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Now that you’ve chosen your perfect piece of wall art, the next step is displaying it correctly. One of the telltale signs of an amateur designer is artwork hung at the wrong height. It may seem like a simple task to determine how high to hang pictures, but there are several important elements to take into consideration. While the act of hanging your wall art is simple (due to our super convenient and sturdy sawtooth hangers), deciding where to hang it can get a little more complex! Make your home look like it was decorated by a pro. This article will cover everything you need to know about hanging your wall art like a design expert. Use our guide below to determine which paragraph best describes your space..
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The Ideal Picture-Hanging Height
The Classic: Eye-Level Artwork
The Ideal Picture-Hanging Height
While there is no “right” way to decorate your home, interior design does have a theory. The goal is to enhance the visual harmony of your space. Optimize functionality and style by placing objects and furniture in a well-balanced layout. Even though symmetry isn’t imperative, you want to make sure you evenly disperse your décor throughout your room. Hanging your wall art too high or low on your wall can disrupt the overall flow of your interior. You want your wall décor to blend seamlessly into your space, even if you choose a statement piece. It should look like it belongs there!
Proper Picture Height: Size Guide
If you haven’t yet ordered your wall art, read this paragraph first! Hanging your wall art at the perfect height won’t matter if you don’t choose the right size print for your space. Our Ultimate Wall Art Size Guide can help you determine the right dimensions before ordering your print. For example…
“Wall art that you want to hang over furniture, such as a fireplace, a bed or a couch, should be between 2/3 and 3/4 of the furniture's width. To measure the ideal art size above your furniture, consider this example: If your couch is 6 feet wide, multiply it by 0.66 and 0.75. You would need a canvas between 3.96 feet and 4.5 feet wide to fit impressively above the couch.”
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The Classic: Eye-Level Artwork
Searching for a tried-and-true décor rule that is consistently reliable? Hang your artwork at eye-level. Galleries and museums have set the standard for the perfect height to hang fine art. The reason eye-level artwork is so popular is due to the way it lets the piece blend into the overall space. You don’t want your guests straining to look at your wall art. The goal is to make your picture or painting feel like a seamless part of your space. While eye-level can be somewhat subjective, between 57-65 inches above the ground is a good baseline. Your eyes should naturally observe the splash of décor with no physical effort.
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The High Ceiling Exception
While eye-level may be a solid rule to rely on, there are exceptions to every rule. If you have exceptionally high ceilings, an eye level print can look too low. You don’t want your wall art to look awkward in your expansive space. If your ceiling is higher than nine feet tall, raise the base height a few inches. 60-68 inches above the ground should be sufficient to accommodate your high ceilings. If you’re still nervous about not properly filling your space, go with several photos stacked on top of each other to complement the length of the wall.
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Factoring in Furniture
Another factor to consider is whether you want to hang your wall art over a large sofa or sideboard. If you’re hanging your artwork on a blank wall, you don’t have to worry about the position in relation to the surrounding furniture. However, if your goal is to fill the space above a couch or credenza you already own, the measurements have to be slightly adjusted. The bottom of your wall art should be 6”-8” above the top of the piece of furniture. This will allow enough breathing room without your artwork appearing too high on the wall.
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Curating a Gallery Wall
The most important step to creating a professional gallery wall is to make a visual plan. You can even go so far as to cut out pieces of paper that mimic the size of your prints. Each frame or canvas edge should be 2-3 inches apart. Once again, you can use the eye-level rule to determine the center of your photo cluster.
Need help hanging a multi-panel, single image canvas? We’ve got you covered! Check out our article all about how to hang multi-panel canvas prints. Here’s a sneak peek to get you started:
* Width: For all layouts, we recommend leaving 1" space between each panel when hung, for the best airy but tied-together look! If the gap is too big or too small, you will lose the effect of the split canvas.
* Height: The height of the rest of the panels depends on the layout you selected. Some layouts are symmetrical, and some layouts resemble a wave and feature different heights. In general, be consistent! For example, if you hang the left panel 3" lower than the middle panel, be sure to hang the right panel using the same measurements. Always use your ruler and pencil to measure the right height!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Let’s summarize our guide to hanging wall art with a few frequently asked questions:
Q: How high should pictures be hung?
A: If you’re hanging multiple pictures on the same wall, place the central photograph at eye-level and build around the main image. If the lowest image is at eye-level, your photo set will appear too high. The highest photo should have enough breathing room in between the top of the frame and the ceiling, even if your photos are stacked vertically.
Q: How high should you hang art?
A: Fine art is usually hung at eye-level to mimic the look of an art gallery. While eye-level is not an exact measurement, you can estimate that the center of your print should be about 57-65 inches above the ground. Your goal is to make the print blend into your space so that the eye naturally meets the center of the image without pulling focus from the rest of your décor.
Q: How high should you hang a picture?
A: A single picture should follow the same rules as fine art, unless you want to create a more avant-garde effect. For example, if you have a tall piece of furniture such as a vertical dresser or a standing desk, the rule can be bent to allow for enough room between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the painting. Otherwise, the eye-level rule applies for both fine art and printed pictures.
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