Not sure how high to hang a picture? These picture hanging tips give you all the advice you need to know hang artwork beautifully in every room of your house.
There's an art to hanging pictures well but if you follow a couple of golden rules, it's an easy skill to master.
Remember the 57 inch rule
If we could only teach you one thing about hanging pictures, it would be to hang your pictures at eye level. Most people hang pictures too high and you shouldn't have to look up to see them.
Make sure the centre of the picture is at eye level so that you can comfortably look at it without straining your neck. When you're standing up, eye level is around 57 inches (five feet) above the ground for the average person. But remember, eye level will be lower in rooms where you're mostly sitting down.
Apply the 57 inch rule to all the pictures in your home and you'll create a nice harmony amongst your home décor that will flow through the entire house.
How high to hang pictures around the house
Above a sofa
You'll spend most of your time in your living room sitting down so if you're hanging a picture above a sofa, hang it relatively low. Around six inches (or one hand length) above the sofa is about right.
In a hallway
In a hallway, you'll mostly be standing so it would make sense to hang the picture a little higher than usual (especially if the ceiling is tall).
Above a bed
Pictures should hang between 8 and 10 inches above your headboard to create balance. Any higher and it will look like it's floating away from the bed.
Over a fireplace
The space above your fireplace will probably be above eye level so bear this in mind when you're trying to decide how high to hang your picture. We'd recommend hanging pictures between three and seven inches above the mantelpiece so you can comfortably view it while sitting down.
In a dining room
You'll mostly be sitting down in the dining room so hang pictures lower here than you would in other rooms. To properly evaluate how high to hang your picture, sit down and ask someone to hold it against the wall. Move it up and down until you find a comfortable height to view it from a seated position.
Along a staircase
Hanging pictures on a staircase well is a skill but if you follow the golden rule and hang the centre of your pictures at eye level, you can't go far wrong.
Ready to start hanging your pictures? Check out our range of VELCRO® Brand HANGables® Picture Hanging Strips to hang your pictures without damaging the walls or stay on our blog for more picture hanging tips!
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