By embracing the house’s Victorian uniqueness, Andrew’s new picture rail setup keeps his walls pristine and ties in beautifully with the rest of his living room space.

Have you ever felt like you had so many pictures you could hang if only you had more room? Trust us when we say you do have enough room, with the help of not merely picture hangers, but hanging systems.

Take it from gallery owner Paul Mayer: “[We] opened a 3,000 sq. ft. gallery and used this hanger and rod system with the wooden crown molding,” Paul shares. “Looks super and we were able to hang over 70 pieces from the Hudson River School in less than two days.” 

“We were able to hang one, two, and even three small paintings on one rod,” Paul says. “Best part is we can swap out paintings in minutes with no damage to the walls.”

The classic picture wall is timeless and you can never go wrong with it, but injecting a piece here and there that diversifies and adds a unique flair to your art display is a technique that will benefit your space with good execution. This includes wooden sculptures, mixed media artwork, and glass art, like the kind artist Michele D’Amico crafts.

As a glassmith, Michele is always on the lookout for equipment that can bring out the best experience with her fragile pieces. “Hanging the different pieces I make is challenging because I want the right aesthetic and appropriate support,” she says. In the process, her discovery of wall tracks has been instrumental. 

“The cords and the track were long enough and could be cut to length,” she describes. “The hooks on the cords were appropriately sized for the frame's openings, and the connection to the track was secure. It works great and looks fabulous!"

Sometimes all it takes is a bit more in the way of scale for a project to hold us back. But the scope of a display doesn’t necessarily define how feasible a project is, as interior enhancement specialist Chris McConnell will attest to.

“We have had two unusual installations, one very time-consuming and detailed,” he shares. “The first of strange things you won't see every day that we hung [was] a 16-foot, 4-inch long, 220-pound alligator twelve feet above the ground.” 

If we elevate our living spaces with art and wall decor, there’s no reason not to do the same with business establishments, like restaurants, cafes, hotels, retail stores, and movie theaters. Jason McOmber took the initiative when working with a newly-opened restaurant. 

“We needed to hang twenty-five large framed photos at a new pizza restaurant,” Jason says, “and we feel confident knowing the photos will stay on the wall after using these hardware sets.” Now the restaurant enjoys lively gallery walls and a friendly dining atmosphere.

When organizing a picture wall, you may find that most picture hanging hardware offer a clean presentation by staying out of sight. But with hangers like the brass gallery rod kit, for instance, you get to show off the hardware.

Select a finish that visibly matches other hardware in the room, and you get a seamless and purposeful design of the space, like this bathroom remodeling by homeowner Douglas Siu.

“We remodeled our bathroom and didn't want to drill into the new tile,” Douglas shares, “so we got this set since it matches the brass hardware in the bathroom. It looks great! We like the ability to switch between plants and artwork and it feels like part of the room—very elegant. Also, it's easy enough to install that anyone can do it.”

We mentioned earlier how you can incorporate any type of art medium into your wall decor, and you can take that to the next level with just about any type of decor you can’t easily frame. Think sculptures, tapestries, or antiques. Artefact Design & Salvage curator Dave Allen found the answer to make all this possible: pegboards.

Art not only adds aesthetic appeal to spaces, but it also provides a channel for self-expression and for making our space feel more personal. Curate a collection that tells your own story, whether it’s portraits of family, posters of your favorite movies, or curios you’ve gathered over the years.

For artist Chip Freund, art is a way to let other people understand us and the world around us. “Last year, I had my first conservation photography project exhibition, Blue Glacier Then & Now. Seeing my work on the walls of the gallery at the local arts center was incredibly powerful for me.” 

We’ve been talking about hanging art in closed spaces, but what about open, public area art displays?

Artists like Carrie Gault specialize in public art and installations that enliven spaces we all share in our day-to-day lives. Her mosaic work “HeartLine” was created with handmade tile panels to celebrate the local LGBTQ+ community in Rochester, New York. The artwork was then installed using heavy-duty cleats and reinforced with anti-theft security kits.