How To Style Wall Art Like A Pro | A Sizing Guide By 1Wall

By Alex / March 27th, 2023 / There are currently 0 comments

Displaying art in your home is a great way to showcase your personality when you’re not in the room. However, cultivating your interior to represent your style accurately takes time. With this in mind, it’s important to style your artwork correctly when you find the perfect piece for your interior, whether it’s a radiating abundance of colour or a more minimal print.

If you find it overwhelming to style wall art, we’re here to take the stress away with our one-stop guide. We’ve considered all you need to know about styling wall art like a pro, including selecting the right size and finding the perfect placement. So, without further ado, let’s delve in.

How to Choose the Right Size Wall Art
What size artwork should I go for?
How big should the artwork be on my wall?
The perfect photo placement

How to choose the right sized wall art

Choosing the right wall art for your home may seem challenging, but we’re here to tell you it’s quite simple. It’s all about the fundamentals, and getting the perfect placement will be a breeze once you understand them.

The basics of wall art sizes

Size is a huge factor in getting an aesthetically balanced wall, which is why understanding the basic wall art sizes is key to mastering the look.

What size wall art should I go for?

We’ve all heard the saying, “go big or go home,” which certainly applies when deciding on your interior artwork. However, smaller pieces can make just as much of an impact when styled correctly.

There is no doubt that size matters when making a focal point in your home. Below, we’ve expanded on common wall art measurements to help guide you on which size is best for you.

Small art

Small art is an ideal choice for those seeking to add a touch of style to bedside tables, books and mantel shelves. From 30cm x 40cm or smaller, this choice of artwork is ideal for those who lack space but still desire a big impact.

Medium-sized art

Anywhere between 40 and 60cm, medium-sized art is large enough to be styled alone on a shelving unit without appearing lost. You can also style medium pieces on your wall to create a standout look, or they will fit faultlessly amongst a larger wall gallery.

Large wall art

Large wall art is measured at 60cm and above and is an excellent choice for those looking to make a huge impact with a singular piece. Moreover, large artwork adds depth and drama to your space when correctly paired with a sleek frame.

How big should the artwork be on my wall?

The answer to how big your artwork should be depends on the wall’s width and height. To get the ideal sizing, take the width and height measurements, and follow the formulas below.

Width

The width of your art is fundamental to getting the right look. Follow the formula below to get the ideal width length for your wall.

Formula: Width of the wall x 0.57 = the ideal width length.

Height – how high should I hang on my wall art?

Now that you have the ideal width length, you only need to get the vertical height measurements. To do this, simply multiply the height and width length. The total width and height should cover between ¾ to ⅔ of the wall; if it doesn’t, you’ve most likely mismeasured.

If unsure, a safe height is around 144 cm off the ground, which remains at eye level to most.

The perfect photo placement

So, we’ve discussed the size of your artwork, but how exactly do you find the perfect picture placement? Well, this depends on the look you’re going for.

How do you mix and match wall art?

When mixing and matching your favourite artwork, you want to consider the ‘wall gallery’ as a singular painting. Seeing a gallery as one piece of art will help you find the right balance when choosing your pieces, ensuring they all come together perfectly.

Some people say that to create a successful wall gallery, you need to stick to the same artwork. In fact, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Part of the fun of making a wall gallery is finding mismatched pieces and bringing them together, whether they are illustrations, paintings or photographs. When considering your wall gallery as a singular piece, we simply mean to be mindful of the art pieces already in the gallery, when searching for new artwork.

You also need to consider the space your gallery will take up, as this will greatly affect how many frames you should go for and the size.

Should my wall art be landscape or portrait?

Deciding whether to hang your wall art landscape or portrait is easy; there is no rule, but if your wall is particularly narrow, aim for a vertical piece of artwork.

How should I arrange my paintings on the wall?

Arranging your artwork can be daunting, so we recommend you begin by placing your wall art on the floor. This will allow you to play around with the layout before committing.

Avoid placing similar-sized pieces together when styling your paintings on the wall, as this removes the likeliness of an unbalanced look.

When placing your artwork together, aim to keep a 5 – 7cm difference between each frame, as this is the ideal distance.

Where should you not hang pictures?

Art is subjective; we see everything differently and acquire our unique tastes. That said, there are some generic no-nos when hanging your wall art.

For maintenance, avoid hanging your artwork in direct sunlight. The sun-ray radiation causes irreversible damage, causing the artwork’s colours to fade and even crack.

If you desire good lighting but don’t have the luxury of natural light, we recommend LED lights available in many forms, including bulbs and strips.

Lastly, avoid hanging your wall art near the floor unless you want to create the illusion of a shorter wall – this look can be difficult to master and only works in niche scenarios.

Wall art at 1Wall

Here at 1Wall, we have hundreds of choices of wall art for you to explore, including options ideal for galleries and stand-alone pieces. Choose from various skilful artists, each offering unique skills and styles that look stunning in your home. Delve into our authentic wall art collection now and discover unmissable pieces to suit every interior art 1Wall.

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