping by singling out what you want in the middle; then work around it. Try a couple of different arrangements before deciding on the one you like best.
When hanging, be careful not to put things too high or too far apart. Use chalk to mark spots on the wall where you want to hang objects. It is easy to rub off.
If your walls are plaster, you may want to put a piece of tape on the spot where you will be putting in hooks, nails or other devices for hanging to help keep the plaster from cracking.
If your art is being hung from a wire on the back of the frame, place a piece of tape on the middle of the wire to keep the art from moving once it's on the wall.
There is no rule about what can or cannot be hung. Just keep it in balance. Before you know it, you'll be looking for empty walls to work with.
Have fun and hang in there.
Kathy Sue Grigg is an associate at Surfaces Inc. If you have ideas, questions or comments about her column, write to her in care of The Roanoke Times, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010.
LENGTH: Short : 49 lines Type first letter of feature OR type help for list of commands FIND S-DB DB OPT SS WRD QUIT QUIT Save options? YES NO GROUP YOU'VE SELECTED: QUIT NO login: cby CNB