Artwork is the most personal decision in a living room and often the one people leave until last. Everything else goes in and then the walls stay bare for months while the room never quite feels finished.
The hesitation is understandable. Choosing wall art feels high stakes. It is large, it is visible and it is not something you swap out every season. But the principles behind choosing well are far simpler than most people expect.
Key Takeaways
- The two-thirds rule: your artwork should be roughly two-thirds the width of the furniture it hangs above. Most people go too small.
- Hang at eye level: the centre of the piece should sit at roughly 145–150cm from the floor, which is average adult eye height.
- Pull colour from the room, not from a chart: choose one colour already present in your sofa, rug or cushions and find it in the artwork.
- Framed prints suit traditional and transitional interiors canvas works well in contemporary and coastal spaces.
- See it in person if you can scale and colour are almost impossible to judge accurately from a screen.
Why Most People Get Artwork Wrong
- The most common mistake is choosing a piece that is too small. A canvas or print that looks substantial on a product page can disappear entirely on a wall above a three-seat sofa. Most people underestimate scale when shopping online, which is exactly why the two-thirds rule is such a useful anchor.
- The second most common mistake is choosing artwork in isolation from the rest of the room. A piece that looks beautiful on a white studio wall can read very differently against a warm grey, a textured plaster finish or a room full of natural timber tones.
How to Get the Size Right
Start with the furniture below or beside the artwork rather than with the wall itself. As a general principle the artwork should be approximately two-thirds the width of the sofa, sideboard or bed head it is positioned above. This creates a sense of proportion that feels balanced without the artwork dominating the space.
If you are unsure about size before buying, tape out the dimensions on the wall with masking tape before you order. It takes five minutes and removes the guesswork entirely.
Hanging Height
The centre of any artwork should sit at approximately 145 to 150cm from the floor. This is average adult eye height and it is the standard used by galleries and interior designers.
The most common mistake is hanging artwork too high, which makes a room feel disconnected and the piece feel like an afterthought.
Choosing Colour
The most reliable approach is to pull colour from something already in the room. Look at your sofa, your rug, your cushions and your throw. Identify one colour and find that same colour in the artwork.
This does not mean the artwork needs to match everything in the room. It means the colour thread connects the piece to the space so it feels chosen for the room rather than placed in it.
Neutral rooms with white or warm grey walls will have the most flexibility.
Framed Prints vs Canvas
- Framed artwork suits traditional, transitional and Hamptons-style interiors particularly well. The frame adds structure and formality that works with classic furniture and detailed architectural features.
- Canvas artwork works well in contemporary, coastal and more relaxed interiors. A large canvas with no frame has a clean, uninterrupted quality that suits open-plan living areas and spaces with minimal architectural detail.
Neither is inherently better. The right choice depends on the room, the existing furniture and the overall feeling you are after.
Room-by-Room Guide
Living room
This is where to invest in your largest and most considered piece. A single substantial canvas or print above the sofa makes the greatest visual impact and anchors the whole room.
Dining room
A gallery wall of smaller complementary frames works particularly well here, since you have wall space on multiple sides and the variety of a gallery creates conversation points. Choose a colour thread that runs through all the pieces to keep the grouping cohesive.
Hallway
Tall, narrow pieces suit hallway spaces well. A single vertical canvas or a vertical grouping of frames leads the eye through the space and makes a hallway feel intentional rather than transitional.
Bedroom
Artwork above a bed should be calming rather than bold. Tonal landscapes, abstract washes and botanical prints all work well.
Home office
Something that inspires focus or brings a sense of calm is more useful here than something purely decorative. A landscape print or a quiet abstract in a neutral palette works well without creating visual distraction.
The Glenelg Store Advantage
Scale is genuinely difficult to judge from a screen. Our Glenelg store carries a wide selection of artwork across price points and styles, and seeing a piece propped against a wall at its actual size tells you far more than any product photo can.
If you are buying artwork as a gift or for a room you cannot bring photos of, our team can help you choose based on a description of the space. We do this every day and it is one of the things an independent, curated store does well that an online-only retailer simply cannot.
Please note that most artwork pieces have a 2 to 4 week delivery window due to careful packaging and shipping requirements. Factor this in if you are buying ahead of a specific date or occasion.
FAQs
Q: How do I know if a piece is the right size without seeing it in person?
Use the two-thirds rule as your starting point. Measure the width of the sofa or furniture the piece will hang above, multiply by 0.67 and that is your target width. Then tape the dimensions on the wall before ordering to confirm how it will feel in the space.
Q: Can I mix framed prints and canvases in the same room?
Yes, provided the colour palette and style feel cohesive. Mixing a large canvas as the anchor piece with smaller framed prints around it can work well in a living room. Avoid mixing very different frame finishes in the same gallery wall.
Q: What is the difference between a print and an original artwork?
A print is a reproduced image, often in a limited edition run, printed onto paper or canvas. An original is a one-of-a-kind hand-created piece. Both have a place depending on your budget and your intention. We stock both at Home Basics & Design across a range of price points.
Q: How do I hang artwork on a plaster or brick wall?
For standard plaster walls, a picture hook rated to the weight of the piece is sufficient for most works. For heavier canvases or large gallery walls, we recommend using wall anchors. Our team in store can advise on hanging hardware if you are unsure.
What to Do Next
Browse our artwork collection online or come into our Glenelg store on Jetty Road to see pieces at scale.
Free delivery on orders over $200 |1-hour click and collect available in store
Please allow 2–4 weeks for artwork delivery.
