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Today's Front Cover

HOMES   Homes RSS Feed
Last updated at 6:28 AM on 28/12/07  

Handy gadget is fool proof print this article
Hang and Level takes the frustration out of redecorating, making picture hanging simple
LINDSEY KEILTY

We've all been there. You've just moved into a new house or apartment, and you're trying to decide where to hang art, picture frames and cork boards.

I found myself in this annoying scenario earlier this year, holding up paintings against the wall of my new apartment, getting increasingly annoyed while my mum, who graciously helped me move, stands with her head tilted in a curious way, and says, "No, a little to the left," followed by, "No, a little to the right."

And neither of us really have any authority on the subject. My idea of eye-level, at five-foot-eight, is totally different than her perspective, at just five-feet tall.

So, when I heard about the Hang and Level, I was immediately intrigued.

How can this work?

The bright yellow, plastic gadget looks so simple - it's not electronic or state-of-the-art - that at first I was skeptical that the thing could really do much good.

But I recently had the opportunity to chat with the Hang and Level's inventor, Liette Tousignant, and after a skilful demonstration, I quickly changed my tune.

As an interior designer with her own business, Tousignant continued to hit the same roadblock in her work.

"I quickly realized that my biggest frustration and fear was hanging pictures," she admits. "Have you tried to hang pictures in your house before? It's terrifying because we're afraid of putting holes in our walls, and then when you don't get it right, you end up with 10 holes in your wall."

She searched big-chain retailers and specialty decorating boutiques for a solution to her problem, but came up empty handed. So she had her husband build her a simple, wooden device to help her hang pictures on her own.

"I knew what the device needed to do - I needed it to hold the picture, and tell me where to put the nail, instead of trying to guess where it should go," she says.

"For me, it's a huge time saver. Most of the time when I'm in a client's home, I have to hang everything myself, and it used to take me hours - it was endless measuring."

The Hang and Level gives do-it-yourself decorators two options - to hang pictures with one nail or two, eliminating the need to measure and re-measure when two hooks are needed.

After 10 long years of making prototypes, Tousignant has finally perfected her design and it is now available on shelves at most major retailers, including Canadian Tire, Home Hardware, Linens 'n' Things, and Home Depot.

Tousignant just can't believe someone didn't come up with a similar idea sooner.

"It's a matter of coming up with a solution to a problem that I was having.

Couple saver

"I call it the marriage saver," Tousignant laughs. "Because couples fight when they hang pictures. I used to wait until my husband would come home from work and see what kind of mood he was in - seriously! - and if I thought he was in the right mood, I would make all these excuses to try to get his help, because he knows what kind of an experience it can be."

Ultimately, anyone can sell a product, so I decided to put Tousignant's tool to the test.

I dared to fill a blank wall in my apartment with three frames - all different sizes. Without measuring from side to side, I selected a height of 60 inches, and centred the first frame. With one nail hole - Voila! And its mates were hung with similar ease. This thing is fool proof.


- The best rule of thumb is to hang your artwork so its center hangs at approximately 60 to 66 inches from the floor. Please remember that in rooms where you spend the most time sitting; such as dining-rooms, living-rooms or offices, you should be hanging your art lower so that you can enjoy it without having to look up - way up.
28/12/07  
 
     
 

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