What is the ‘Right’ Height to Hang a Picture?
We attempt not to deal in absolutes here, but when it comes to how high to hang a imagereliable French gallery rod system, we do have some strong recommendations. We likewise put the concern out to our Framebridge community and you all had some excellent perspectives, too. Here we respond to all of your inquiries about how high to hang frames.
The Eyes Have It
We suggest hanging your art so that the vertical center (the middle of the frame) is 57″ (inches) above the flooring, or at your eye-level if it’s in a corridor or entranceway where you’re normally strolling past it. That chooses single pieces ( images, paintings, posters)braided picture wire along with arrangements like gallery walls. Museums and galleries use this guideline and if it’s good enough for them, it’s definitely good enough for us!
Procedure the height of your piece or plan, divide in half and include that number to the 57″ to mark where the top of your frame need to be. Check out our tips for hanging with a hanging wire, sawtooth wall mount, or corner brackets (on large pieces) for a completely lined up frame
corridor with patterned wallpaper and small image framed in gold frame
Via @emilyley featuring the Richmond frame.
What if I’m hanging a frame above furniture?
What height to hang frames depends on what’s around them, too. If you’re hanging frames above furniture like a sofa, bed, or desk, we suggest the bottom of the frame need to be 7 – 10″ above the top of the furniture.
living space with sofa and 2 photos in wood frames best screws for sheet metal
Via @teenwolfd featuring American Hardwoods
As far as width goes, whether it’s a single large piece or a complete gallery wall, some state it should span about 2/3 of the width of the sofa, headboard, etc, but we believe there’s some wiggle space and even created our Triptych gallery wall in king and queen size to fill the majority of the width of a headboard or sofa.
How about hanging photos in spaces with high ceilings?
We believe the very same guideline uses– 57″ off the ground for the vertical center of the piece. Of course if there’s space, you can stack more pieces up from there!
living space with framed photos in white frames
Via @elizabethbeardesigns featuring the Marin
What about hanging gallery walls and several frames?
Think of a gallery wall or grouping of several frames as one big piece. Whether you’re hanging a predesigned gallery wall (ours included very helpful life-size hanging guides which allow you to align the entire plan at the same time) or are getting innovative with an diverse gallery wall of your own, the very same rule uses– 57″ or eye level to the vertical center. For example, when hanging three pieces vertically, the center of the middle frame would be at eye level.
gallery wall of framed photos on wall in living space
Via @rebeccaprus
Is the 57″ eye-level rule set in stone?
There are naturally exceptions to every rule and all of your framed art and images need to work within your existing space. The scenarios are as unique as your design and there are plenty of methods to hang your art. Have especially low furniture? You may need to change. Actually big art work? It may need to come down a bit. Typically we see instances of art hung too expensive instead of too low.
A measuring tape and level are essential, but a 2nd set of eyes is likewise very useful to have when discovering the best height to hang a image.
As always if you have any concerns about getting your art up on the wall, our team of designers is happy to address them.