When it's time to hang a new piece of art or regroup existing artwork, keep several principles in mind. The art on our walls reflects our personalities and so it makes good sense to take a little time to hang it right.

Choose the Wall
Galleries and museums hang art on white walls; the neutral color lets the artwork speak for itself. In private homes, we hang art on painted and wallpapered walls, which means the art and the background often compete for attention.

Select art that works with the color and the size of the walls. Dark walls do well with dark pictures that are matted to offset them, while light-colored walls can handle more subtle artwork. Of course, the light walls are also great for hanging bright and intricate artwork, too.

Large expanses of wall demand large pieces of art or several grouped together. Don't hang a small picture in the middle of a wide wall, even it is your favorite and you have taken pains to center it over the sofa. It will look lost.

Groups of Three
Hanging pictures in groups of three is a good plan. If you have more than three, try to keep the number odd: groups of five or seven, perhaps.

Before you hang the pictures, lay them on the floor or a table and decide how they best interact with each other. You may decide on a row, with the largest picture in the middle. Or, you might find it more pleasing to hang a large picture with two smaller ones stacked beside it.

Hang Them Low
A common mistake is to hang artwork too high on the wall. Decide where you want the top of frame to be -- and then drop it by two inches. You will be surprised what a difference this makes.

Measure and lightly mark the walls before inserting the picture hooks in them. Make sure the tops of the frames line up. The bottoms of the frames can be a different heights.

Stand back and enjoy your handiwork. Well hung artwork pulls a room together and stamps it with your character more than anything else.