How High to Hang a Picture
Dear CJ,
My wife & I can’t seem to agree on how high to hang a picture. We just moved into our dream home & we are both very excited to get our artwork up on the walls to make it feel like home. I started hanging a few pictures in the living room & she stopped me cold! She said they were way too high and she doesn’t want me making any more holes in the wall until we consult an expert. Do you have a formula that you recommend ?
Appreciatively,
Dan C.
Dear Dan,
Thank you for reaching out to me! I honestly wish more people would ask this question before scarring their walls with unwanted holes.
This seems to be a common challenge between husband & wife and generally I find that it’s because men tend to be taller than women so their site line is higher. There are multiple factors that need to be considered in regards to how high to hang a picture. However, there is a basic rule of thumb as well so let’s start with that.
The basic rule of thumb for how high to hang a picture is 60” from the floor to the center of the piece of art. Now some experts will recommend 57” from the floor to the center of the art because that is the height they use in art museums & galleries. However, I have always used 60” from the floor to the center because it seems to work better in a home environment because once you hang the picture you’re not standing directly in front of the artwork to examine & try to understand the meaning behind it. In a home environment we tend to simply walk by it or enjoy a glimpse from across the room.
Now comes the Variations in Factors….
Ceiling Height
My rule of thumb works perfectly for ceilings that are 8 feet high. Nowadays, it seems that the new norm for ceiling heights is often 9 feet. With that said, you can bump it up a little higher from 61-63” to the center. However, don’t stray too far from the basic rule of thumb or you’ll find yourself in a quarrel with your spouse again! If you have ceilings higher than 9 feet I would still stay within the 61”-63” height from floor to the center of the picture. The reason being is that you want your furniture to relate to the furnishings in the room. The average height of a sofa is 36” so when you hang your artwork any higher than 63” you lose the ability to pull it altogether and make it look cohesive.
Wall Groupings
It’s pretty easy to follow my basic rule of thumb for how high to hang a single picture but it gets complicated when you are trying to hang a wall grouping like the one shown in the photo above. In that particular application the picture was hung first using the basic rule of thumb & the shelves were considered last after taking into consideration how tall the figurines would stand directly below the shelves. I must admit it looks perfect!
Wall groupings can get much more complicated than the one shown in the photo above. Take a grouping like this which has multiple pieces of art that create one focal point. In this case it works best to lay it out on the floor, a bed or a table like this example. It’s a much easier & less frustrating way to start before attempting to start pounding holes in the wall ,that’s another challenge in itself! On a horizontal surface you can work on the proper spacing first to determine your center point. Depending on the subject matter the spacing can vary as close as 1 1/2” apart and as far apart as 5”. Once they get further apart, in my professional opinion it’s not considered a grouping because your ability to see them altogether is too spread out. You certainly can spread them out further in other applications like in a hallway or up the staircase. Once you have your center point, which might end up in the center of a picture or it could end up in the space between 2 pictures. I bet tile installers are really good at this because it’s a lot like laying out tile. Be sure you take notes on your spacing. Take a photo of the ideal grouping and then start measuring away taking into account the placement of the hook on each picture.
Pictures Hung Above Furniture
When hanging a piece of art over furniture the spacing is important for 3 reasons! First, you don’t want it to feel disconnected by hanging it too high. Second, if it is a sofa or a chair you also don’t want it so close that you would hit your head on the picture if you were sitting down. Third, if it is a console table, desk or buffet you don’t want the picture to be obstructed by something setting on the furniture such as a lamp, a floral arrangement or a computer monitor. In most applications my basic rule of thumb of 60” from the floor to the center will work and still give you about 5” -8” between the furniture & the picture. This is an appropriate spacing to keep the furniture and artwork united.
The Height of the Adults Living in the Home
I left this for last so that we can circle back to why most couples don’t see eye to eye (no pun intended) on how high to hang a picture. In the United States the average height for a man is 5’9” & 5’3 1/2” for a women. Okay, I know my basic rule of thumb of 60” from the floor to the center of the artwork seems jaded towards the female population. Although, I believe once you implement this rule in your home you’ll never question it again and hey Dan at least I gave you an extra 3-6” to work with above what the art museums & galleries use!
I hope this will help you move forward with transforming your new home into your dream home with all your pictures in place.
If you’re still struggling, consider my Local or Online Design Services!
I’m here to help!
Your Home Loving Expert,
CJ
