How to Choose the Right Painting Size for Your Wall
Finding a painting you love is the fun part. Choosing the right painting size for your wall is what makes it look like it was always meant to be there. Here is the simple method interior designers use.
1. Use the two-thirds rule
Above furniture — a sofa, bed, sideboard or console — choose artwork that is about two-thirds the width of the furniture. For a 210 cm (7 ft) sofa, look for a painting or group of paintings around 140 cm (55 in) wide.
2. On an empty wall, fill 60–75%
If the wall has no furniture, measure it and aim for artwork that covers roughly 60–75% of the available width. Small paintings on big walls look lost; group them instead.
3. Hang it at eye level
The centre of the artwork should sit about 145–152 cm (57–60 in) from the floor. Above a sofa, leave 20–25 cm (8–10 in) between the furniture and the bottom of the frame.
Common canvas sizes
| Size | Best for |
|---|---|
| 12 × 16 in (30 × 41 cm) | Bedside walls, bathrooms, gallery walls |
| 18 × 24 in (46 × 61 cm) | Hallways, above a desk or console |
| 24 × 30 in (61 × 76 cm) | Above a small sofa or queen bed |
| 30 × 40 in (76 × 102 cm) | Statement piece above a large sofa |
| 36 × 48 in (91 × 122 cm) | Large living rooms, offices, lobbies |
Try it before you buy
Cut paper or newspaper to the painting’s size and tape it to the wall for a day. It is the easiest way to be sure. Our original paintings list the exact size on every product page — and if you need a specific size, we can paint one to order.
