Have you ever noticed art that just doesn’t look right in someone’s house?

I’ll bet you’ve looked at it and thought, “wow, that’s way too high up!”

Like there’s a ton of space between the floor or whatever is underneath it and it looks weird.

Or worse, if the piece is super tiny and it’s hung so high it’s hugging the ceiling… Ugh!

Nothing ruins an awesome piece of art like an incorrect placement. I’m definitely not a stickler for EVERY home decorating standard and I’ll be the first to break the rules if I think something will look better another way.

However, some rules, like the right way to hang art, make a lot of sense.

Art looks best when you can appreciate it straight on.

That means not having to tilt your head up or down to look at it.

So, instead of pounding a bunch of random nails in the wall, I’ll help you hang your art so that it’s at the most comfortable and appropriate height.

Let’s get into, the magic picture hanging height formula to make your art look incredible!

I’m gonna spill the beans on this one right away. No long lead up.

The center of the art should be around 57” above the floor.

Why?

Because that’s based on the average height of a human so that the top two thirds of the art is comfortably positioned at eye level.

BUT, before you just go for it and hammer a nail at exactly 57”, there’s a couple other things to think about first.

More than likely, the hanging hardware will be inches below the top of the art and you’ll have to account for that to get the placement right.

And, even if the hanging hardware is exactly flush with the top of the piece, you’ll still want to read on to get the placement accurate.

The calculation is X – Y + 57.

(Right click and save this graphic as a reference on your phone) Source: Michael Helwig Interiors — (**Right click and save this graphic** as a reference on your phone) Source: Michael Helwig Interiors

I know, math…

Don’t let it throw you.

The “X” and “Y” are just your variables to plug into the formula.

They’re the height of your piece and where the hanging hardware is located.

Determine that, and you’re 95% there.

The first place to start your calculation is the height of your art.

Let’s say your piece is 15” tall.

If you divide that measurement in half, that’s 7.5”, which is the exact halfway point between the top and bottom, the “X”, in this case.

Your piece is 15 inches. Divide that in half.png

That halfway point is the spot that you want the 57” up from the floor to be. NOT where you want your nail to be.

That’s important.

halfway point is the spot that you want the 57 inches to be.png

Next, you have to take into consideration the position of the hanging hardware; specifically, the difference between the placement of the hanging hardware and how far down it’s positioned from the top of the piece.

So, to figure that out, subtract the distance from the top of the hanging hardware from the halfway point measurement.

Let’s say your piece has a wire that, when pulled taunt, arcs at 3” below the top of the piece. That is the “Y” for your calculation.

Now plug those numbers into your X and Y points in the formula.

(X) 7.5” – (Y) 3” = 4.5” + 57”

That adds up to 61.5”, that’s height you hammer your nail to hang this piece.

This calculation will position your piece so that the center is 57” from the floor and the top two thirds is approximately eye level.

Hanging Art on a Angled Staircase Wall

That’s great, Michael but what about hanging art or pictures above furniture, on stairs or in other locations?

Let’s tackle the stairs first.

Hang Pictures above stairs — Michael Helwig Interiors

If you want to follow the pitch of the stairs, measure the stair wall first so that you can figure out the center point of the wall and how many pieces you can fit.

57” is still the magic number, but it’s not in the center of the picture for a stair wall installation.

Instead, Mark a 57” line above the first step.

This is your horizontal line.

You can mark your horizontal line with chalk, two push pins and string or a level tape line.

Whatever way you get there, it’s important to make sure the line is level.

After that, Measure the width of the piece, (X).

Now it’s time to install your first piece.

The first piece is hung half the width (0.5 X) of the piece above the horizontal line.

For example, if your piece is 8” wide, hang it 4” above the this line.

So, for this example, your nail should be centered above the first step at 61”.

The second frame is centered above the next step and hung 1 and a half the width above the horizontal line, (1.5 X)

So that means your next nail is placed at 65” from the step, that is 57 + 8 = 65.

Next one is 2 and a half times (2.5 X) the width above the line, which is 69”, that’s 57 + 12 = 69.

It’s always going to be 57” plus the next increment for a pitched staircase wall.

Hanging Art Above Sofa

If you want to hang art above furniture, like a sofa for instance, you will follow the original formula where the center of the art is at 57” above the floor.

The distance between the top of a piece of furniture and the bottom of the art should be 6” to 8” but, that may change depending on the height of the piece of furniture under the art.

If you have a tall sofa, you may need to adjust the height of your midpoint up from 57”, 58, 59 up to 60”, but I wouldn’t go higher because you’ll run the risk of the art being positioned too high.

Style Tip: It’s better to go slightly bigger than too small with your art.

The second thing to keep in mind is the art installation should be between one half and two thirds the size of the furniture underneath it.

Here, the sofa is 90” and the art is 60”, which is two thirds the width of the sofa.

When you keep that footprint in mind, you’ll be able to install any kind of arrangement:

Gallery style art installation.

Triptych (3 pieces of equal dimensions).

Mirror and two sconces.

What if you have a piece of furniture that’s short or low profile?

Sometimes when you have a short, long piece, it’s better to go with a grid type art installation where all the pieces are the same dimensions and spaced equally apart from one another.

This makes a pleasing and symmetrical arrangement.

Start with the first piece hung at midpoint, eye level at 57” inches up on the wall directly in the center of the of the furniture underneath and build the configuration from that point.

You can play around with the spacing between each piece, but don’t go further apart than 3” between each piece of art.

Food for thought: it’s often easier to find a group of 3 tall pieces, or a group of same size frames to create a grid, than it is to find one large piece that would fit appropriately over short, long furniture.

3 tall pieces of art above furniture.png

So that’s it.

See I told you, short and sweet.

To sum up, 57” is the magic height for the center of most art.

Keep the width of your art to one half to two thirds the width of the furniture below it.

And, use a buffer of 6” to 8” between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the art.

Follow these guidelines and you’ll have a great looking art installation on any wall.

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I write about small space design and decorating, sustainable furniture options, positive self care and a variety of do-it-yourself home décor.

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“This man is a plant shaman. He not only designs beautiful rooms, he’s got a green thumb that works like magic! My peace palm never looked better.”

— David K.

“Michael Helped me to get my home office in magazine ready form. Thank you a million times for helping me figure this room out. It’s now my favorite room!”

— Dawn Z.

Michael is Principal designer and blogger at Michael Helwig Interiors in beautiful Buffalo, New York. Since 2011, he’s a space planning expert, offering online interior e-design services for folks living in small homes, or for those with awkward and tricky layouts. He’s a frequent expert contributor to many National media publications and news outlets on topics related to decorating, interior design, diy projects, and more. Michael happily shares his experience to help folks avoid expensive mistakes and decorating disappointments. You can follow him on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook @interiorsmh.