It seems wall space is really kind of dwindling in the suburbs.

Everyone knows that people like lots of light in their houses. New home builders have responded by installing lots of windows and using open plan layouts to make our houses feel lighter, brighter and more open. Home buyers love that.

It seems, though, that wall space for hanging art is kind of at a premium. And, more often than not, there seems to be only little vertical strips of wall space left between windows and doors.

I often see homeowners hanging one horizontal piece of art at eye level in these places, because that’s the art they have and that’s how they’ve always hung it. However, it’s kind of like fitting a square peg in a round hole. It looks like it just doesn’t fit.

If you group several pieces of art, or even re-frame them to fit that space a little better, it would be more composed. More harmonious. More intentionally designed.

You can stack horizontal pieces to make a vertical look.

Now, I’m all about hanging what you love, no matter what.

But, if you’re looking around the house and trying to find the best placement for particular pieces, perhaps you could consider this:

Hang a vertical piece, or vertically stack your landscape-shaped art on a wall space that’s mostly vertical.

Take a look below to see how I’ve stacked some to work best with the wall shape.

Hanging Art On a Wall, Vertically | Carla Aston, Designer | Photographer: Tori Aston

Stacking art on wall vertically, to scale with wall size. Designer: Carla Aston, Photographer: Miro Dvorscak

Hanging Art On a Wall, Vertically | Carla Aston, Designer

Stacking art on wall vertically, to scale with wall size. Designer: Carla Aston

Here’s a narrow wall space in a home I consulted on a few years ago. The homeowner had two of these horiztonal pieces and stacked them here. It fits this space nicely.

I love the way designer, Diana Walker, installed these family photos in an ASID Showhouse, on these tall, narrow wall sections.

Stacking art on wall vertically, to scale with wall size. Designer: Carla Aston, Photographer: Colleen Scott

Seen at the Hickory Chair showroom at Highpoint Market.

I love this little space between two windows at the Thibaut showroom at Highpoint Market. A framed vintage print and then a bracket with a vase, stacked on this narrow bit of wall, makes the perfect decoration.

Need help with figuring out the best arrangement for your walls? I have a guide to help!