Walk into many homes and you'll notice the same thing: the art is floating up near the ceiling, as if it were trying to escape. It's one of the most common hanging mistakes, and one of the easiest to fix.
The height rule
Many museums and interior designers use a simple guideline: hang art so that its center sits at roughly eye level, around 145 to 152 centimeters from the floor (about 57 to 60 inches). Whatever the size of the piece, its middle lands at that height.
It's a guideline, not a law. In a room where people mostly sit, like a dining room or a reading corner, you can hang a little lower. But starting from eye level instead of "somewhere high" will instantly make your walls feel calmer.
Above furniture
When art hangs above a sofa, a bed or a desk, leave about 15 to 25 centimeters between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the frame. Too much gap and the art floats away; too little and it feels crammed. The art and the furniture should look like they belong together.
Ideas for small spaces
1. One piece, well placed. In a small room, a single print on an otherwise calm wall feels more spacious than lots of little frames. 2. Use the narrow walls. The strip beside a door, the end of a hallway, the wall above a light switch: perfect spots for small works. 3. Lean instead of hang. A print leaning on a shelf, a mantelpiece or a desk is easy to change and adds depth. 4. Hang low in reading corners. Art you see from a chair should be closer to seated eye level. 5. Don't forget the kitchen and bathroom. Small framed prints there bring beauty to the most ordinary moments, if they're kept away from steam and splashes.
Before you hammer
Cut paper templates the size of your frames and tape them to the wall. Live with them for a day or two. Then hang.
A piece for a small wall
My print Yoga for Energy Blocks follows a single figure, sketched in soft charcoal and stripes, through a full practice, each posture flowing into the next like breath into breath. Each print is hand-finished, signed, and comes with a meditation letter. A gentle presence for a narrow wall, at exactly eye level.
Remember to take as much time as you need, and meet me at the next one.
Love, Evi