Most people hang their paintings way to high, making your room look small and less inviting. If your hanging your painting over a couch, have the bottom of the painting be 8"-10" off the top, and 15"-20" for a desk. Simple!
GIVE IT ROOM TO BREATHE
If your hanging your painting on a blank wall, the center of your painting should be 58"- 60" to the floor. You should use this rule for all of your wall art.
As for width, select a piece that is 2/3 to 3/4 the width of the furniture.
If you’re hanging above a fireplace, 3 to 6 inches above the mantle will suffice. Select an artwork with a width larger than the fireplace opening, but smaller than the mantle.
BIGGER IS (TYPICALLY) BETTER
If you’re buying on a whim, remember that it’s better to err on the side of too big than too small. Large pieces, including oversized wall art, fill a visual field and create a focal point, while smaller pieces look like an afterthought.
If you don’t have one big piece, consider hanging multiple pieces together. Framed photographs, small canvases, or wall art sets have the same effect when displayed as a grid or gallery wall.
BEFORE YOU HANG
When in doubt, use post-it notes to mark the corners of where you want your artwork. You can also pin up an artwork-sized piece of butcher paper. Both methods will give you a better sense of scale and help you visualize the piece before making a purchase or drilling into the wall.
