Hanging Art on Bookshelves
Artfully hanging art on bookshelves requires some skill. The trick is to show off your accessories in an effortless way. It's a balancing act - too much and they look over styled, too little and they feel disjointed and cluttered. Don’t worry, BoCo Interior Designs gives you a simple step-by-step process for arranging artwork on shelves. As you learn how to decorate a bookshelf we’ll show you where to put your masterpieces. Along the way we’ll also give you ideas for how to choose your art pieces, how to maintain symmetry, how to create space around your artwork, and the materials you’ll need.
Our course we are always here to help you design. If you’re in Upstate SC, and you’d rather have BoCo designers consult or design your bookshelves, call or text Grace at (864) 556-3922, email at bocointeriordesigns@gmail.com or click “Get Started.”
Bookshelf Art
The most important thing to remember is bookshelves are an opportunity to create something special and unique in your space. They offer a source of variety - you can constantly rearrange them to give you a different look depending on the style you are going for at the moment. One thing we recommend in bookshelves is artwork. If your bookshelves have adjustable shelving, this is super easy to do. Here are the steps to properly hang artwork in your bookshelves:
What to Put on a Bookshelf
Decide where you want to create the artwork vignette, making sure to maintain symmetry with the other shelves in the unit. You may need to remove a shelf or two to create an opening large enough to accommodate the artwork.
See how these bookshelves leave larger openings for hanging art.
Scale and Proportion
Using our simple guide to interior design basics, select artwork with the right scale and proportion, aiming for balance and unity, or emphasis and contrast. Art pieces can bring a bit of color into the space or effortlessly compliment the other components of the shelves. Here’s a great example of a client's open shelves over a kitchen bar. Remember, artwork can include a mirror, plates, or really anything you are clever enough to hang vertically on the wall.
Completing Your Vignette
Create the complete vignette for the shelf before hammering your first nail! You need to make sure you are going to be happy with the entire shelf and how it reads, before you hang the artwork. Take into consideration the space below the piece and how it's going to look overall.
Properly Hang the Artwork
Most built-in bookshelves have a floating back (meaning there is a space between the back of the unit and the wall). So, if you attempt to nail straight into the back of the unit, the nail will go straight through and not support the weight of the artwork. You'll then be left with an ugly hole in the back of the shelving unit.
Here's my solution. Hang all artwork on monofilament from the shelf directly above the artwork.
Now, you have the look. Here's a close up. The stack of books to the left go in front of the nail and hide the hardware. See the final picture below.
Supplies for Hanging Artwork on Bookshelves
Here are the supplies you need for getting your artwork hung.
Monofilament
Clear 60 lb. test Monofilament (or as we like to call it here in the South "Deep Sea Fishing Line")
Small Picture Nails
I like these nails because they have a prominent head that will not allow the monofilament to slip off.
Self Adhesive Hooks
If the client does not want a nail hole in the shelf, use a self adhesive backed hook like this. To use these, you place the hook flat on the above shelf with the top facing out.
Hammer
I like this particular hammer because A. it's pink and B. it's only 12 oz. so you can easily handle it.
Bumpons
Use Bumpons on the back of the artwork to prevent the picture from sliding and becoming crooked on the wall. They are also super helpful for photo groupings to keep the series straight on the wall.
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