Have you been looking for frames to decorate your home or office?
Do you have a hard time deciding how high to hang the art?
Is it annoying when you have to stand on your toes to appreciate a wrongfully placed painting?
You have come to the right site to help you figure out the correct way to hang art!
Whether you are an art enthusiast who loves to collect art pieces or a layman who wants to fill up those empty walls in your room, finding the right way to hang art is equally important.
Hanging your paintings a little higher or lower and out of proportion is a rookie mistake that all of us tend to make.
There is no definite rule of hanging art on the walls or an ideal height for hanging artwork, but a few general guidelines give you a rough idea regarding the process.
This article will discuss how high your art pieces should ideally be with reference to the surroundings.
Other similar topics to help you:
How high to hang art above the desk?
When hanging frames above a desk, you need to be mindful of the interaction you will be having with the art piece – which would be a lot, considering desks are usually used on a daily basis.
A layman would suggest hanging the art piece directly in line with your eye level, which means hanging it low.
The reality is, it would be TOO low and eventually will be a distraction to you.
Hanging art above the desk depends on what you place on the desk.
If it is going to be crowded, it is best to place the artwork a little higher than you would above, e.g., a sofa. Ideally, center the frame above your desk and leave several inches lower border of your artwork and the top of the desk.
How high to hang art above the couch?
While the general rule of thumb is to hang the art at eye level, it is not always applicable.
Every person has a different height, and the height of an artwork cannot be accommodated according to everyone’s needs.
Hanging art around furniture such as a couch or a sofa depends on the height of the furniture.
You should be careful not to create a gap between your artwork and couch large enough that it looks disjointed.
They should be in close enough proximity that they can collectively complement the wall.
Ideally, the art piece should be almost 2/3rd width of the couch and hung around 6 to 12 inches above the back of the sofa.
How high to hang art above the bed?
When hanging an art piece, keep a distance of around 4 to 6 inches above the top surface of the bed’s headrest.
Center the artwork horizontally above the bed by using the width of the bed as a scale.
Make sure you don’t hang the frame so high that it looks disconnected from the bed.
The headrest and art should go hand in hand in complementing the wall.
How high to hang art with 10-foot ceilings
If your ceilings are of a standard height, usually 10-foot, then it’s best to apply the eye level rule here.
According to this rule, your artwork should be directed at eye level so that a person of average height can appreciate the art without looking up or down while standing up.
An ideal height of 57 to 60 inches from the center of the floor has been calculated to be the ideal height for hanging artwork on an open wall.
While the height difference in different people is apparent, 57 inches off the ground is your best bet.
How high to hang art above a dining table?
In a room where you are not supposed to be standing most of the time, hanging artwork at eye level does not make sense.
Chances are, it would be too high to be observable.
So if you are thinking of where to place frames in a room where you are likely to be sitting mostly, such as a dining room, it is best to keep the frames a little lower.
The ideal height for hanging artwork depends on the height of your dining chairs.
The best way to figure it out is to sit on one of the chairs and ask someone else to hold the artwork above the dining table.
Evaluate different viewing angles and pick one that gives you the margin to appreciate the artwork while sitting on the table.
How to hang pictures on walls with high ceilings?
The eye level rule or the 57 inches rule does not apply in a setting where the ceilings are higher than the usual 10 feet.
In these cases, it is advisable to place the hangings above the 57-60 inch criteria.
High ceilings require a starting point higher than the usual focal point.
How to hang art gallery style?
If you want to decorate your place the way galleries do, you need to figure out a blank wall to play with.
Gallery-style design definitely follows the eye-level rule.
Since the point of a gallery is to appreciate the art thoroughly, it makes sense to hang the art where everyone can clearly evaluate it.
The center of each grouping or stand-alone piece should be at least 58 inches to make it accessible to an average person.
When grouping multiple art pieces together, treat the frames as a single unit.
Place them a few inches apart from each other but still around 60 inches from the floor to the center of the grouping.
Conclusion
To hang art at an ideal height is a tricky business.
While there are no hard and fast rules, it is best to follow some general guidelines with correlation to the surroundings.
Remember to use your instincts as a driving force and decorate your home as you please.