How to Hang your Artwork Like a Professional Designer

Hanging art is one of the simplest ways to bring personality and polish into a room, but it’s also one of the easiest details to get wrong. The right piece in the wrong spot can throw an entire wall off balance, while a carefully placed picture frame can make your living room, or any other room, feel instantly finished.

So, what’s the secret to making it look intentional instead of accidental? Designers follow a few guiding principles when we hang art—rules that ensure scale, proportion, and placement all work together. With a little planning, you can create arrangements that feel as cohesive as a gallery wall or as striking as a single large piece.

Hanging Artwork By Itself:

The best tip for installing your artwork, whether doing it yourself or by a professional, is to hang single pieces at eye level. These are items that do not have any objects underneath. A great example of this is a hallway.

In order to do this, you’ll hang the center of the artwork at 60″ from the floor.

Exceptions to this rule: If you have really low ceilings (less than 8′, divide the vertical length of your wall into quarters and hang your art 3/4 up from the floor.

Hanging Artwork Under Furniture:

There are some important measurements to know that will make the process easier:

• Artwork should be hung 6″-8″ above furniture
• The center of the artwork should be hung at 60″ from the floor
• Multiple pieces of artwork should be separated by 3″-4″ apart
• All artwork should follow the 2/3 rule

The 2/3 rule is also called the golden ratio. This means that the artwork should consume 2/3 of the space below it. In order to determine the size of your artwork, first measure the item below it. You’ll then divide that number by 3 and then multiply by 2. This will give you the size of the artwork.

Example: A queen bed measures 60″ wide. If you want artwork above the bed, you would calculate this:
60″ / 3 = 20″ x 2 = 40″ – The artwork should be a maximum of 40″ for a balanced space.
If you wanted to utilize a series of art in a linear format, you would then divide the number above by the number of pieces you wish to use.

Hanging Gallery Walls:

If you’re working with a collection of framed art, it’s important to treat that collection or gallery wall as one piece to achieve a balanced look. First, make sure your collection is neither too large nor too small in relation to your sofa or sideboard. We want the just right. The above rules still apply. The artwork should be two-thirds the size of the sofa or sideboard beneath it. You’ll hang the lower row 6″-8″ above the item and space each frame 3″-4″ apart.

As a pro tip, incorporate a variety of picture frames for visual interest. Framed art in general tends to look better than any canvas wrapped artwork, as it reads as inexpensive. 

No more guessing. I hope this quick guide will help you nail hanging your artwork… pun intended!