Art Hanging Tips that Nobody Taught You
If indecision has stopped you from making a purchase on art for your home or workspace, you’re not alone. One of the reasons people tend to hesitate when buying art is that size and scale can get confusing! It’s hard to envision the finished product in your home, especially when you’re weighing a few good options. That’s why I’ve put together a few tips that merge what I’ve learned throughout my time working in the interior design and art fields!
A general rule of thumb is that the center point (from top to bottom) of your art piece should hang 57”-60” from the floor. Too high, and people will be craning their necks to see it!
To nail the scale, your art should be ½ to ⅔ the width of your sofa (or bed, credenza, etc).
When hanging your art over a piece of furniture, aim for the bottom of the piece to be 6”-10” from the top of the furniture (bed, sofa, credenza, etc). A little higher is ok as needed if the back of your sofa is low—just make sure you have enough clearance not to hit your head on the art when sitting.
Your art should fit the general shape and scale of the wall you’re hanging it on. So if you have a narrow span of wall between a window and doorway, a small vertical piece works well. If you have a wide expanse over a sofa or bed, a larger piece (oriented wider than it is tall) works best!
When in doubt, grab your tape measure and some painter’s tape to tape out the spot on your wall where you’re thinking of hanging your new artwork. This gives you a commitment-free way to test out the size and scale before making a purchase.
If you’re looking to display a collection of pieces as a gallery wall, check out this blog post by Emily Henderson that offers some great advice!
All of the pieces pictured are available in The Print Shop (jennapaulsen.com/print-shop), and are 20% off through April 17, 2026! I’ll be offering more tips soon! To make sure you don’t miss future helpful tips (and promotions or new art releases), be sure to join my collector’s list here!