The inside of your Southern Highlands home would not be complete without pictures on the walls. But hanging them to their best advantage is an art in itself.

Here are some tips that will help you hang with the best.

• Eye level is best. Pictures hung too high or too low rarely achieve good results for anyone but the chiropractor.

• Work to the space available. Hanging too many pictures looks crowded, especially in smaller areas.

• Shelf display can sometimes be a better alternative to wall mounting.

• When decorating a large wall, plan how to space the artworks in the most pleasing way by first placing the pictures on the floor until you’re happy with their arrangement.

• You can also experiment with picture placement using templates cut from large sheets of paper or newspaper. Position these temporary placeholders, then step back to judge the effect prior to committing to more permanent placement of the art itself.

• Distance plays a role too. A hallway, for example, will not allow you to stand back to take in a large canvas.

• Some spaces will lend themselves to grouping several smaller pictures rather than being dominated by a large piece.

• Careful measured positioning can create elegance. Strive for a balanced effect overall.