by Karen Carpino, Interior Designer

Deciding on placement of art takes two persons - one to hold the artwork and someone to look at it. Here are a few rules to follow from the pros.

1. The center of the picture should be at eye level, which is approximately 60 inches from the floor.

2. Leave a 3 to 6 inch gap between the top of a sofa and the bottom of the picture frame and 4 to 8 inches from a tabletop.

3. A grouping of pictures should be treated as a single composition. Play with the actual artwork on the floor in front of the wall you will be hanging on.

4. Center the picture or grouping across the wall or over a piece of furniture.

5. Measuring and making your mark. While holding the picture in place where you want it on the wall, put a strip of painters tape on the wall, making the bottom edge of the tape even with the top of the frame. Mark each end of the frame on the tape.

6. If the picture will use only one wall hanger, you want to place that hanger at the center of the frame. Measure the width of the frame and divide by two. Then, measure this distance in from the marks on the painter's tape. Turn the picture over and measure from the top of the frame to the point the picture will hang. If the picture has hanging wire, hook the metal end of the tape measure under the center of the wire. Pull up until the wire is taut and measure up to the top of the frame. If the picture has D-rings or sawtooth hangers, hook the tape over the top of the frame and measure down to the ring or hanger. Then transfer that number into a hanging location on the wall by measuring down from the bottom edge of the painter's tape, at the center point.

7. You will want to use two wall hangers equidistant from the center point of the picture for added stability on wide frames (24 inches or wider). Find the center point of the frame and mark that distance on your painter's tape. You want to place 6 to 8 inches between the two hangers. Now, measure 3 to 4 inches from either side of that center point and mark them on the painter's tape as well. Now turn the picture over. Using two fingers, pull up on the wire at both hanging points simultaneously. Then, with the metal end of a tape measure hooked under the wire at the center point, measure up to the top of the frame. Transfer that number onto the wall by measuring down from the bottom edge of the painter's tape, at your two hanging points.

8. For most jobs, use a simple hanging kit of J-hook and nail. The wire on the back of the picture will hang from it. Hanging kits are sold according to the weight of the artwork.

9. Consider adhesive picture hanging strips for normal size pictures. They leave no holes in the wall and are easy to remove without damage to walls.

10. If you have a piece of artwork that weighs more than 25 pounds, your choice of locations can be a bit limited as it's best to attach the artwork hanger to a wall stud. If a stud is not present, use a wall anchor that spreads out behind the wall-such as toggle or molly bolts-on drywall or plaster walls.

11. You can nail or screw directly into drywall. In plaster, always drill a pilot hole first to prevent cracking. Brick and concrete walls require drilling a hole with a special masonry bit then either hammering in a mason nail or using a plastic anchor and screw.

12. Remember that the spot marked on the wall and the location you attach the hanger may differ since the hook often extends down from the nail or screw that holds it.

Karen Carpino is a professional interior designer with over 20 years of practice in the Chicago area.