A wall mounted elephant head is a different proposition from a carved elephant standing on a shelf, and the difference is not only where it goes. It changes how the object is seen, how it survives daily life, and what it competes with. In a British house where surface space is the scarce resource and wall space is not, that difference frequently decides which is the better purchase. This article covers why a wall piece behaves differently, what each of the three finishes changes, the correct height, and how to fix one securely. The range is in our elephant head collection.
Key takeaways
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| It costs no surface space | In a small British room, walls are the resource that is not competed for. |
| It sits at or above eye level | Seen properly rather than looked down on, which a surface piece frequently is. |
| Gold detail carries flat light | Metallic detail catches overcast British daylight where matt finishes recede. |
| Centre at 150 to 160cm | Slightly above the standard for pictures, because an animal head reads as looking into the room. |
| Fix into a stud or a proper anchor | These have real weight and a picture pin is not adequate. |
Why a wall piece behaves differently
Three practical differences, and each matters more in a small home.
It occupies no surface. Consoles, shelves and mantels are finite and competed for. Walls in most British rooms are largely empty. That makes a wall piece the more efficient purchase in a room that is already full.
It sits at or above eye level. A carved head on a low table loses most of its detail to the viewing angle, because you look down onto the top of the skull rather than at the face. Mounted at eye level, the piece is seen the way it was carved to be seen.
It does not get knocked. That matters in a hallway, in a house with children, or anywhere with a cat that patrols surfaces. A wall piece removes the entire category of accidental damage.
The three finishes
Same form, three treatments, and the choice is about the wall behind rather than the object.
| Finish | Reads as | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| elephant head in gold and grey | The most neutral. Grey with gold detail | Contemporary rooms, pale grey and greige schemes |
| elephant head in gold and whitewash | The lightest. Whitewash with gold | Dark walls, period rooms, natural material schemes |
| elephant head in gold and turquoise | The boldest. Turquoise with gold | A room that already carries colour |
All three carry gold detail, and that is doing specific work rather than being decorative. Metallic detail catches and returns light even on an overcast day, which is why these read clearly in flat British light where a plain matt finish recedes into the wall.
Our guide to why gold detail works in flat British light covers the optics.
Height, and why slightly higher than a picture
Centre at roughly 150 to 160cm from the floor, which is standing eye level and a little above the usual advice for framed pictures.
An animal head reads as though it is looking into the room. At around 155cm the implied animal is at a plausible height and the piece feels present. Hung near ceiling level it looms, and you also lose the face to the viewing angle, since you end up looking at the underside of the jaw.
Above a console, keep 20 to 25cm clear between the top of anything on the surface and the bottom of the head. Wider than that and the two read as unrelated. Our guide to what height to hang a mask covers the same principle for carved faces generally.
Fixing one securely
These have real weight, and a wall object that falls damages itself, the wall and whatever is beneath it.
- Into a stud where possible. A stud detector costs little and removes the question entirely.
- Otherwise a proper plasterboard anchor rated well above the actual weight rather than close to it. Rated close to the weight means the fixing is at its limit from day one.
- Check what is behind the wall before drilling, particularly above a fireplace and near switches and sockets where cables run vertically.
- Check how the piece hangs. If it tips forward at the top, a small adhesive bumper at the lower back edge sits it flat and stops it swinging when a door closes.
Where they work
Four positions, and the first is the strongest.
A hallway, which suits strong single objects and has wall rather than surface. A narrow hall in particular suits a wall piece, since you never step back from it and it does not project into a space that has none to give.
Above a console, where the head and the surface form a single arrangement.
In a stairwell, seen from two levels as your position changes on the way up, which gives a three dimensional piece considerably more to offer than a flat picture.
In a study or a snug, where a single strong object suits a room used for concentration.
Where they do not
Two positions worth avoiding, for the same reason in both cases.
A child's room, where the scale of a large animal head can be unsettling at night. Views differ on this and enough parents report it that it is worth knowing before hanging one.
Facing a bed. A good many people find a face looking at them while they sleep uncomfortable, and it is the kind of thing you discover at three in the morning rather than at the point of hanging.
Against the standing carved elephants
Our carved elephant in turquoise and gold and carved elephant in white and gold are surface pieces rather than wall ones, and the choice between them is genuinely open.
Choose a standing piece if you want something that can be picked up and moved, if you have a surface that needs an object, or if you like being able to change an arrangement without drilling.
Choose the wall head if surface space is short, if you want scale without footprint, or if the room is one where objects get knocked.
What does not work is having both in one room. Two elephants at similar visual weight compete, and our article on carved animals without a menagerie covers why.
Bring that calm into your home with Rootandstill
Our elephant head collection carries three wall mounted heads, each with gold detail that holds up under flat British light.
The elephant head in gold and grey is the most neutral and suits a contemporary or pale grey room. The elephant head in gold and whitewash is the lightest and belongs on a dark wall or in a period house. The elephant head in gold and turquoise carries colour and needs a room that already has some.
For a surface rather than a wall, the carved elephant in turquoise and gold and carved elephant in white and gold are carved standing pieces. For a hall console beneath a head, a long wooden tray keeps keys and post contained rather than scattered.
FAQ
What height should an elephant head hang at?
Centre at roughly 150 to 160cm from the floor, which is standing eye level and slightly above the usual advice for pictures, because an animal head reads as looking into the room.
Which finish should I choose?
Gold and grey for contemporary and pale schemes, gold and whitewash for dark walls and period rooms, gold and turquoise for a room that already carries colour.
How do I fix one securely?
Into a stud or with a proper plasterboard anchor rated well above the actual weight. A picture pin is not adequate for a piece with real weight.
Wall head or standing elephant?
A wall head if surface space is short or objects get knocked in that room. A standing piece if you want something movable or have a surface that needs filling.
Can I have both a wall head and a standing elephant?
Not well in one room. Two elephants at similar visual weight compete for attention. Different rooms works considerably better.
