As you begin looking at country house plans, remember that nothing will make your new house feel more like home than adding your personal artwork. You can easily bring your own personality and drama to any room by hanging photographs, wall art and collectibles.

Start by choosing the most important pieces you want to group together. You can avoid the clutter of displaying all the pieces you own by selecting options that suit your mood and taste right now. Any room is easily updated by switching out pictures when your mood changes.

Decide the sizes of each piece and lay the group flat on the floor before you try to hang them on the wall. Experiment with overall size and placement until you find a layout that suits your pictures the best. Our eyes appreciate order so design your pictures in a rectangle or square so you can vary sizes and shapes in the set box.

Only stair-step artwork when hanging pictures on a stairway wall. If there are stairways in the country living house plans you are choosing from, adding your own art and pictures is an ideal way to personalize and decorate this area.

When you place a grouping over a large piece of furniture, put larger items above the smaller ones to balance out the overall focal point. If the grouping is placed on a blank wall, put larger pieces at the bottom to anchor the design.

The overall look of your artwork is greatly influenced by height. When you hang a print or group of prints too high over a piece of furniture, the two segments seem disconnected. The rule of thumb is to hang a grouping so that the bottom is about 6 to eight inches above the furniture. When you place groups on a blank wall with no furniture, place the top of the lowest piece 58 inches above the floor to ensure an average eye level of the people viewing the artwork. An exception is using small artwork in an area where it will be viewed from a sitting position, where you can place the picture at seated eye level.

A vital key when placing art is the spacing. When you group several pieces together, leave at least two inches around each frame on every side to make sure all the open space is evenly consistent. Keep in mind the other objects in the room because every item has a role in the overall design. It is essential to maintain balance between furniture, artwork, lamps and other items in the room.

Another crucial factor is selecting the right hardware to hang your artwork. Picture hooks are much more stable than basic nails because they are designed to redistribute the weight suspended from them, pushing the weight into the wall as well as down. Hooks are typically sold according to the weight they are able to hold. Use at least two hooks that are spaced about half the width of the frame. You don’t need to bother using anchors unless you are hanging a piece that weighs more than 60 pounds.

Finally, it is essential to protect pictures and art to ensure they will remain beautiful for many years to come.

Request UV-protected glass and acid-free materials be used when you have pieces framed. Pay attention to the lighting where your art will be hung. Don’t place your pictures in direct sunlight where harmful rays can destroy the picture and the frame. Also, careful hanging pictures over a fireplace, heat may cause damage.

The artwork you select and the way you decide to hang it is up to personal preference. As you decide on your country house plan consider what pictures you would like to place in which rooms to add your own personality. Hanging your art and pictures is an easy way to make your new home comfortable while adding your own unique style.