Need Help Finding the Right Size?
When shopping for artwork, size can have just as much of an impact as the composition of the piece. It is important to determine where you want to hang your art first so that you can measure to find the perfect size.
- For contemporary art, BIGGER IS BETTER to maximize impact.
- An oversized piece of art in a small room can create a focal point.
- A small piece in a large room may get lost. Try grouping several smaller pieces together to create a display of art to fill the area of the room.
- Another rule of thumb for hanging art is to center it at eye level. Consider if you'll usually be standing or sitting in the space and select your eye-level height accordingly.
Over Furniture
- What to Measure:
- When hanging your art over a couch, bed, or side table, only measure the open wall space from the top of the furniture to the ceiling rather than from the floor to the ceiling.
- Sizing Suggestion:
- The artwork should be 75 percent of the width of the furniture and keep the bottom edge 6 - 12 inches above the furniture.
| Furniture Width | | | Artwork Width |
|
32 |
> |
24 |
|
40 |
> |
30 |
|
48 |
> |
36 |
|
64 |
> |
48 |
|
80 |
> |
60 |
|
120 |
> |
90 |
Over Mantle - Option One
- What to Measure:
- Measure the width of the fireplace opening and the height of the area from the top of the mantle to the ceiling.
- Sizing Suggestion:
- Artwork hung over a fireplace mantle looks great when it is as wide as the fireplace opening.
|
Fireplace Width |
| |
Artwork Width |
|
24 |
> |
24 |
|
30 |
> |
30 |
|
36 |
> |
36 |
|
48 |
> |
48 |
|
60 |
> |
60 |
|
90 |
> |
90 |
Over Mantle – Option Two Dramatic Effect
- What to Measure:
- Measure the width of your mantle and the height of the area from the top of the mantle to the ceiling.
- Sizing Suggestion:
- For a more dramatic effect use a larger piece of art by using 80 percent of the width of your mantle as the width of your artwork.
|
Mantle Width |
| |
Artwork Width |
|
34 |
> |
24 |
|
43 |
> |
30 |
|
51 |
> |
36 |
|
69 |
> |
48 |
|
86 |
> |
60 |
|
129 |
> |
90 |
Empty Wall
- What to Measure:
- Measure the width and length of your wall.
- Sizing Suggestion:
- Follow the three-eighths rule – leave empty space in the amount of three-eighths of the width of the painting on each side.
- This means that you can determine the perfect size painting by multiplying the width of the wall by 0.57.
|
Wall Width |
| |
Artwork Width |
|
42 |
> |
24 |
|
53 |
> |
30 |
|
63 |
> |
36 |
|
84 |
> |
48 |
|
105 |
> |
60 |
|
158 |
> |
90 |
Hanging Multiple Pieces
- Calculate the space between paintings if you’ll be hanging more than one. This includes hanging paintings over furniture, a fireplace, or on a blank wall. When choosing a painting to hang next to an existing piece, the space between the two should be included when using the ratios described. For example: hanging four 16 x 16 canvases in a square with two inches between each canvas would result in a 34 x 34 canvas space to consider when using the sizing suggestions above.