Question:

I want to hang more art in my home, but whenever I try the spacing feels off. What size should my art or wall decor be, relative to the wall, to look more cohesive?

Answer:

When choosing wall art that will make an impact, bigger is usually better. Small pieces will look even smaller placed alone on a large wall.

As a general rule, aim to have your art around two-thirds of the size of the wall, up to three-quarters for larger pieces. To find the perfect size, measure your wall and multiply the length and width by 0.60 or 0.75 and use that as a guideline. If you’ve chosen a piece that is slightly smaller, pick a larger frame to make up the extra space or use paint to create a border around the piece to balance the sizes.

This rule can also apply to pieces relative to furniture. If you have a large wall with no windows or mouldings to break it up, you don’t need a massive artwork to fill the entire space. When hanging art above furniture like your couch or bed frame, making the art two-thirds the size of the object will balance the space on the wall with the furniture below.

Many small artworks can be grouped together to create a gallery wall using the same rule. Mark out the size our your gallery wall based on this sizing rule. Then, using tape, measure to fit your smaller pieces into this larger square, creating an artistic feature wall.

Featured image: Lefty Kasdaglis via Unsplash