Blimey, that takes me back. I was in this tiny, damp-floored flat in Clerkenwell years ago – you know the type, all exposed brick and dreams – and I’d just splurged on this gorgeous, heavy wool tapestry from a market in Marrakech. Felt like a proper treasure. Got it home, buzzing, then realised I’d no earthly clue how to get the thing on the wall without it looking like a sad tea towel or tearing a chunk of plaster out.
Right, textile weights first. You’d think heavier is better, yeah? More substantial, hangs nicer. Well, sometimes. That Marrakech piece was a proper heavyweight, like 800 gsm or more. Felt like holding a small carpet. That kind of weight needs respect. It hangs with a beautiful, dignified drape, no flimsiness, but crikey, it demands a serious hanging method. A bit of double-sided tape? Don’t make me laugh. It’d be on the floor before you could say “bargain”.
Then there’s the middleweights. I’ve got a lovely linen blend one from a studio in Edinburgh, maybe 300-400 gsm. Much more forgiving. You can actually fold it in a suitcase! These are your go-to, really. They’re flat enough to show detail but have enough body to avoid looking like a sheet of paper. They won’t fight you as much.
Lightweights, like silk or thin cotton… tricky blighters. I bought a beautiful printed one from a pop-up in Shoreditch. Felt like a fancy scarf. Gorgeous, but it showed every lump and bump in the wall. Hung it with a subtle rod through a sleeve at the top, and it just looked… anxious. Always seemed to be trembling. Better for a temporary, arty vibe than a permanent statement.
Which brings us to the hanging palaver. My big Moroccan lesson? A proper curtain rod or a decorative wooden pole with sturdy brackets is your best mate for the heavy ones. Distributes the weight. I used a chunky oak pole from a reclamation yard in Peckham. Slid it through a tunnel hem on the tapestry – felt dead professional. For the middleweights, those clever little tapestry clips with teeth can work a treat if your fabric’s got a sturdy woven hem. But test it on a scrap first! I learned that after putting a nasty little pull in the corner of my Edinburgh piece. Felt sick, I did.
For a super-clean look, especially with lighter pieces, you can get a thin strip of wood, staple the top of the tapestry to it (gently!), and then fix the wood to the wall. Hides the fixings, gives it a gallery feel. Saw a stunning example in a friend’s place in Bristol, made all the difference.
Oh, and the wall itself! Plasterboard’s a nightmare if you don’t hit a stud. For anything with real heft, you’ve got to find that timber. I’ve got a little stud finder that beeps like a demented robot – worth its weight in gold. For lighter methods, those heavy-duty adhesive hooks can be surprisingly good, but only on perfectly smooth paint. Any texture and they’ll let go in the middle of the night with a sound that’ll stop your heart.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a dance between the fabric and the fixings. My golden rule now? Before I even buy a tapestry wall hanging, I run my hand over the hem, feel the weight, and ask myself, “Right, how are we going to get you up there?” Saves a lot of swearing and Polyfilla later. That Marrakech one? Still up. Ten years on. The bracket’s solid, the pole’s straight, and it looks like it’s always meant to be there. Got a tiny moth hole in one corner now, but that’s just part of its story, innit?
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