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In a small living room the walls are the one place you can add personality without taking floor space. Art adds color and focus, and a few good prints do more for the room than another piece of furniture.
The trouble is that art hung too high, too small or too far apart makes a room look unfinished. The rules below fix that, and most need only a tape measure and a pencil.
Four rules before you hang anything
- Center at eye level. The middle of a picture or group goes about 57 inches from the floor, which is the height most galleries use.
- Hang over furniture at 6 to 10 inches. Above a sofa, leave 6 to 10 inches between the back and the bottom of the frames.
- Cover two thirds of the furniture width. Art over a sofa should be about two thirds the sofa's width, so the two read as one unit.
- Space frames 2 to 3 inches apart. Closer looks deliberate, farther looks scattered.
01One large print
One big piece does more for a small wall than many small ones. Choose a print at least 24 by 36 inches over a sofa, and let it be the only thing on that wall.
Posters and prints at Cozy Spirit Studio
02A gallery wall in a grid
Frames of the same size in two or three rows are the easiest gallery to plan. Cut paper to the size of each frame, tape them to the wall and move them until the layout feels right, then mark and hang.
03A ledge instead of nails
A picture ledge lets you swap and layer frames without new holes. It is the best option for renters and for people who like to rearrange.
04Posters by theme
Pick one subject, such as botanicals, travel, museums or abstract shapes, and the prints look planned even when they differ in size. Cozy Spirit Studio sorts its posters by theme.
Abstract posters at Cozy Spirit Studio
Floral posters at Cozy Spirit Studio
Travel posters at Cozy Spirit Studio
05Black and white for a calm room
If the room already has strong color, black-and-white prints add contrast without competing. Use white mats so the frames look larger than the prints.
Black and white prints at Cozy Spirit Studio
06Mirrors in the mix
A mirror opposite a window doubles the light, and one in a gallery wall breaks up the frames. Keep it away from direct glare on the screen.
07Tall and narrow for low ceilings
A pair of vertical prints draws the eye up. Hang them close to the ceiling line if the room feels squat.
08Lean, do not hang
A big frame leaned on a console or the floor looks relaxed and needs no hole. Use a rubber grip so it does not slide.
09Hang without drilling
Adhesive strips hold light frames on smooth walls. Follow the weight rating on the pack and press for the time stated.
10A light above the art
A small picture light turns a print into a feature in the evening. Battery models need no wiring.
For the furniture below your art, read small living room furniture ideas, and for the floor, small living room rug ideas.
Which one for which wall
- Wall above the sofa: one large print or a grid, centered, about two thirds of the sofa width.
- Narrow wall: two tall prints.
- Rental: a ledge, leaning frames and adhesive strips.
- Empty corner: a mirror and a lamp.
Before you pay
- Check that the print is sold at the size you need and what the frame includes.
- Order a test size if you are unsure; paper sizes change how a room looks.
- Look at the return policy for framed glass before it ships.
