Raitman Brothers Install Free Art in Colorado Homes

Aspen —“We’ll walk around the house with it, and we’ll look at a few different walls and hold it up and play that way and then advise them on why it does or doesn’t work.”

That’s Brian Raitman, co-owner of Raitman Art Galleries, explaining the most tedious part of buying art. It’s not the price tag. It’s the uncertainty. You fall in love with a canvas, but you have no idea if it belongs above the fireplace, next to the dining table, or nowhere at all.

Raitman and his brother Ross handle this problem directly. They spend roughly a third of their work week installing art in client homes across Colorado, usually at no extra charge. For context, this service extends well beyond the valley. The team travels to the Front Range about once a week and has driven to Chicago, St. Louis, and New York for larger projects. Within the mountain region, however, the timeline is tight. They can often hang a piece within a day or two of purchase.

The process starts with scale, color, and composition. If a painting is too large, it overtakes the room. Too small, and it gets dwarfed by the blank wall. But the physical installation is where the real work happens. And contrary to popular belief, you rarely need a stud, an anchor, or a screw.

“That is overkill 99.9% of the time,” Raitman said.

Most standard drywall installations are straightforward. But step into a home with ceramic, porcelain, or stone tile walls, and the difficulty spikes. Drilling into tile risks cracking it. So the Raitmans avoid it whenever possible. Instead, they mount a track system onto the ceiling and suspend the paintings from wires. If they absolutely must drill, they aim for the grout lines.

“There are tricks to the trade, and, at that point, you’re kind of a contractor,” he said.

In practice, this means the gallery owner becomes a specialist in your home’s architecture. They assess the weight, the material, and the wall type before choosing a method. It’s a technical decision that most buyers wouldn’t make on their own.

But the final call always rests with you. The professionals advise, measure, and install. You approve.

“Ultimately, what really matters is that the person who owns the artwork is thrilled with its placement,” Raitman said.

So, what does this actually cost you? Time, mostly. And maybe a rental truck if the piece is massive. The labor is free if you buy through Raitman Art Galleries. The value is in the precision. You get a piece placed correctly, without holes in the wrong spots or cracked tiles. That’s the bottom line.