The Wall Art Rule: How to Choose and Hang Wall Art for Every Aesthetic
Wall art is the one item that can single-handedly define a room's aesthetic, and it is also the thing people most often get wrong by a measurable amount. Most badly hung art is not badly chosen, it is hung a few inches too high or bought a size too small. This guide covers the numbers first, then matches art to each aesthetic style. The Wall Art Rule One strong piece beats five mediocre ones every time. Choose one statement piece per wall, centre it at eye level, and let it breathe. Everything below is a way of applying that rule precisely. Get the Size Right Before the Style Size is where most of the difference lives, and it is arithmetic rather than taste: Above furniture: the art should span roughly two-thirds to three-quarters of the width of the piece below it. Above a 150 cm sofa, that means art or a grouping about 100 to 112 cm wide. Anything much narrower looks stranded. On an empty wall: aim for the art filling about 60 to 75 percent of the usable wall width, and leave c...
