As an interior designer, one of the first things I often recommend to a client who feels as though their room is “unfinished” is to get some artwork up on those bare walls! The influence wall decor can have on the overall “finished” impression of a room is highly undervalued and usually disregarded. So I put created a brief tutorial on wall art mounting regulations.
You can imagine I was delighted when I was interviewed for a story in Homes & Gardens Magazine headlined “Expert Designer Tips: Should every wall have something on it?” Spoiler alert: the answer is “it depends.” Click the link to receive professional advice from an assortment of interior designers, and then read on for my extended tips and techniques below.
Too much reading? I hear ya. Book a Discovery Call if you need a pro to assist you out.
What size artwork should I place on my wall?
First of all, there are two sorts of walls: those that are entirely empty, and those with architectural characteristics such as windows, doors, apertures and fireplaces. They each have distinct rules.
Wall Art Hanging Rules for Large, Empty Walls
One of the most common interior décor blunders I find is wall art that is not correctly proportional to the wall — generally, it is too tiny. Avoid this error by remembering the rule of thirds.
The rule of thirds: take the width of the wall, divide it by three, and that amount should be the minimum width of your wall décor, centered on the wall. So, if your wall is 10 feet long, your image (or total width of your gallery wall) should be no less than 40 inches wide.
The important term is “no less than.”
The same rule of thirds applies for the height. If your ceiling height is 8 feet high, then the height of your wall décor should be roughly 32 inches.
Wall Art Hanging Rules for Walls with Architectural Features
If you have a wall with an architectural element that breaks up the area, such as windows, doors, entrances and fireplaces, the guidelines are a bit more subtle.
I prefer to utilize a 50/50 rule. Let’s imagine you have a wall that is 10 feet broad with a 3 foot door right in the middle. That leaves 42” of wall space on either side of the door. Your wall design should be no bigger than half of that, or 21”. Anything bigger than this will make the wall space seem cluttered.
For the height, you have considerably more freedom, as the doorway offers a visual vertical anchor. It can be delightful to have three smaller pieces hung vertically (the middle one hanging at 57” high on center), or more striking to have one tall piece, again hung at 57 inches on center.
Don’t try to line the top of your wall décor with the top of your door or window trims - this will make them far too high and will make the area feel “off.” Instead, consider your height - you want your wall decor at your eye level, especially if it’s a mirror!
Read Also: Creative Dollar Store Wall Decor Ideas
How many frames should I put on my wall?
There is no limit to the amount of frames you can have inside the space provided above.
You have to think of it as a jigsaw — the more parts you put within a defined boundary, the smaller the pieces have to be.
You can have one 40-inch-wide artwork, two 2-inch-wide artworks hanging 4 inches apart, or five 7-inch-wide artworks hung 1 inch apart.
You do need to perform a little bit of arithmetic and draw out your grid before you take up the hammer! (Am I the only one that derives delight from this math homework? Yes? I suppose I’m in the proper profession . . . )
How high should I hang my artwork?
The basic rule for the hanging height is 57” from the floor to the center of your wall decor (this is eye-level for the average person).
When in doubt, hang lower and not higher, especially if you are hanging your wall artwork above a piece of furniture like a console table, bed, or couch.
You want the wall décor to seem a part of a snug small vignette, not hovering far above it, which would divert the eye and decrease the design effect.
Should every wall have anything on it?
As I explain above, there are two sorts of walls: those that are entirely empty, and those with architectural characteristics such as windows, doors, apertures and fireplaces. They each have distinct rules.
Mercado Wolski
As an interior designer, one of the first things I often recommend to a client who feels as though their room is “unfinished” is to get some artwork up on those bare walls! The influence wall decor can have on the overall “finished” impression of a room is highly undervalued and usually disregarded. So I put created a brief tutorial on wall art mounting regulations.
You can imagine I was delighted when I was interviewed for a story in Homes & Gardens Magazine headlined “Expert Designer Tips: Should every wall have something on it?” Spoiler alert: the answer is “it depends.” Click the link to receive professional advice from an assortment of interior designers, and then read on for my extended tips and techniques below.
Too much reading? I hear ya. Book a Discovery Call if you need a pro to assist you out.
What size artwork should I place on my wall?
First of all, there are two sorts of walls: those that are entirely empty, and those with architectural characteristics such as windows, doors, apertures and fireplaces. They each have distinct rules.
Wall Art Hanging Rules for Large, Empty Walls
One of the most common interior décor blunders I find is wall art that is not correctly proportional to the wall — generally, it is too tiny. Avoid this error by remembering the rule of thirds.
The rule of thirds: take the width of the wall, divide it by three, and that amount should be the minimum width of your wall décor, centered on the wall. So, if your wall is 10 feet long, your image (or total width of your gallery wall) should be no less than 40 inches wide.
The important term is “no less than.”
The same rule of thirds applies for the height. If your ceiling height is 8 feet high, then the height of your wall décor should be roughly 32 inches.
Wall Art Hanging Rules for Walls with Architectural Features
If you have a wall with an architectural element that breaks up the area, such as windows, doors, entrances and fireplaces, the guidelines are a bit more subtle.
I prefer to utilize a 50/50 rule. Let’s imagine you have a wall that is 10 feet broad with a 3 foot door right in the middle. That leaves 42” of wall space on either side of the door. Your wall design should be no bigger than half of that, or 21”. Anything bigger than this will make the wall space seem cluttered.
For the height, you have considerably more freedom, as the doorway offers a visual vertical anchor. It can be delightful to have three smaller pieces hung vertically (the middle one hanging at 57” high on center), or more striking to have one tall piece, again hung at 57 inches on center.
Don’t try to line the top of your wall décor with the top of your door or window trims - this will make them far too high and will make the area feel “off.” Instead, consider your height - you want your wall decor at your eye level, especially if it’s a mirror!
Read Also: Creative Dollar Store Wall Decor Ideas
How many frames should I put on my wall?
There is no limit to the amount of frames you can have inside the space provided above.
You have to think of it as a jigsaw — the more parts you put within a defined boundary, the smaller the pieces have to be.
You can have one 40-inch-wide artwork, two 2-inch-wide artworks hanging 4 inches apart, or five 7-inch-wide artworks hung 1 inch apart.
You do need to perform a little bit of arithmetic and draw out your grid before you take up the hammer! (Am I the only one that derives delight from this math homework? Yes? I suppose I’m in the proper profession . . . )
How high should I hang my artwork?
The basic rule for the hanging height is 57” from the floor to the center of your wall decor (this is eye-level for the average person).
When in doubt, hang lower and not higher, especially if you are hanging your wall artwork above a piece of furniture like a console table, bed, or couch.
You want the wall décor to seem a part of a snug small vignette, not hovering far above it, which would divert the eye and decrease the design effect.
Should every wall have anything on it?
As I explain above, there are two sorts of walls: those that are entirely empty, and those with architectural characteristics such as windows, doors, apertures and fireplaces. They each have distinct rules.