How to hang and size art correctly

Not sure what size canvas to buy or how to work out what should go in your space? There are a few easy guidelines to follow to make sure you are getting the art with the most impact for your room, and are positioning it correctly. We promise its not as complicated as it seems!

This depends on the area you intend to hang your artwork. For example:

A blank wall with low standing or no furniture:

For the most aesthetically pleasing result you should make sure you hang your artwork with the center at around 1.45 metres from the floor. This is the standard in museums and art galleries. Because it is the standard human eye level it makes it the most pleasing height for viewing, and is also generally lower than people would think to hang their art.

As well as being eye level, it is also not so high that it gets lost in the space and does not connect with the other elements in your room. You want it to look like it belongs! This goes for collage of multiple art works as well. Align the center of the collection to this measurement.

This means that you will have to allow for a bit of sag in the string when you put your mark on the wall for your hook. An easy way to work out where to put your hook is to:

1. Measure from the floor, up to 1.45m.
2. Measure the height of your canvas and divide that by 2.
3. Flip your canvas around and rest the middle of the string on your finger as if your finger was a wall hook.
4. Measure from your finger to the top of the canvas. Subtract this number from the step 2 number. This will tell you how much higher than 1.45 m you should place your hook.

Above a couch or bed:

The bottom of your art should be no closer than 15-20cm to the top of the bed/bed head/couch that you are placing it over. You want it to connect with your space, not get lost or look out of place. If you have a high ceiling you can get away with placing it 25cm above your furniture.

As a general rule of thumb, the width of the artwork should be around 2/3 the length of the furniture below it. For example a Queen bed is approx. 1.5m wide. So the ideal width for your canvas would be 1 meter. Measure your furniture width and times it by 0.66 to work out your ideal canvas length. You can also go a little smaller than 2/3. Although anything less than 1/2 is too small for the space.

You can also use multiple smaller pieces next to each other if you wish to use multiple images. E.g for a Queen bed, 2 40cm pieces with a 20cm gap in the middle. Or 3 smaller pieces spaced out evenly etc. The creativity is up to you!