The kitchen in my new place is on the first floor which is essentially a half basement, which means concrete walls. I have a ton of frames I want to hang but I’d like some advice on how best to do that. Anyone else have a similar situation? I’m guessing my options are either try to get a special concrete drill bit and make holes directly in the concrete, or maybe somehow hang them from wires attached to the molding, or else possibly install a wood strip across the wall to hand things from. What did you find was best/easiest/cheapest/most secure?
I recommend the 3M Command products, which use an adhesive pad to hang things on walls without needing to make holes. Just make sure to prepare the surface according to the instructions (I believe they suggest cleaning with rubbing alcohol) and buy the right product for the weight of your pictures.
These products aren’t the cheapest way to go but they are easy.
I didn’t know the hooks for Victorian Moulding Rails, your last option, were still made; but apparently they are, and quite cheaply. I’d prefer this, as a traditionalist, and naturally the pictures can be hung at any level. It beats the old system of drilling holes and tapping in little wooden tamps to hold screws.
On the other hand, I wouldn’t hang pictures of the slightest value in a kitchen.
Get a 7 or 8mm masonry drill bit, use a hammer action drill to bore a hole to the required depth, insert a rawl plug of appropriate size and screw a hook to the wall (or don’t fully insert the screw and use the head as a hook).
It’s a fairly simple undertaking, you don’t need to be skilled at DIY/construction to do it.
Good luck… 
If you are making a permanent hanging spot (“Choose… wisely…”) you probably can’t do better than to run a Tapcon screw in there. You need a masonry bit matched to the screw size. Tapcon sells the 2 (I think) sizes that match their fastener line and they’ll be right there on the next hook in the screw aisle, but if you have a masonry bit set or want to check the tool aisle, you might be able to get one cheaper. (The screw packages specify what size bit to use.)
Anyway, a simple hole-drill and carefully run in a 1-1/2 to 2 inch Tapcon screw, patch a little and paint if you’re fussy, and you can probably hang 30-40 pounds on it. Art and light stuff will be no problem and it will never come out. It you take it out, it’s just a 3/8 or so chipped hole to patch.
There are systems that companies sell to put up a single piece of molding onto which you can hang wires and then frames. You can also just hang a wire across a wall then hang stuff down from that. Not sure if your concrete walls have a wooden header… my basement does. You could hang wires down from that.
I’d rather do that than drill in to concrete but I’ve only put 3 holes for pictures in my walls in 10 years so I’m a big sissy when it comes to commitment.
In the UK most walls are brick/breeze block. I used some small hardwall plastic hooks, each one had 3-4 small steel nails. You could drive the nails into the brick with a hammer. Whether they would handle concrete, I don’t know, but they worked for me. Removing them was harder, as they could easily tear off the plaster over the brick, necessitating remedial plastering and painting.
Most of my walls are concrete. I have drilled it many times, used the blue concrete screws, all that. It’s such a pain in the ass. si_blakely stole what I was going to post, so I’ll just say “mee too”! Yes, they’re made for concrete, and yes, semi, permanent. One got pulled out when the picture they were holding got bumped one too many times.
They come in, IIRC 3 packs of larger ones or 5 packs of smaller ones at Home Depot. A couple bucks.
If you want concrete screws I’ve got a ton.
I suggest that the PITA of carefully drilling a hole and putting in a proper fastener is far less hassle, over the years, than any “E-Z-D-I-Y” solution that has less holding power, can pull free and do wall damage, can’t be removed easily, etc. If stick-on hooks are good enough, then a little extra effort in putting in a really decent concrete hanger is worthwhile. IMVHO, YMMV, ETC.
These were cheap, easy, and seem extremely secure, thanks!