Photo: Patrick RytiKangas

Your new acquisitions may attest to your good eye, but if they’re not displayed properly, you’ll have no reason to boast. Merge Gallery owner Cass Zielinski took us on an edifying tour of an art-filled Chelsea apartment, owned by his business partner, Ron Brandon.

Intuitive decorating

“If you’re not a symmetrical kind of person, why not display a piece off center?” says Zielinski. “People tend to fixate on finding a formula for hanging a painting, but there’s no reason not to be spontaneous.” Just display the work askew enough so that it’s clear the effect is intentional.

Traditional placement

“Putting a painting six to ten inches above the couch is standard,” Zielinksi advises, “unless you have a really tall wall, in which case go higher.” If your ceilings are low, center the piece between the couch and the ceiling. Eyeballing is key: “Ask a friend to hold the piece at different heights while you look.”

Safety in numbers

There are no rules about what you can and cannot group together: Colorful abstract paintings work beautifully beside black-and-white photographs (see above), and a well-placed sculpture can bring out the best in a canvas. “A traditional approach is to group paintings that go nicely together without worrying that they match the decor,” says Zielinski. “This look is  about how the artworks relate to each other.” If you’re assembling a hodgepodge of smaller bits, Zielinski suggests arranging them on the floor first. “That way you can measure the spaces in between to get a feel for what they’ll look like as a whole.”

Getting hooked

The most straightforward approach to hanging a framed piece is to install an anchor and a screw—Zielinski never uses nails because they come loose over time—and hang the item using sturdy wire, which you can get at any hardware store. If it’s going in a hallway where it could be nudged—or if it’s too valuable to put in jeopardy of falling off the wall-—Zielinksi recommends mounting it by placing two D-hooks on either side of the back of the frame (you can find these at any hardware store, too). “These are much harder to measure,” says Zielinksi. And if the piece is extremely valuable, hire a pro—“unless you have a level and some experience.” Merge Gallery loves professional installer Reggie Acioli (917-331-8452, $120 per hour); also try I’ll Hang for You (212-348-1225, from $275 per hour) and Fritz Specialized Transport (917-755-8258, $55 per hour).

For info on artists Juri Morioka and James Sheehan, visit mergegallery.com.

Got a design question? E-mail us at home@timeoutny.com.