I would probably go for a gallery wall where you hang everything you own no matter how disparate.

Can you share a picture of the open space just to give us an idea of the wall space, window openings, etc?

I have a lot of art that's not very good quality but is either decorative or sentimental. I have some good quality, expensively framed things (documents and photos mostly) related to a house I no longer own. I also have a lot less wall space. I've decided that I am going to hang things salon style, floor to ceiling, behind lamps, wherever it fits with the better stuff more prominent. Same with collections. Pile it up, with the best in front.

I say sentiment over style every time. My mother had exquisite taste and decorated with old family antiques and oriental rugs but in the place of honor in the dining room she hung the cocker spaniel paint by number my brother did at age 7. Now that is classy. It looked great.

As an avid art lover, I can sympathize with your dilemma of where to hang everything! My first thought is to do a gallery wall, as Fun suggested. I'd also buy a tall, lighted, glass curio cabinet to set near it and display some of your favorite lighthouses there. Grouping them together would tie in nicely with the lighthouses you have hanging here and there on your gallery wall. BTW, I see these cabs for sale everywhere lately. The prices are very reasonable, especially in consignment and secondhand furniture shops.
Lynn

FunDB and ineffable: I was thinking gallery wall or salon too but I'm not sure I can pull it off. I think I might do ok with the "shape/size" piece of the composition, but the colors too? I cringe when I think about all these watery blues and greens next to peaches, blacks and reds. How do you make them look united? I thought about replacing most of the frames so they're similar but my favorite part of the mill painting is its goofy, old tramp art frame. I'm not likely to find a bunch of those though, so ... what? And, ineff, thanks for the hint about piling stuff with the best in front. Good tip!

PhoneLady: This wall is just blank, no windows, 9 feet long. It's behind the sofa, but about 5 feet away. It's kind of the walkway from the entry, through the living part, to the kitchen area. Oh, and at the top on one side is the mini-split heating/AC unit. I think I have a photo somewhere.

rgps: I think I would have really liked your mom ;)

lynninnm: I don't think I have room for a curio cabinet here because it is a major traffic way. I've got a space by the entry though (not too far away) where I was planning to put a console table. If I can find the right cabinet though, I think it would look great!

I'm off to buy a bunch of those 3M hanger-things. I've never used them before but it seems like they may be more suited to the trial and error that is my future ;)

Thanks for all your help so far. Any other tips and tricks out there?

BTW, pillows are different now and new drapes make the sofa seem more green, less brown. And there's a base cabinet on that other wall now. Above it is the only space where I'm sure of what I'm hanging - a large, pretty seascape in a creamy frame.

^And typing that just made me start worrying that all my art will likely be concentrated on just one side of the space. Crap. One more thing to fret about.

If you can stand to go without your living room for a few hours, I would push all of the furniture to the non-picture wall side of the room, tape down butcher paper to the floor so it represents the amount of wall you think you want to cover, then start laying out all of the pieces. Once you get them to look the way you want, you can outline them on the butcher paper, add a number to the position and to the piece of art, tape the butcher paper to the wall and start marking the wall for for your hangers. Use a pencil to lightly transfer each number to an area that will be hidden by the picture.

The process takes some time. Only do it when you have patience and are excited about the task. :-)

You can try doing it on the PC using Paint or some similar software, but it takes a lot more time unless you already have good digital pictures of each piece of art.

I might suggest taping together some butcher paper (does such a thing still exist?) or cut up grocery bags or anything that works to create the same dimensions as your "art wall". Then lay it on the floor and move your art work around until it pleases you. Mark this template where any hooks or nails are going to be and tape that up on the wall before you start. That way you know things are going to be level, etc. and hopefully save chewing up your wall with false starts.

For the frames, I personally like things a little less matchy-matchy. But if you are concerned with things clashing side by side, AND this appeals to you...... maybe throw in some small round mirrors on ribbons. My DIL frames vintage doilies. Do you have any teeny lighthouses that could go in a shadow box? Go to Houzz and search on art walls. some great inspiration there!

Also keep in mind that I have a cuckoo clock in my dining room in AZ. Not exactly classic Southwestern. But my Dad had one next to his recliner in our LR in New England and it is one of my fondest memories. When I told my DH this memory and DH bought me one for Christmas early in our relationship, I knew he was a keeper. So sentimentality trumps a lot of other things for me.

Sorry about the double idea on the butcher paper. I might have been typing at the same time fun2bhere.

Ineffablespace - I worked with a woman years before who collected art with her husband. And I mean the "real deal" art. The kind you carry a second mortgage for. I attended brunch at her house one day. A modest looking cape from the outside but eye popping inside. Art EVERYWHERE. over the light switches, under the light switches. under the windows. On every possible sliver of wall space. But I gotta tell you.........it worked in that house. Sometimes you gotta go big or go home. She did both. Big AND at home.

edeevee, can you share pictures of the rest of the room? It's hard to get an idea of what would look right with just the one wall pictured.

I say if you truly love the art, then find a way to use it. I agree with the gallery or full wall idea of displaying them, if you still enjoy them. If you're tired of them and just feel worried what those that gave you the art will think when they see you've not used their gifts in your new home, then don't let that bother you. I'm sure they've put aside decorative gifts before when they no longer fit their current home style.

I picked up some plate hangers, clip frames, a stack of mats and some picture hangers tonight. I also bought a new frame and mats for my son's still life. I am itching to hang everything right now since we'll have family and friends over tomorrow. I'd love it if they walked in and were all ... wow!

But I know you guys are telling me straight. It will take time and patience (and butcher paper) to get this right. And after painting primer and three coats on that wall, I don't want to put a bunch of useless holes in it, lol.

Question: When we're laying these out on the floor, does it need to be in the same room where the art will hang permanently? I was thinking it might be fun for my friends (they're creative types) to help me figure out the layout. Could I set it all up in the garage?

And Phone Lady: I do indeed have a few teensy lighthouses. I never thought of putting them in shadow boxes. How cool!

justgotabeme: Pics tomorrow if I have time in between grocery shopping, cooking and (ugh) cleaning.

One more thing. Phone Lady, I would LOVE to have cuckoo clock. My parents had one when I was little and my grandparents had one before that. I was fascinated by both of them. I think you're right about your DH being a keeper!

I think it would be a fun idea to lay them out and have your friends help you in placement. The garage would work, because you could tape off the size of the wall, and any permanent furnishings to help you get the placement right.
No worries if you don't get photos of the full room. Sounds like you have loads to do. Have fun!

Sentiment always wins for me. The majority of things on my walls are photos, even in the public spaces. There are a few things I'm not as attached to but I couldn't bear to part with most of it. It's too late for me to change.

Yesterday my BD stopped by to see my nearly finished bathroom. She suggested a print I have in the hall would look great over the toilet. It's an Asian theme and the colors are perfect. After she left, I held it up in the space. Right over the toilet? A couple of inches away from where the shower curtain will wrap when someone's taking a shower? Really? In a larger bathroom perhaps. I mean, it's much nicer now, but a salon it is not.

Edeevee - what's stopping you from the cuckoo clock? Go for it. Have fun with your art project and your friends. Happy 4th!

It's easier to lay out in the actual room because you have the same light and your eye can pick up the wall color, but you could try it the first time in another room, then transfer that layout to the floor of the actual room if you don't mind a little extra effort.

We just made 13 holes in the wall trying to "eyeball" hang 4 plates. I am now 100% convinced that the butcher paper process is the one for me, lol. Guests arriving momentarily. Hope you're all having a wonderful 4th!

I don't post often, but I thought I'd share how I manage my "gallery" walls. After spending years in the military, and then marrying another military person, we moved all the time. Each house presented new problems of where and how to hang photos and art while doing as little damage as possible.

I cut open paper grocery bags, lay the photo or artwork on it and trace the outline. Then I do a cartoon drawing or label the brown paper template such as "John's Wedding," or "MIL looking left." After all the items are traced I start "hanging" the paper templates on the wall with painter's tape. I can move them around, arrange and re-arrange until I'm happy with the look.

I've saved most of the templates from other moves so I no longer have to go through the drawing and cutting. I measure down from the level top of the frame to the spot where the nail needs to be and write that on the paper template. I seldom have to put a nail in twice.

I've been trying to work our family photos onto the wall of our incredibly short hallway. I wanted them facing the hallway since the living room side is far to bright for some of the older photos.

This was the beginning of the layout.

This post was edited by caroline on Sat, Jul 5, 14 at 12:36

I'm sorry; I don't know how to put two photos in one posting.

Because of needing space to fit in the new air exchanger vent, the wall to the far right of this photo is being extended 34" inches. I'll have a bit more room to hang more items!

This shows a few more photos hung. I will be arranging items around the light switch to hopefully make it less noticeable.

Caroline, I love how your gallery wall looks. I like the idea of making templates and laying them out right on the wall. Plus, if you keep them, they can be reused in any other location. Another way of keeping them straight is to print a small, low-rez version of the photo and stick it on the template. If the photos aren't digital, just take a snap with a phone. I also like the idea of identifying the nail location on the template. Brilliant, and so easy.

caroline: That gallery wall looks fabulous. I love the in process shot too. I can see how this would make the process so much easier and more efficient than my 'eyeball, pound nails, pull nails, repeat ad infinitum, then patch and paint' method.

linelle, I like the idea of putting a digital photo on each template too. It seems like it would help me keep better track of the color combinations.

THANKS!

edeevee, it would help keep things straight, including what kind of frame is used. In fact, this template method is a total no-brainer.