Short answer: the collection enters the design before the wiring
For art to look right and stay safe, the collection is planned before first-fix work. Four things need deciding: which walls stay clear of switches, sockets, radiators and doors; where walls get backing for heavy pieces; what lighting each wall gets; and where works must not hang — in direct sun, above a radiator, in damp rooms.
If the collection is added after the renovation, everything comes down to drilling through new finishes and surface-mounted lights where there is no feed. The difference shows straight away.
Inventory the collection
Photograph each work and note its framed size, weight, whether it is glazed, and the medium: oil, paper, photograph, textile, sculpture. Mark which pieces are permanent and which you rotate. For valuable works, note whether they are insured and whether the insurer sets conditions for display.
Each permanent work then goes onto the wall elevation in the design: where it hangs, at what height, where it is viewed from. The centre of a picture usually sits around 145–155 cm from the floor, but above a sofa or sideboard the height follows the furniture.
Walls: clear, reinforced, prepared
A wall that looks clear often turns out to have a switch, a thermostat, a ventilation grille or an AC unit on it. On the elevations these are moved early, while it costs one line in the design.
A plasterboard partition with no backing will hold a light piece, but not a heavy framed mirror or a large canvas. For heavy works, plywood or timber is built into the stud frame, and its position is recorded on drawings and photos before the boards go on. In old Eixample buildings walls are brick with old plaster, and the anchor type is chosen on site.
If the display will change, consider a hanging system: a ceiling track or a concealed rail along the wall. It goes in before the ceiling’s final finish.
Light for the work, not the room
Accent lighting for art means adjustable recessed downlights or a track, on its own dimmable circuit. An angle of about 30° from vertical usually gives even light with no glare on the glass and no long shadow from the frame. High colour-rendering LEDs show colours as the artist intended.
Paper, photographs, textiles and older works are light-sensitive. For valuable or fragile pieces, ask a conservator what light levels are acceptable rather than assuming decorative lighting is fine. A trial fitting position before finishes helps, but it does not replace that advice. Lighting scenarios for the whole home are covered in a separate guide.
Sun, heat and humidity
Direct Barcelona sun fades paper and photographs within a few seasons. The wall opposite a large south-facing window is no place for works on paper. If there is no alternative, UV-filtering glass or film and external shading help.
Above a radiator, next to a fireplace, in bathrooms or kitchens, works suffer from swings in temperature and humidity. An AC grille blowing straight onto a canvas is also a bad idea: when the air conditioning is designed, airflow direction is checked against the elevations showing the paintings.
Backdrop, furniture and sculpture
A work needs a calm backdrop. Flush doors painted the wall colour keep the surface continuous. On a 250 m² project in the Eixample we fitted 24 concealed doors: a door like that does not break the wall with a frame and architrave. For a collection, the device works the same way.
A sideboard or console beneath a picture sets its hanging height and the distance it is viewed from. For sculpture and heavy pieces on plinths, the floor loading is checked and a power point is brought up in the floor or a niche, so there are no cables across the parquet.
Next step
Send us the floor plan and an inventory of the collection with sizes and weights. We will place the works on the wall elevations, show where backing, lighting and relocated switches are needed, and include it in the quote. We reply within an hour, in Spanish and Russian.