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Ideal Picture Height: 60” from center of picture to floor
When thinking about how high to hang pictures on the wall, it can seem like a daunting task.
After this post, you will be confident to choose the right height for your pictures and wall decor. Whether you’re hanging beautiful wall art or the latest vacation photo of the fam, I’ve got you covered!
How High to Hang Pictures or Art
The best height for hanging a picture or art is 60” high from the center of the picture to the floor, give or take an inch or two.
Why Hanging at Eye Level Doesn’t Work (For Everyone)
One search on the internet and you will quickly see the number 57” everywhere. 57” is a thing because the “average” eye level is 57” high. But if you do the math, that’s saying most people are roughly 5’1” (assuming the average person has a 4” forehead lol).
That’s why this one-size-fits-all measurement is just silly! Sure, 57” from the center of the picture to the floor is the perfect height for a lot of pictures, but this doesn’t account for different-sized pictures or wall decor.
Having a super tall picture centered 57” from the floor will look way out of place!
Let’s scratch 57” and think in terms of a range – I like 57”-60” for “eye level”. There is, in fact, wiggle room when hanging things on the wall!
I’m 5’5”, and have an eye level of around 60”-61”, so any time we hang anything in our house, I basically just stand up against the wall and my husband marks my eye level. 😊 Everything in our house is at perfect eye level…for me – sorry Brandon!
Does the width of the art/picture matter? Nope. They can be as wide as you want. The height will still follow the same criteria below.
Hanging a Picture or Wall Decor That’s 6”-38” Tall
When hanging a small to medium-height picture or wall decor that is 6”-38” tall, you can simply use the 60” rule of thumb. Ensure the center of the picture is roughly 60” from the floor.
This will give it the perfect placement on the wall, no matter the height of your ceilings!
For example, this piece of wall decor is 36” tall and is exactly 60” from the center to the floor. And it is perfectly positioned from the floor and the ceiling!
Hanging a Picture or Wall Decor That’s 39”-50” Tall
When hanging a medium to large height picture or wall decor that is 39”-50” tall, every inch taller the piece is past 38”, move the center down an inch from 60″ (or eye-level height).
So let’s say you’re using 60” as your magic eye level number:
- 39” tall pictures should measure 59” from center to floor
- 40” tall pictures should measure 58” from center to floor
- 41” tall pictures should measure 57” from center to floor
And so on – you get the picture. 😉
This is all truly a rule of thumb – there is wiggle room based on how YOU like the look, but use this as a guide to get you closer to that prime spot! And as always, you can wiggle about 2”-4”.
Another tip is that, in most cases, the tops of pictures and wall decor of this size should not be higher than the tops of your standard doorways/windows, or align with them. This can make your room feel off balance.
This is also an indication you’re hanging your picture way too high, and you need to default to the above measurements. Exceptions to this are pieces over tall mantels or walls that are further away from doorways and windows.
Does ceiling height matter when hanging pictures or wall decor?
No matter the height of your ceiling, the guidance is the same!
Continue following the magic eye level rule of 60”. There’s no need to do anything differently than sticking with the same formula.
Create a Template for Your Picture or Wall Decor
This will be extremely valuable when deciding the best height for your pictures on the wall!
Get out your blue painter’s tape, and start measuring out pieces to make a replica of the picture you are looking to hang on the wall. That way you can get a really good idea of the placement before putting nails in the wall!
Plus it’s painter’s tape, so it’ll easily come off, won’t peel paint, and can re-stick if you need to reevaluate!
How High to Hang Pictures and Wall Decor Over Furniture
Whether it’s a chair, couch, or console table, this section is for you! I’ll cover each furniture piece below.
Couch
The bottom of your picture should be 6”-10” above the couch. If your ceilings are taller than 8’, you can increase this height by a couple of inches.
If your picture or wall decor is very large, and you can’t get at least 6” above the couch and 10” clearance from the ceiling, then you may need to rethink the piece you’re hanging there. It looks better when your wall decor is visually closer to your couch than it is to your ceiling, even if it’s only by a couple of inches.
Now, the width of your art does matter when hanging over the couch!
You want the overall length of your wall decor or picture to take up at least ⅔ of the couch. Your piece should not be as long as the couch. Wider than ⅔ will make your couch seem small and the ratio will be off.
Just as it can’t be too long, make sure the width is no shorter than roughly ⅔ the overall width of the couch. If it is, the piece will look like it’s being swallowed up by the couch, and will surely get lost on the wall behind it! A good alternative might be hanging a series of smaller pictures as opposed to one.
Accent Chair
The height of the chair will help us determine the best height for your art.
If you have a shorter chair that is less than 32” tall, it’s best to follow the magic eye level number of 60” from the center of the wall decor to the floor.
This also depends on the wall decor height. If the wall decor is centered at 60” over a 32” chair or smaller, and the wall decor has less than 4” of clearance over the chair, this will not work. You need at least 4” between to make it look proportionate!
If your chair is 32”+ in height, then you can follow the same guidelines as the couch. Hang the bottom of your piece 6”-10” above the tallest part of the chair. Again, if your ceilings are taller than 8’, then you can increase this by a couple of inches.
Console Table
The same rule here applies to the accent chair believe it or not!
If your console table is taller than 32”, you’ll want to hang the bottom of your picture 6”-10” above the table. But if your console table is shorter than 32”, you’ll want to hang the center of your picture 60” from the floor.
It’s important here that if you have 10” or so between your piece and the table, you utilize some console table decor to fill the gap. You can use tall candle sticks, a vase, or a plant stacked on a couple of books – the options are endless!
Another point to not overlook is that just like the couch, the picture or wall decor is no more and no less than ⅔ width of the console table. Keep this in mind when hanging your favorite picture, wall art, or mirror!
How High to Hang Pictures or Wall Decor Above a Bed?
If you have a beautiful bed, a big headboard, and lots of wall space, you may be the perfect candidate for hanging wall decor or a picture above your bed!
So how high should you be hanging pictures above your headboard? You already guessed it 😉
We are going to follow the 6”-10” rule of thumb we have followed for other furniture!
Another carryover from other pieces of furniture, and this is important, is to make sure your picture is ⅔ the width of your bed, no more and no less.
Whether it’s one long piece of decor, or you have 3 different frames for a gallery row above your bed, you’ll want to stick to ⅔ width.
The Perfect Height for Hanging a Gallery Wall
Gallery walls with multiple frames and pictures can make a huge impact on a room. They turn a blank wall into something that makes you stop and smile each time you walk past!
That’s exactly why I made the gallery wall around my TV. Head on over to that post for even more details on how to create a gallery wall.
But what’s the best height to hang a gallery wall?
When you have multiple pieces, you treat them as one. Find the center of the total height of your art, and hang at 60″.
I recommend 2”-3” in between each picture to make it look like a cohesive piece. If you space them too far apart, it will begin to look awkward. So make sure you stick to only a couple of inches in between each frame on a gallery wall!
What are the best hangers to use for hanging pictures or wall decor?
My absolute favorites are command strips! I have actually hung the majority of the pictures and wall decor in my house with these things because they’re so easy.
If your picture or wall decor is heavier than 16 lbs, you’ll need to use screws. And if your picture doesn’t have a place to hang on a screw, your best bet will probably be buying a sawtooth kit. Usually, picture frames and decor will have a place to hang so hopefully you won’t have to worry about this!
There you have it – when in doubt use the magic eye level height of 60” and go for it! Your picture will look perfect on your wall and you will be proud you did it yourself!
Hanging pictures, wall decor, and art just got a lot easier. And remember, do what looks best to YOU!
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