People tend to choose wall art that is much too small for the room or wall. When in doubt, choose a size bigger than your original estimate!

Large wall art is great as a centrepiece for your space.

Your wall art should take up 60% - 75% of the available wall space, eg wall space that isn’t covered by furniture or mouldings. If hanging over furniture the art should be between 2/3 and 3/4 of the furniture's width and hung 6"-12" above the top.

 A few measurements can help

Start by measuring the width and height of your wall and then multiply them by both 0.60 and 0.75. This will give you the range of canvas print sizes that will suit the space. For example: If you have a blank wall that is 9 feet tall and 5 feet wide, you would multiply both 9 and 5 by 0.6 and 0.75. The ideal height of the art would be between 5.4 to 6.75 and the ideal width would be between 3 feet and 3.75 feet.

When hanging wall art over furniture, such as a bed, or couch, it should be between 2/3 to 3/4 of the width of the furniture. You can do a similar calculation here for measuring the ideal artwork size above your couch for example. Let’s say your lounge is 6 feet wide, multiply 6 by 0.66 and 0.75. Thus, a canvas between 3.6 feet and 4.5 feet wide fit wonderfully above the couch.

Remember, the art should be about 75% the width of the furniture and hung 6"-12" above the top of the furniture.

Match your Wall Shape: Horizontal or vertical

This seems a fairly obvious thing, but you would be surprised how easy it is to overlook this basic principle. Your artwork must compliment the general contour of your wall. If the wall where you would like to hang a piece of artwork is tall and skinny then it would probably be best to look for a portrait-style piece. For horizontal walls which are longer in length than they are high,  it may be best to think about a landscape style piece.

 Try before you buy - test it

If you are still having trouble deciding on the correct size for your space, prior to purchase trying giving this cost-effective method a go. Get a few sheets of plain white cardboard or you could simply use A4 paper. Tape them all together to a size that you believe to be suitable for your space or to the size of the artwork you plan on purchasing. Now temporarily blue tack or tape the template on the wall in the place you plan on hanging the artwork. Using this method, you can always adjust the size of the template until you manage to find a suitable size. If it looks good and proportionate, then it’s safe to say the artwork will too. 

You will soon get the idea of what is too small,

and what is “just right”

Remember adding a mat and a frame can add to its visual weight and overall size.

 When in doubt, choose a size bigger than your original estimate!

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