Where should I hang my art? What about my mirrors? At The Black Goose Design, we get asked these questions all the time. It’s easy to understand why this is a common conundrum. After all, a blank wall is a big space to tackle. Hanging height can make or break the look. Fortunately, we’re here to help with our top 10 placement pointers. Thanks for hanging out!
TIP 1: Sight Before Height
This, of course, makes sense for mirrors. If a mirror is placed too high, it becomes useless. But did you know the same is true for art? When hanging an art piece, a wise rule of thumb is to place the midpoint of the picture about 57" from the floor. Depending on the size of the art this can vary, but this should keep the focal point at eye level, where it can be most enjoyed. After all, nobody wants to kink their neck to take in the sights.
photo credit: Universal Furniture
TIP 2: Become One with the Art
Okay, this advice is actually for your furniture, but we’re all for any Zen appreciation you have for your surroundings. In this instance, we encourage you to create a single unit between your wall hanging and the surrounding structures. Where you hang your items makes all the difference. If pieces on the wall are too far from the furniture, it will feel disjointed and like two separate collections. Grouping them together provides a more collected collection.
photo credit: Universal Furniture
When hanging something above a console, for example, we recommend defaulting to 4-10" above. Again, this distance can differ a bit depending on the size of the art or the height of the accessories on the console, but less than a foot is typically pleasing and unifying. The same is true when hanging items above sofas and other significant pieces.
TIP 3: Center-Shmenter
Okay, so this isn’t exactly a technical term, but we want to bust the belief that everything has to be directly centered between the floor and the ceiling. Let’s say, for example, you have 10’ ceilings and a 5’ headboard. You don’t want to also center your art at headboard level. Nor do you want to center wall pieces at equal distance between the headboard and the ceiling. Going back to our previous tip, this could feel disjointed. Instead, sticking with this example, hang the item(s) approximately 4-8” above the headboard. Rather than finding your perfect floor-to-ceiling center, consider the surrounding items and place accordingly.
photo credit: Universal Furniture
TIP 4: Purpose First
A mirror is often a beautiful art installment all on its own, but it pulls double duty as a tool. When adding a full-length mirror to the home – something super on trend at the moment, BTW – put function first. Position the mirror in such a way that it will reflect your full reflection back. Seems obvious, but you’d be amazed at how quickly mirror placement can go wrong. This is no reflection on the home owner. It’s an easy mistake to make. Avoid it by always putting function first.
TIP 5: All Hail Scale
When choosing an art piece, you want it to be a minimum of 2/3 the width of the furniture piece it is going over. Anything smaller and you would need multiple items to create a sense of balance. Of course, you don’t want to go too far in the opposite direction either. If the wall art is wider than the furniture beneath, it could feel too heavy and looming.
photo credit: Hooker Furniture
TIP 6: Let It Lean
Who says you have to hang your accents? We’re all about the perch. Art can be set on a piece of furniture or leaned up against the wall. It’s still a good idea to secure your item(s) to the wall for safety’s sake.
TIP 7: The Stack Is Where It’s At
If you aren’t hanging and are instead placing, give the layered look a try. We love stacked art. Whether you place art in front of art or slightly overlapping a mirror, the collected look introduces interest and depth.
photo credit: Universal Furniture
TIP 8: Remain Seated, Please
In dining rooms, you are sitting much of the time, making this one space in the home where you’ll want to hang things a little lower than is otherwise considered normal. Lower placement brings the pieces closer to eye level for seated guests.
photo credit: Universal Furniture
TIP 9: Won’t You Be My Neighbor
When hanging a group of pictures, make sure to hang them between 2-4" inches apart. Anything more and items begin to feel disjointed and floaty. Again, this is all about helping the collection come together.
TIP 10: Common Margin Magic
The eye appreciates balance, which is why it’s never a bad idea to create equal spacing around your grouped art. By this, we mean common margins from one item to the next and on all sides. For example, if you have a mirror grouped with a canvas grouped with a framed photo, keep the spacing between each equal. This is especially important when creating a collage wall with numerous pieces. The margins above, below, and in between each item should be the same. Yes, like any rule, there are exceptions to this, but common margins are a smart place to start if you’re unsure of placement.
photo credit: Hooker Furniture
Bonus Tip: If you need a margins guide, painters tape is the tops. Add strips between your pieces when hanging for consistent spacing.
Thanks for hanging out today! We hope this roundup of our top 10 placement pointers will take the guesswork out of bringing your walls to life with art and mirrors. If you remain unsure or would simply like to discuss options, stop by The Black Goose Design. We’d love to take a look at your unique space and offer suggestions.
Wednesday Jun 21 2023 by Stacey Beyer
Where should I hang my art? What about my mirrors? At The Black Goose Design, we get asked these questions all the time. It’s easy to understand why this is a common conundrum. After all, a blank wall is a big space to tackle. Hanging height can make or break the look. Fortunately, we’re here to help with our top 10 placement pointers. Thanks for hanging out!
TIP 1: Sight Before Height
This, of course, makes sense for mirrors. If a mirror is placed too high, it becomes useless. But did you know the same is true for art? When hanging an art piece, a wise rule of thumb is to place the midpoint of the picture about 57" from the floor. Depending on the size of the art this can vary, but this should keep the focal point at eye level, where it can be most enjoyed. After all, nobody wants to kink their neck to take in the sights.
photo credit: Universal Furniture
TIP 2: Become One with the Art
Okay, this advice is actually for your furniture, but we’re all for any Zen appreciation you have for your surroundings. In this instance, we encourage you to create a single unit between your wall hanging and the surrounding structures. Where you hang your items makes all the difference. If pieces on the wall are too far from the furniture, it will feel disjointed and like two separate collections. Grouping them together provides a more collected collection.
photo credit: Universal Furniture
When hanging something above a console, for example, we recommend defaulting to 4-10" above. Again, this distance can differ a bit depending on the size of the art or the height of the accessories on the console, but less than a foot is typically pleasing and unifying. The same is true when hanging items above sofas and other significant pieces.
TIP 3: Center-Shmenter
Okay, so this isn’t exactly a technical term, but we want to bust the belief that everything has to be directly centered between the floor and the ceiling. Let’s say, for example, you have 10’ ceilings and a 5’ headboard. You don’t want to also center your art at headboard level. Nor do you want to center wall pieces at equal distance between the headboard and the ceiling. Going back to our previous tip, this could feel disjointed. Instead, sticking with this example, hang the item(s) approximately 4-8” above the headboard. Rather than finding your perfect floor-to-ceiling center, consider the surrounding items and place accordingly.
photo credit: Universal Furniture
TIP 4: Purpose First
A mirror is often a beautiful art installment all on its own, but it pulls double duty as a tool. When adding a full-length mirror to the home – something super on trend at the moment, BTW – put function first. Position the mirror in such a way that it will reflect your full reflection back. Seems obvious, but you’d be amazed at how quickly mirror placement can go wrong. This is no reflection on the home owner. It’s an easy mistake to make. Avoid it by always putting function first.
TIP 5: All Hail Scale
When choosing an art piece, you want it to be a minimum of 2/3 the width of the furniture piece it is going over. Anything smaller and you would need multiple items to create a sense of balance. Of course, you don’t want to go too far in the opposite direction either. If the wall art is wider than the furniture beneath, it could feel too heavy and looming.
photo credit: Hooker Furniture
TIP 6: Let It Lean
Who says you have to hang your accents? We’re all about the perch. Art can be set on a piece of furniture or leaned up against the wall. It’s still a good idea to secure your item(s) to the wall for safety’s sake.
TIP 7: The Stack Is Where It’s At
If you aren’t hanging and are instead placing, give the layered look a try. We love stacked art. Whether you place art in front of art or slightly overlapping a mirror, the collected look introduces interest and depth.
photo credit: Universal Furniture
TIP 8: Remain Seated, Please
In dining rooms, you are sitting much of the time, making this one space in the home where you’ll want to hang things a little lower than is otherwise considered normal. Lower placement brings the pieces closer to eye level for seated guests.
photo credit: Universal Furniture
TIP 9: Won’t You Be My Neighbor
When hanging a group of pictures, make sure to hang them between 2-4" inches apart. Anything more and items begin to feel disjointed and floaty. Again, this is all about helping the collection come together.
TIP 10: Common Margin Magic
The eye appreciates balance, which is why it’s never a bad idea to create equal spacing around your grouped art. By this, we mean common margins from one item to the next and on all sides. For example, if you have a mirror grouped with a canvas grouped with a framed photo, keep the spacing between each equal. This is especially important when creating a collage wall with numerous pieces. The margins above, below, and in between each item should be the same. Yes, like any rule, there are exceptions to this, but common margins are a smart place to start if you’re unsure of placement.
photo credit: Hooker Furniture
Bonus Tip: If you need a margins guide, painters tape is the tops. Add strips between your pieces when hanging for consistent spacing.
Thanks for hanging out today! We hope this roundup of our top 10 placement pointers will take the guesswork out of bringing your walls to life with art and mirrors. If you remain unsure or would simply like to discuss options, stop by The Black Goose Design. We’d love to take a look at your unique space and offer suggestions.