Installation day should be a “museum ribbon cutting,” advises Virginia Carrocio, who runs VV Fine Portraits in Boca Raton, Florida, with her partner Veronica Tejera. The studio focuses exclusively on commissioned fine art wall portraiture, creating custom framed work to display in clients’ homes. Carrocio offers tips on installing portraits:

Hire an art installer. “There’s a romantic idea of hanging artwork yourself, but that romance quickly disappears when installing large-scale pieces in refined homes where precision matters and mistakes are costly,” she says.

Start with painter’s tape. This allows the client to see what the scale of the piece will be like in the room before it’s placed.

Place it right. Carrocio’s installer recommends wall art hang between 57 inches and 62 inches from the floor. Adjustments should be made for furniture and ceiling height.

Use D-rings. Instead of traditional hanging wire, Carrocio’s installer uses D-rings on both sides of the artwork, which prevents the work from moving over time. “Installing those rings slightly angled inward keeps hooks hidden and allows the piece to sit flush against the wall,” she says, “a small detail that makes a visual difference.”

Make it a ceremony. Once the piece is installed, invite the clients into the room, talk about what inspired the piece, decisions that were made along the way, and what the portrait means to the client, she says. “It becomes an emotional moment.”

Amanda Arnold is a senior editor.