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placing art behind sofa help???!!??

User
10 years ago

As you can see I am not a photographer, so I apologize in advance for the poor photos.
The wall behind my new sofa is blank; actually it was blank behind the old sofa as well. When we repainted about 2 or 3 years ago I never put back the artwork. Anyway, I guess ideally I would have one long piece -------but I don't. I have several decent sized pieces but none that can stand alone. (Or the ones I have that are more significant are much taller than wide and wont work over the couch).... So I have these 2 are not equal sized- but are they too close but no cigar to hang together? Also, I have a picture of two bowls ( I have a lot of pretty plates and bowls which might work?).... would they work? What would you do.
I have more similar sized but all of course in differing frames (silver, copper, you name it. these 2 are gold )...... Please help and be patient.

Comments (26)

  • User
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I realized it is easier to lay them on the sofa than to balance them on the top of the sofa................

  • User
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    And for example the bowls, dishes etc. here are just 2 for starters.

  • User
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    and a slightly larger view.. 2 windows surround the sofa wall.

  • Olychick
    10 years ago

    I like them together. Would it be possible to see the larger pieces you referred to? I think these would work stacked and next to a larger piece if you like all three together and the larger one is a good proportion. Even if the frames of some of the others don't work together, you can do miracles with a little paint and/or rub n buff.

  • graywings123
    10 years ago

    Would love to see the larger pieces. As a rule of thumb, you are looking to fill between 3/4 and 7/8 of the horizontal space above the sofa.

  • User
    10 years ago

    The bowl, plate, and the two prints you showed all seem to go together in tone and style. I would first lay them on the floor to arrange within an area the same size as over your sofa. When it looks good on the floor, cut out shapes from paper (try brown bags) the same size as your art and use painter's tape to place them over the sofa to see if the arrangement looks good to you. If you have more pottery or art you could add them to the mix too. Plus, the frames on other art you might want to use do not have to match. They (and the matting) just have to play nice together.

  • User
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you for all the comments; it's encouraging. I will do some more pix later today of some other possibilities. I guess I am so used to symmetry that the fact that the 2 pieces are not equal really troubled me and seemed off. I will also give the measurements with the pieces.. I like the idea of stacking, but I wonder if that will seem really heavy ...guess I will be updating later today with more photos and dimensions. Thank you so much- I have been procrastinating this for so long.Your comments and skilled eyes are so appreciated and valuable.

  • patricianat
    10 years ago

    In creating composition you also need to have some likeness, and you need weight balance. You need something to connect them, i.e., color and weight. Balance the weight. Don't have a lightweight side and a heavyweight side, use your pieces so that overall you have 3/4 of the space covered but not entirely 100% the length of the sofa but as stated earlier, be sure you lay it out on the floor, preferably on a piece of paper onto which you can outline the pieces and place onto the wall to ensure you have it where you want it, just hang onto the paper and then remove the paper from the wall.

  • schoolhouse_gw
    10 years ago

    I know art is a very personal thing, but to me the two prints seem out of place in tone, size, and color to your room. The plates may work out better by themselves, albeit they are really too small; but I wonder if you could gather more from your collection or find inexpensive pieces to match and hang a grouping of them. Mix it up with different sizes? Just thinking here.

  • User
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Well it took me long enough to get back here and I debated about starting another thread but I'll see how this goes. Here are some additional pictures of what I have. Some of the framed artwork is on other walls in other rooms, some has been leaning against the wall in the basement, etc. The plates/dishes bowls are also scattered about; many are displayed on easels.
    So I am wondering if anyone has any brainstorms now - the sofa is 84 inches wide and it is on a wall between 2 windows, the wall is roughly 100 inches (maybe 104).
    The larger pic (Noah's ark) on the sofa is 28 wide by 25 high. The one I had paired with it in the beginning of the thread is 18 wide by 25 high. Someone had said they didn't seem to go together or were not strong enough for the room.... I also now am showing one with more similar colors (is it too matchy matchy) which is 22 wide by 18 high.
    Let me get started with photos....

  • User
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    And now, the 3 pix sitting on the sofa.

  • User
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    This has been living on the wall opposite the sofa, to the side of the massive cherry entertainment unit. I think it is pretty happy there, and am sharing it to give another idea of the room but I could be talked into moving anything at this point.
    It is 29 wide by 34 tall.

  • User
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    And this is something I bought before we were married - it needs to be restored if I use it- it has been in the basement getting abused. I like it a lot, but wonder if it might be too dark. I will use it somewhere in the house, but wonder what you think of for the family room.

  • User
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    And finally, I have this poster which used to be on the other side of the entertainment unit- I moved it recently to the front entryway. I love the colors, I love it, but just don't know where to "work it "best--It is really large-I tis 29 wide by 40 high.
    I just realized the last pic I didn't give dimension....23 wide by 32 high.
    I do have some other framed work but I think I will quit while I am ahead. This is actually helpful for me too to see it posted like this. I happen to like everything I have shared which is nice because most of it was bought more than 20 years ago. Maybe closer to 35:).
    Please give me your thoughts,( and now that I look at it, maybe I should just put 2 pix over the sofa and call that quits)

  • tibbrix
    10 years ago

    I wouldn't put any of the pottery up on the wall with the picturess.

    The three like pictures would work in a creating layout. First, picture a full, large imaginary square above the sofa into which all three pics will go. Centered within that imaginary large square, I'd try the small square picture to the left of center with the rectangular pic above the small square pic (centered over that pic), then the large square pic to the right of those and centered vertically with the other two. The three combined would be centered over the sofa.

    and check out this hardware to hang them. Can be found at Home Depot, and it makes hanging pictures SO easy. You would not need the big one that carries a heavy load. These are THE BEST picture/mirror hangers.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Picture hangers.

  • User
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Well I was about to head out and thought I would just check to see if anyone responded.
    I like your suggestion, but I just laid it out if I understood you correctly and now I think it is off. Is this what you meant? I do have another 2 or 3 like that more similar in size (but of course not the same)to the smallest one. As you can see, I have not yet put it all back from everything still sprawled out on the carpet.

  • tibbrix
    10 years ago

    Exactly!

    the very center (i.e.: of the big imaginary square) will be half way between the left pics and the right one, next to the split between the two pics on the left. That is your center.

    And you want pics lower rather than higher on walls, slightly below center (between sofa top and crown moulding, if you have it, or where the ceiling meets the wall.

    If you don't care for that arrangement, which it seems you don't, what you might want to do is get some masking tape, actually create, to scale, the imaginary square on the wall (which gives you all the right scale and dimensions as they relate to wall size and height with the sofa back), then transfer the tape square to a floor, and try different arrangements. I also think if you have more of those pics, you should use them. It's a good-size space behind your sofa.

  • Olychick
    10 years ago

    your pic at 10:53 isn't showing up, could you edit and add it?

    Try the largest of the 3 in the center, arranged horizontally, the most vertical one on one side with the bottom lined up with the center one. Then the other with the top lined up with the top of the center one...or maybe centered on the side of the center one.

  • User
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    The one at 10:53 shows up for me. I will post it again. And Tibb- I appreciate your suggestion and it probably would be good but it just seems like it sounded good on paper or when I drew it but looking at it, it seems very different. I will stare at it because I suspect you have better insight than I do... and oly, I will play with it later but again, that one sounds like a good idea and would satisfy my need for some sort of symmetry. Here is the pic across the room..

  • tibbrix
    10 years ago

    You're the one seeing it in person. If your instinct is it doesn't work for you, then it most likely doesn't. You'll know the arrangement you like when you see it.

  • User
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Well I don't know if I should start a new thread, but I am wondering if this rendition works? Or should I maybe just stick with the 2 I initially posted at the beginning.
    What do you think of this one? I think I may like it... apologize that I only got around to taking the pic late now with hardly any light...

  • Olychick
    10 years ago

    I think it could work - I like it!

  • User
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I think I like it too. Going to play a little more, and see....

  • tibbrix
    10 years ago

    Looks good, sheila!

  • User
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    well I like it but back to reality-- I think they might be too much space all together. I do have a few more that are varying shapes and maybe if I used a smaller one ?
    here they are laying on the couch. They don't take up the entire wall (with space between them ) but close.
    Is is overpowering?

  • Olychick
    10 years ago

    No, I think they are very light in the colors and frame style. I might still play with placement/arrangement. I don't think they have to be evenly spaced and might look better if they aren't - but I like asymmetrically, but balanced, wall art.

    I'd try the large one with the small one centered over it, not too close to the end of the sofa, then the narrow one to the side, but with a bit more wall showing between, maybe the same distance from the opposite end. I know it's hard to try them these different ways and paper sometimes doesn't give the best color and visual weight representation. What about getting some small Command hooks and actually try them on the wall?

    Another option is the smaller above the narrow one, and the large one off to the side, again with a larger area of wall showing in between.