Collecting 101
How to Maximize Your Wall Space: 4 Golden Rules for Hanging Art
We hate math just as much as the next art
geek—but when it comes to hanging art on the wall, spending a few
minutes to take measurements and follow formulas can make all the
difference. Luckily, interior designers have devised a set of golden
rules to find the perfect size piece for any space. Here, we reveal some
crucial tricks of the trade.
1. Calculate the Perfect Width
If you’re hanging a painting, drawing, print, or any other
artwork on the wall over a piece of furniture, such as a bed or sofa,
look for artworks that are between 65 percent and 85 percent
of the furniture’s total width. Anything larger will make your
furniture look comically small, and anything smaller will leave too much
blank space. Here's a collection of 10 couch-ready artworks over 40 inches wide, which for most people will hit the sweet spot.
Having trouble finding a piece you like that’s wide enough
for your setting? Why not consider a diptych or a triptych—i.e., works
that come in sets of twos or threes, respectively—that adds up to the
width you’ve calculated? (Remember to account for two to five inches of space in between the works.) Browse our collections of diptychs and triptychs here.
3. Use the Rule of Three-Eighths
Use this rule when working with an empty wall. The white
space on either side of the artwork should be roughly three-eighths of
the width of a painting. To calculate your ideal width, simply multiply the length of your wall by 0.57. Having trouble finding the size you need? Here are 22 artworks available in variable sizes that will fit like a glove.
4. Anchor the Room
Don't just hang the artworks at eye level—because, frankly, it's just your eye level. Instead, interior decorators and curators always tend to hang a work with a standard 58-inch distance from
the floor to the artwork's center. If your ceilings are really high,
bump that up to 60 inches. And if the artwork is over furniture, have
the bottom of the piece end 8 to 10 inches above the headboard or back of the sofa—hanging the artwork too high will leave your room feeling unanchored. For those of you who are too fabulous for white walls all together, ignore everything we've just told you and instead opt for wallpaper designed by Damien Hirst, or wallpaper from the Maharam Serpentine Galleries Wallpaper collection.
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