How High To Hang Pictures (Guide For The Perfect Height)

If your wall art feels a little off, chances are it’s hung too high. Here’s the simple rule I always follow (plus a few exceptions) to get your artwork looking just right.

Wondering how high to hang pictures on your wall? You’re not alone. This is one of the most common design mistakes I see in homes, and the fix is actually pretty simple once you know what to look for.

Most people hang their wall art WAY too high. It’s such a bummer because I’ve seen some gorgeous pieces, but you have to crane your neck to actually enjoy them. The good news is, there’s an easy rule you can follow that works in almost every space, plus a few adjustments depending on your layout.

I’m all about filling your walls with pieces you love. Let’s just make sure they’re hung in the right spot so they actually elevate your space instead of throwing it off.

By the end of this post, you’ll know exactly where to hang your artwork, whether it’s on a blank wall, above furniture, or as part of a gallery wall.

At a Glance: How High To Hang Pictures

• The sweet spot: Hang the center of your artwork about 57–60 inches from the floor
• Above furniture: Keep the bottom of the frame about 4–8 inches above so it doesn’t feel like it’s floating
• Gallery walls: Treat the whole grouping like one piece and center it at 57–60 inches
• Frame spacing: Aim for about 2–3 inches between each frame
• I always recommend grabbing a tape measure before you start so you can map out the exact hanging point before putting holes in the wall.

The Wrong Height

Many people go by the rule of thumb to hang pieces at “eye level”, but if you’re tall, that may be a bit too high. Also, it doesn’t always make sense to hang art at eye level if you’re placing it over a couch or dresser.

The Right Height

Here are two simple guidelines to help you find the proper height for hanging pictures on your walls.

• Don’t Rely on Your Own Eye Level: A lot of people are told to hang art at “eye level,” but that can be misleading. If you’re tall (or have high ceilings), you’ll likely hang everything too high. Instead of guessing, it’s better to use a consistent measurement.
• 57–60 Inches Often Works: The general rule of thumb is to place the center of your artwork about 57″ to 60″ off the ground. This doesn’t work for every single situation, but it’s a great starting point. When in doubt, follow the 57-inch rule for your center point.

This works because it typically lands right around average eye level for most people, which is why you’ll often see this used by interior designers and in galleries.

How High to Hang Art Above Furniture

If you’re hanging a piece above a sofa, dresser, or bed, you don’t want it to feel like it’s floating too high above the furniture placement. If you go with the “eye level” rule, then it will feel very disjointed. Instead, I usually go about 4 to 8 inches above the top of the furniture piece. This provides visual balance.

For example, the console table in our front entryway is pretty low. If I had hung the art at eye level, it would be way too high and far away from the console. Instead, I placed the bottom of the frame about six inches above the console. This is the best way to make this entire area work in harmony.

How High To Hang A Gallery Wall

If you’re hanging a gallery wall, think of the entire collection as one piece of art so it feels cohesive rather than like a bunch of individual pieces. Therefore, the very top and the very bottom of the grouping shouldn’t be hung too high or too low. Instead, think about the center of the grouping.

First, figure out the center of the artwork collection and have that be about 57″ off the floor. You then want to space your frames about two to three inches apart to create a cohesive look. If you spread them out more, the entire grouping will look disjointed.

Exceptions To My Rules

Of course, there are always exceptions to these design rules. For example, in my daughter’s room, I added a chair rail on her walls that covers the bottom portion of the walls.

Typically, I would hang this large piece of art lower, above the dresser – about 4-8″ inches from the surface of the dresser. However, using that rule, it would hang right over the chair rail. Here, I decided to hang the bottom of the picture about 2-3″ above the chair rail.

I chose the same process with her gallery wall. If the chair rail wasn’t there, I would hang the whole grouping lower on the wall. Instead, I decided to go about 2-3″ above the top of the chair rail.

The Wrong Scale

So, you now understand how high to hang your pictures. But there’s still another hurdle to overcome. Is your piece too small?

I know art and frames can be pricey. And the bigger you go, the bigger the price tag. However, I see too many people hanging small pieces on an empty wall. Unless you’re hanging a gallery wall, let’s ditch the small pictures.

Scale is so important when it comes to wall art and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. Look at how much better the room above looks when the artwork is the right size on that large wall! It’s now the focal point of the space and it’s hung at the ideal height.

How To Master Scale With Artwork

An easy rule of thumb for hanging art above a bed, or any piece of furniture, is that it should fill at least 1/2 to 2/3 of the space.

For my mom’s bedroom, we needed a big piece to go over her king-sized bed. This oversized artwork worked out beautifully. If you’re going with a single piece of artwork, please make sure it is large enough for the vertical space and the width of the furniture piece.

In this reader home tour, Lauren and Kam chose three framed prints over their bed. These smaller pieces look fantastic, especially on that dark wall! The three frames act as one unified piece, taking up over two-thirds of the bed. If they had hung only one of these, it would have been the wrong scale. They’re also hung at the best height, a few inches away from the top of the headboard.

Tips To Choose The Correct Scale Of Art

Here are some general tips when it comes to scale.

• Over Furniture: Make sure the art (or grouping of art) takes up at least 1/2 – 2/3 the width of the piece of furniture.
• Fill up the Wall: It’s important to take up as much of the wall space as possible when hanging your pieces.
• Bigger is Better: When in doubt, try an oversized piece. It will look much better than putting a dinky piece on your wall.
• Take a Picture: Before you actually hang the piece, I suggest having someone hold it up and take a photo. Then look at the picture with fresh eyes and decide if the piece really works for the space. Make the proper adjustments until it looks perfect! You could also use painter’s tape to see it before you put any holes in your walls.
• Group Closely: If you are hanging a group of 2-4 symmetrical frames or even a gallery wall, then make sure you hang the pieces closely. A couple of inches between frames will ensure that the grouping looks cohesive.

Common Mistakes When Hanging Pictures

• Hanging artwork too high (this is the biggest one I see!)
• Choosing pieces that are too small for the wall
• Not considering the furniture below the art
• Spacing frames too far apart in a gallery wall

Hang Your Art With Confidence!

These small tweaks will make your walls look so much better. Trust me! You may have to go around your home and make a few adjustments (and fill some nail holes), but I promise you won’t regret hanging your art correctly. 

It doesn’t matter if it’s your bedroom, bathroom, or living room. When you correctly place the frames and art on your walls, those pieces will shine and make your home look much more polished.

Casey

More Wall Art Ideas

Now that you know how to hang art properly, get inspired by these blog posts.

• Tips to hang a symmetrical gallery wall
• Design mistakes when framing photos and art
• Our hallway gallery wall
• Our living room wall of art
• The easiest way to hang a gallery wall
• Our daughter’s special wall of art
• How to find and frame vintage art prints
• Inexpensive art ideas for your home
• My favorite places to shop for online art
• How to fix nail holes
• Wall anchors 101 (choose the correct hanging hardware for your project!)
• 3 ideas to fill the blank walls in your home