Whether you rent or own, people want to feel at home in their space — it's human nature. That's why we buy trinkets, rearrange our furniture and seek out art that speaks to us. Just like a well-designed workspace can make us more productive, having a beautifully designed home can make us happier. A Houzz survey showed 87 per cent of respondents said their home design affects their happiness and 74 per cent said they were happier at home after they redesigned their space.
Here at Avenue Living Communities, we want your space to feel like home — that's why we've come up with damage-free ways for you to hang photos in your apartment and create a beautiful everyday space.
How to Hang Pictures in Your Apartment Damage-Free
Stick it to the Wall
Nowadays, there are tons of materials you can use to 'fix' art to the wall without damaging it. Adhesive and Velcro strips are the most common, and are both great ways to place art around your apartment without leaving residue on the walls. Command strips are perhaps the most popular for holding heavier artwork, with dual adhesive strips that stick to both the wall and your artwork. Velcro strips are great for pieces that you want to move or take down often, like whiteboards or bold accent pieces.
Use a Tension Rod
For smaller spaces, try using a tension rod to hang your photos or frames on. These are great for narrow rooms, hallways or corner spaces when you have two walls not too far apart. With this method, attach wire or string to the back of your frame and looping it around the rod so your artwork hangs. If you choose to use framed photos and you're worried about the weight, check the tension rod's weight capacity to ensure it can handle the load.
Tape Unframed Pictures
There are several kinds of tape that are safe for use on walls and don't leave a sticky residue behind. Painter's tape, masking tape and washi tape are all gentle on wall paint and can be used in different ways to adhere your unframed artwork. Using painter's or masking tape, simply make a loop of tape and place it on the back of your picture. If you want to see the tape, use colourful washi brands to make a frame or accent around your chosen piece. Even though these tapes are gentle, be mindful when removing it from the walls.
Don't Hang Them at All
Our final suggestion is to display your art without hanging it from a wall. Get creative and see where you can lean or place your pieces so you still get that homey feel. Mantles are a popular place for large pictures, as well as shelves or outcrops. Ladders, bookcases and side tables are perfect for small to medium pictures. You can even simply lean your picture against the wall on the ground with small décor pieces surrounding it. The options are endless!
How to Make Sure Your Pictures are Level
Now that you know how to display your pictures, let's ensure they are level. You can always go the manual route and use a hand-held level and measuring tape. Place the level on top of your artwork so you can properly line it up before you secure it, measuring to ensure it's in the centre of the wall or evenly spaced from your other pictures.
If you don't have the tools, there's an app for just about everything these days. Check out these nifty smartphone apps created to help you hang and place artwork in the best ways possible:
This app helps you hang multiple pieces and ensures they are evenly spaced—no more guessing if one is closer than the other. Hang-a-pic will make sure your artwork, décor items and more are perfectly spaced every time.
Users: iPhone, iPad, Android
This app helps you visualize what a picture will look like on your wall before you even hang it. Using Apple's AR technology, upload an image of your chosen piece and this app will show you what it looks like in different sizes, with different frames, in different spaces before you even hold it up to the wall.
Users: iPhone, iPad
Level
There are tons of level apps out there for smartphones, so hit your app store and choose one with high ratings. Or, if you have an iPhone, there's actually a level hidden inside one of the apps you already have. Click on your Compass app, swipe to the second page, and you'll find yourself a level.
Users: All smartphones
Where to Find Affordable Art
Finally, we want to share ideas for where you can buy affordable artwork for your apartment. Check out these online shops for unique pieces made by creators all over the world.
This website is brimming with budding creators across all industries. If you're looking for quality art on a budget, check out Etsy to see if you can discover the next Rembrandt before they make it big.
This online marketplace brings together artists from around the world into one convenient hub for you to peruse at your leisure. Browse the site of artist originals with prices starting from just $25.
This site has a wide variety of artwork in all prices ranges, some starting at just $20. Explore different styles, mediums and images as you make your way through their many sections of wall art.
Now that you're all stocked up on art, you're going to need some walls to hang it on. For more information on renting with Avenue Living Communities, visit our website here.