You’ve just finished decorating and furnishing your room now you’re thinking about dressing the space and artwork is to play a role. How do you begin placing it? We know it can be nerve-wracking putting fixings in the wall for your first piece of painting. How do you get it right?

I’ve often seen artwork in homes that has been hung so high up the wall the viewer almost needs a step ladder to appreciate it, flat screen TVs also seem to occupy a similar position. Perhaps it’s a carryover from the days of picture rails, but if you’re not sure what height to hang art, here are some ideas to get you started.

Artwork is created to be viewed and enjoyed, so make it easy to see. I know it’s boring but it’s all in the preparation and planning. You may have heard that art should be hung so the centre of the picture is at eye level. Straight away this causes confusion because if you’re 5 feet something and other members of the household are taller, what’s eye level? Also, does this “eye level rule” apply to all art? What about a grouping of a collection? What if you’re hanging a painting over a piece of furniture?

Artwork centred between eye level of man & woman

The height of a standing man’s eye level is compared to that a standing woman. Hang your painting midpoint between the two eye levels.

Artwork too low for standing man too high for seated woman

The height of a standing man’s eye level is compared to that of a seated woman. Here the work has been hung too low for a standing man and too high for a seated woman. 

The size and orientation of a painting needs to be considered when deciding where to place it on the wall. If you’re planning to hang a sizeable picture, a good place to start is to think about how you generally use the room, is it the dining room or the bedroom where you spend most of your time seated or reclined, or is it a family room where there is a lot of activity and traffic? As a rule (and rules can be broken), centre your artwork between 1500mm to 1650mm from the floor. This may be perfect for you but if not, break the rule. If you’re seated and relaxing, the eye level range is lowered so lower the height of the artwork to correspond with your new “eye level”. A small piece of work will be lost on a feature wall so consider displaying it as part of a grouped collection or in smaller spaces found between doors, windows or architectural detailing. Think about the artwork in relation to its proposed surroundings. Your chosen picture could even be influenced by details in the room, but no matter where you hang it each space will have elements which will need consideration.

Artwork displayed at low level by a bed.
Image: Steven Ungermann: Unsplash

The two pieces of artwork in this contemporary room set have been deliberately positioned, one at average “eyelevel” and the second to be enjoyed from a reclined position. It’s also interesting that they’ve been displayed between two windows creating a “gallery wall”. The bedhead wall has been left empty and more calming, but you can bet there’s a black flat screen TV on the unseen wall at the foot of the bed.

To place larger portrait oriented artwork you may again need to break the rule. Always remember the work is there to be enjoyed so place it in a natural viewing position where the subject of the work sits as close to eye level as possible. Larger work will need more wall space and can benefit from higher ceilings, otherwise it can overpower the room. It will also need space to be viewed from a distance which has the effect of lowering the eye level. Again a small piece of work will be lost in a room with a high ceiling, but painting it in a darker colour will effectively lower the ceiling and optically correct the imbalance.

Two large portrait artworks over sofa between windows.
Image: Helen Thomas: Unsplash

The image shows the placing of two large paintings over a sofa. The top of the paintings align with the top of the windows either side. The size of the room accommodates the height of the tall paintings because they can be viewed from a distance.

Grouping work is a great way to tell a story or display a related collection. To position it correctly on the wall, view the whole collection as one piece of work and centre the middle of the collection using the “eye level rule”. Design your layout by cutting templates of each piece of work then play around with your design on the floor. When you’re happy with the arrangement take overall dimensions noting the position of the centre piece. You’re now ready to transfer your layout on to the wall. Alternatively, using a low tack tape attach your templates to the wall, move them around until you’re happy, remembering to step or sit back to check them from a “normal” viewing distance. Working with another person who can hold the work in place and move it around leaves you free to check positioning from a distance. It’s also good to have another opinion to give you confidence.

Displayed collection of artwork over a sofa along with related accessories and furniture.
Image: Unsplash

Here, the three largest artworks take centre stage of the collection. Smaller images are placed apparently randomly around, but are actually carefully placed for a balanced display. Note the three primary pieces haven’t been centred over the sofa, the whole collection has been centred within the space above the sofa. Likewise the whole collection has been taken as one and hung slightly below “eyelevel” because viewers will generally be seated in this space.

Hanging a good sized painting or print above furniture is a nice design idea especially if there’s a relationship in style or colour between the two. Hanging artwork so the bottom of the frame or canvas sits about 150-300mm above furniture enhances the relationship and grounds the artwork.

Single contemporary landscape orientated painting over modern sofa.
Image: Unsplash

A painting occupying the entire space over a sofa makes a real statement. Although large, it can be hung at a lower level because the occupants of the room are generally seated. This creates a spatial relationship grounding the painting with the sofa. Hung higher on the wall would create a detachment and the painting would appear to be floating away.

Remember, the “eye level rule” is purely a guide to get you started and will help you avoid obvious mistakes whilst you gain confidence. Initially it may seem like hard work, but it’s far better to try out placing and positioning of art before putting fixings in your beautifully decorated wall. The more artwork you collect and hang the more naturally you will eventually place work almost without really thinking about it. Honest.

Large portrait orientated artwork at the foot of a staircase.

This large portrait orientated painting occupies a small space. It’s successful because its style and colouring is very close in character to its surroundings. It has effectively become part of the room decoration. It’s a tall painting much of which is well above “eye level”. It works because the room is deep and spacious, allowing the viewer to stand far enough back for the distance to effectively lower the centre of the painting. Also the angle of the occupant’s eye who is about to use the stairs is already able to take in much of what the painting has to offer.