Wall art hanging cheat sheet
Print this page and take it to the wall. Everything below is the same three conventions used by the size calculator — this is just the version you can hold in your hand with a tape measure.
What size, and how high
| Where it goes | Width of the art | Height off the floor |
|---|---|---|
| Over a sofa / bed | 66-75% of the furniture width | Bottom edge 6-8 in above the furniture |
| On a bare wall | 60-75% of the wall width | Centre of the piece at 57-60 in from the floor |
| Above a console | Two-thirds of the console width | Bottom edge 6-8 in above the top |
| Gallery wall | Treat the whole group as ONE piece | 2-3 in between frames, centre at 57-60 in |
| Stairwell | Follow the stair line, not the ceiling | Centre each piece at eye level ON that step |
| Narrow wall / between doors | Go vertical, 50-60% of the width | Centre at 57-60 in |
Common furniture, done for you
| Furniture | Art width to aim for |
|---|---|
| King bed (76 in) | 50-57 in of art |
| Queen bed (60 in) | 40-45 in |
| Standard sofa (84 in) | 55-63 in |
| Loveseat (60 in) | 40-45 in |
| Console (48 in) | 32 in |
The three rules everything above comes from
- Two-thirds rule — art spans 66–75% of the furniture beneath it.
- Wall proportion rule — on a bare wall, 60–75% of the wall width.
- Hanging height rule — centre of the piece at 57–60 in (145–152 cm), which is average eye level. Over furniture, the 6–8 in gap wins over this.
Three mistakes that make a room look wrong
- Hung too high. The most common one by far. If it feels right standing up, it is usually 4–6 in too high — you will be sitting down most of the time.
- Too small for the wall. A single small piece on a wide wall reads as an afterthought. Go bigger, or group pieces and treat the group as one.
- Uneven gaps in a gallery wall. Keep 2–3 in between every frame. The eye forgives odd sizes; it does not forgive inconsistent spacing.