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!
Terre says
I really need some help – I have a 4 ft shelf I’m thinking of putting on a 6.5 ft wide wall; is this going to look stupid or overwhelm the wall? I’m usually so good at this sort of thing, but even measuring it out & placing tape where the ends of the shelf would be isn’t helping me. I can’t find ANYTHING ANYWHERE on the internet that address this issue. Any tips you could give me would be so appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Terre
Latasha mitchell says
Thank you for that bit of info. Maybe this wed site can help me with redecorate my home. All way down to the flooring. Yay excited to get started.
Kathy says
Can you help? My mirror is 43 inches in length. My wall sconces are 25 inches high. Where should I place the sconces? Thanks so much
Michele says
Hi I wanted to place an oversized mirror above my couch But the wall directly across from mirror and sofa is a mounted tv? Could i still do mirror or should i do pictures above couch.
Kris Jarrett says
If it directly reflects the TV, I’d lean toward using art instead!
Sarah says
We have 12 foot ceiling and we are trying to figure out the size of mirror we should hang over the fireplace in the dining room.
Elizabeth Capwell says
Thank you for providing excellent advice! I’m decorating a 1948 oversized Cape with chair rails and lots of wall space to show off my framed art, photos and mirrors. For the first time in decades I have a lot of latitude and I was feeling a bit intimidated.
Diana Whitney says
Hello,
Been on many many many web sites to help with placement of furniture. Size rugs to use , lighting fixtures size and how low it should hang. First time on your site and you answered all of my concerns and gave me a road map for future pic hanging and fitting furniture into a space that works! Thank you times a thousand for sharing your knowledge with us all. I am looking forward to balancing my spaces and am confident it shall change my mood and all for the better because of you. Everything has felt “off” for so long. You’ve given me tools to change that. Thanks once again.
Sincerely,
Diana Whitney
Jane T says
We have a large picture 3.75 ft wide 4.6 ft tall- is this too big to put on a wall 8.3 ft tall and should it be centered ? Will be on wall by itself- I don’t like it but my husband loves it! I think too big! Thanks Jane
Thomas Li says
Hey Kris,
Nice to see your website and also your article is awesome. Thanks…
SL says
Hello!
I love your tips and was wondering if you’d have any regarding shelves over a couch. I bought shelves to hang over my couch and was planning on putting various sized frames on them. However I find they are wide and would like to know if you recommend a certain width.
Thanks for your help!
Kris Jarrett says
Every situation is unique but in general a width that’s 2/3 of the piece under it (whether it’s a sofa or table, etc.) works well!
Ida Smith says
Good Morning Kris:
I am looking for an answer to an exterior window question:
What is a good rule of thumb to go by when figuring trim detail size around windows so that it is proportional to the window size? I have 4 front house window; one is the lower larger with brick surround so there will be no trim
The other three are wide; they measure 47 inches wide by 56 inches height. The shutters are being removed permanently and the new trim will surround the window. The new siding will be CertainTeed Cedar Boards in a 6 inch height size. I have searched the internet and find that the trim should not exceed the height of the siding. So I am thinking: 5 inch width trim both vertical and horizontal
or 5 inch top and bottom of window with 3 1/2 inch vertical on the sides of the windows.
Would love your opinion.
Thank you kindly,
Ida Smith
Annandale, VA
Lise says
Love this!! Wondering how big a round mirror should be over my fireplace mantle?? My mantle measures 5 feet, is a 36inch round mirror to large??
Lisa Hewitt says
Hi and thank you for your posts. I have a question….. I have a long narrow living room/dining room area and want to hang a mirror on the 5ft wide wall near the dining room table. How wide should the mirror be?