By Andrea Mills

1. Gather pieces together.
Before starting, you need to know how much framed art you have to work with. It’s OK to start small (say five to seven pieces) and build a collection over time. Tip: Consider your frames. Combine colours, finishes and materials but keep the mix balanced. Variety is the key to a salon-style approach.

2. Map it out.
Measure your wall space and recreate the same sized area on your floor. Lay the frames down within these dimensions, moving pieces around until you find an arrangement you like. To be even more precise, borrow a trick from museums and art galleries – trace frames on kraft paper, cut out the shapes and use Blu Tack to temporarily attach them to the wall. Tip: Use space wisely. Surround bigger pieces with a few smaller ones, leaving about two inches in between each. If you have similar-sized pieces, hang them as a grouping with less space in between.

3. Hang it up.
Use a level and secure the corners with Blu Tack to keep your art from shifting. Tip: Create a focal point. Start with the largest frame centred above a key piece of furniture, and build out from there.

First published in Wish November 2008