Hanging Artwork : How High to Hang Art & More!
Whether you’re hanging a single picture on the wall or a a full gallery wall of art like in our home office:
Sources: Desk (similar) | Rug | Faux fiddle leaf fig tree (similar) | Console is thrifted | Elephant art print | Woven tray | Other sources no longer available
these tips for how high and far apart to hang art should help:
- For a single piece of art, the center of the image should be at 57″ – 60″ from the floor, which places it at eye level. The larger the piece of art, the closer to 57″ it should be.
- When hanging two pieces of artwork, one above another, treat them as one large picture – find the center point between them and use the 57″ – 60″ rule.
- For larger pieces of art hung on the same wall, use a spacing of about 2-3″ between them. Smaller pieces can be hung a little closer together.
- When hanging art pieces above a sofa or other piece of furniture, the grouping should ideally be about ⅔ the width of the furniture below it. (For example, if an art grouping is being hung over a 60″ sofa, the ideal grouping would about 40″ in length.)
- When hanging artwork over a sofa or other piece of furniture, leave 3″- 8″ of space between the top of the sofa/furniture and the bottom of the art.
Window Treatments: How High to Hang Drapes
If you’re not sure how high to hang your drapes above the window frame or how wide your drapes should be, these tips will help…
Sources: Drapes | Drapery rod | Drapery rings | Tripod lamp | Sectional sofa | Block print pillow | White tassel pillow | Rug | Acrylic coffee table (similar)
- Buy drapery panels that will either kiss the floor or puddle on it.
- To create the illusion of a taller window, mount drapery rods at least 4″ – 8″ above the window casing if space allows.
- To make your windows appear wider and let in extra light, extend the rods anywhere between 4″ and 10″ (excluding finials) beyond the window casing.
- Drapery panels should have a combined width of 2-3 times the width of the window so if you have two panels framing a window, each panel should be 1 to 1½ times the window width.
Light Fixtures: What Size Light is Best
If you want to know how high to hang your chandelier above your table or how wide of a dining room chandelier you should buy, here are the measurements you need to know…
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Dining Room Sources: Wood bead chandelier | Table & chairs – no longer available | 13″ Rattan chargers (similar) | Table runner (similar) | Glass hurricane vase Wood vases – no longer available | White wall plates | Patterned wall plates
- The width of the chandelier should be about ½ to ⅔ the width of the table it will be hanging over. Another rule of thumb to also consider is that the width of the chandelier should be about a foot less than the width of the table at its widest point.
- The bottom of the chandelier should hang between 30″ – 36″ above the surface of the table when there is an 8′ ceiling. For higher ceilings, you can hang the chandelier up to 3-4″ higher for each additional foot of ceiling.
- To determine a good width for your light fixture, measure the length and width of the room in feet and add those two measurements together – the number that you come up with is, in inches, a good approximate width (For example, if your room measures 10 feet x 15 feet, add 10 + 15 to get 25. A 25″ wide fixture would be appropriate for this space.) For rooms with high ceilings, you can add up to 6″ or more to the width of the chandelier.
- To determine a good height for your light fixture, multiply the height of your ceiling (in feet) by 2.5 and by 3. The height of your fixture should be, in inches, somewhere in this range. (For example, if you have 8 foot ceilings, 8 x 2.5 = 20 and 8 x 3 = 24. An appropriate height for your light fixture would be between 20″ and 24″ when measured from the ceiling to the bottom of the fixture).
- An overhead fixture that will be walked under, such as in the entry, should hang 7 feet or more above the floor.
Rugs: What Size Rug Should I Buy
If you’re trying to figure out the best size rug for your space, these tips should help you figure it out…
Sources: Sectional | Chandelier (satin bronze) | Tasseled pillow covers | Cream corner pillow | Rug | Acrylic coffee table (similar) | Coffee table tray (similar) | Rattan chair | Garden stool side table | Grasscloth wallpaper behind bookcase shelves (Charcoal) |
- Rugs under a dining room table should be at least 24-30″ wider and longer than the table, allowing the back legs of the chairs to stay on the rug even when the chairs are pushed out.
- Area rugs under a bed should extend at least 18-24″ beyond each side of the bed. For small bedrooms with a king bed, an 8 x 10 rug is usually best (with the longer 10′ side running in the same direction as the headboard) but if your bedroom is larger, a 9 x 12 can work too. For most rooms with a queen bed, an 8 x 10 rug is going to work best.
- For most typically sized rooms, there should be approximately 12″ – 18″ of bare floor between the edges of the area rug and the walls of the room. For small rooms, approximately 8″ of exposed floor is a good rule of thumb.
The last two (and maybe most important) rules:
- Take a few minutes to consider these measurements before purchasing drapes, lighting, or rugs – it may help you avoid making a purchase you’ll later regret. However….
- Don’t be afraid to break the rules! The rules are meant to help you, not to squash your creativity or the fun of decorating. If you’ve tried something with a room that doesn’t fit with these measurement “rules” but looks and feels right to you, go for it! Some of the most gorgeously designed rooms break every rule in the book!
Kathy g.. says
If I’m hanging a large decorative piece over my sofa,, do center it over the sofa or center it directly in the center of the wall. My sofa is not centered in the middle of my wall because it has recliners at each end.
Lynn says
Hi,
I am wondering about the rule of thumb for the size of bed I can put in a master bedroom. It is an awkward size in that it is a long skinny room that is not balanced. I would like to know if a king bed would be an option. I don’t have the measurements of the room, however, would like to know how much space I should have on either side of the bed. also the aesthetic is more important to me than the size of the bed.
Joy Middleton says
Hi Kris, I have an 8 ft high ceiling in my living room. Will an 84″ tall China Cabinet work with that ceiling height, or is it too tall?
Kristine says
I’m trying to have pictures made that made the size I had b4, but I’m having trouble bcuz they don’t say, 25Lx 40 W I need much longer than wide, & all I’m getting are numbers not wide & long.?Please tell me the rule, which num comes first in pictures? Length or width? OLEASE HELP! And thank you so much ahead of time!
Kris Jarrett says
Typically the width measurement comes first!
Lynne says
I have a wall in my hallway that measures 47 inches wide. Is a cabinet 32 inches wide too big for the spot or should I go with the 22 inches wide?
Thank you!
Linda says
The ceiling in my living room is 18 ft and my fireplace mantel is 5 ft 6 in. I bought a picture that is 52 in high should I use tall
decorative pieces on each side of the picture and short pieces?
Mary Casey says
I have a long vertical mirror size 27.5 x 75 inches. I have 9 ft ceilings. It is going in a side entrance how high should it be hung? should it be centred between the floor and ceiling…I also have 10 inch baseboards…thoughts?
Linda says
How wide should a TV be above a 44” fireplace opening? Should I go wider, narrower or close to the same size.?
Linda says
Love this article, you have answered all but 2 of my questions regarding measurements.
1) how deep should shelves be to accommodate dish ware and collectables above a buffet in a dining room? I’m thinking 16 inches deep and almost as long as the buffet/cabinet below.
2) how high should I hang the shelves above the buffet/cabinet top?
Kris Jarrett says
Linda I wish I had a definitive answer for you but the depth of the shelf would really depend on the depth of what you’re putting on it. I do think that just a little shorter than the buffet below it would be perfect. And again, it depends on the height of what you’re putting on the shelf and also what else is next to the buffet in determining shelf height.
Sandra says
We want to mount a tv above a 59” wide credenza. What size tv would work?
Gamaris says
Thanks for the great tips! Loooooooove your website and ALL your decor!! Regarding hanging clear glass pendants, such as Juliska’s Amalia Column pendant (7″ W and 15.5″ H) over a 10′ – 12′ kitchen island with 9′ ceilings, how many pendants would you recommend using 2 or 3? Thanks in advance for your help!
Kris Jarrett says
Hi Gamaris,
Those are beautiful pendants! With pendants that narrow and an island that long, I think you’d be best going with three of them!
Catherine says
Can I hang;two pictures with an overall width 50 inches including space between each pictue over a table with a width of 42 inches?
Abby says
What’s a good size mirror to hang above my dining room buffet that is 60″W x 42″H? The ceiling is 12ft
thanks
Sharita says
Hi Kris,I would love your input on curtain length. I am familliar with the puddling and kissing and such. My delimma is a room with 7 windows. I’ts a split level game room. All windows are the same size and, same height however due to a 3 step down the the ceileing heights vary considerably. I was considering 65 inches which allows for 1-1/2 inc from ceiling and clears the sill/trim by 3 inches allowing them to be tied back , the curtains would fall evenly around the room. Any thoughts? Your input is greatly appreciated.
Sharita
Caren says
Hello! Your post is EXTREMELY helpful! I have two questions….
1) I have a blank 12′ wall, with a 7′ couch in front of it. I would like to put a picture in between two 6″ sconces. I’m trying to figure out what size picture to get. Would it be best to keep this entire grouping 2/3 the length of the couch?
l——-2/3 of my couch = 56″——-l
6″ sconce 40″ picture? 6″ sconce
l——————-84″ couch——————-l
Or do I have the picture 2/3 the length of the couch (56″ including frame), with the sconces outside of the 2/3 length of the couch area?
2) how much space do I leave between the picture and the sconces? two inches? three inches?
Please help!
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Caren