What size art print should you buy?
The single most common regret in buying art is a piece that is too small for its wall. It is also the easiest mistake to avoid, because the rule is arithmetic rather than taste.
The rule
A work hung above furniture should be roughly half to two-thirds the width of that furniture. Over a 180 cm sofa, that means a piece 90–120 cm wide — including its frame.
On an empty wall, the work should occupy about 60% of the usable wall width. Usable means the space between whatever interrupts it: a door frame, the edge of a bookcase, the corner.
The numbers, for common walls
| Where it hangs | Wall or furniture width | Print size that works |
|---|---|---|
| Above a desk | 120 cm | 40×50 or 50×70 cm |
| Above a two-seat sofa | 160 cm | 70×100 cm |
| Above a three-seat sofa | 200 cm | 90×120 cm, or a pair |
| Hallway, narrow | 90 cm | 30×40 or 40×50 cm |
| Above a bed (double) | 140 cm | 70×100 cm |
Hanging height
Centre the work at 145–150 cm from the floor. That is average eye level, and it is the height galleries use. If the piece hangs above furniture, leave 15–25 cm between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the frame — closer than that and the two read as one lump; further apart and the work floats away from the room.
Two things people forget
The frame adds size. A 50×70 cm print with a mount and frame is closer to 70×90 cm on the wall. Buy for the framed dimension, not the paper dimension.
Tape it out first. Cut newspaper to the framed size and tape it up for a day. It costs nothing and it is the only way to see the scale in your own light.
When in doubt
Go one size up. A slightly large work looks confident; a slightly small one looks like a mistake, and it is the mistake people quietly live with for years.
