What Size Art Print Do You Need? A No-Guesswork Guide

Ask any interior designer about the most common wall art mistake and you will get the same answer: people buy too small. A lonely 30x40 print floating above a three seat sofa is the decorating equivalent of a firm handshake with two fingers. Here is how to get the size right, every time.

Couple measuring their living room wall with framed prints leaning against the wall

The two thirds rule

Above furniture, your art (or group of prints) should span roughly two thirds of the width of the piece below it. A 220 cm sofa wants about 140 to 150 cm of art above it. That can be one very large print or a group of two or three that together reach that width. Above a bed, same logic, aim for two thirds of the headboard width.

Cheat sheet by spot

Above the sofa: 100x140 cm and up, or a set of prints totaling that width. Above the bed: 70x100 or a pair of 50x70s. Home office and desk: 50x70 is the sweet spot. Hallways and small walls: 30x40 to 50x70, hung at eye level. Statement wall in a large room: this is where custom sizes shine, we print up to 200x200 cm.

Flatlay of art prints and frames in different standard sizes with measuring tape

Measure before you order

Grab a tape measure and note the width of the wall section and the furniture below it. Then mark the intended print size on the wall with painter's tape and live with it for a day. This two minute trick has saved more walls than any design rule ever written.

When in doubt, size up

Almost nobody ever says "I wish I had ordered this print smaller." If you are stuck between two sizes, take the larger one. Larger art reads as more expensive than it is, smaller art reads as an afterthought.

Need a size that does not exist in the standard list? At Wall of Art Studio you can order custom sizes up to 200x200 cm, shipped rolled in a rigid tube within one business day. Start browsing our bestsellers to find the piece worth measuring for.

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