Let’s say you’ve decided to decorate the walls of your home with some pictures or paintings. Choosing a theme and then selecting the pictures that you want to display is the first step and the most important one and once you’ve done that you might think you’re done but that’s just an illusion. You also have to decide the proportions and, most importantly the height at which to hang the pictures. At this point you might before confused. What is the right height to hang a picture at anyway? Well, that actually depends on a few factors such as the function of the room and the placement of the picture in the context of the space.

57 inches or 144 cm is roughly the average human eye level so hanging pictures and artwork at this height is usually a good ruleThere are exceptions when the gallery height rule doesn’t apply, such as if there’s a trim on the wall or a piece of furniture in the way

It’s important to think how you and everyone else will be looking at the picture/ pictures. Will you be standing or will you be seated? Will be pictures be displayed above a couch, headboard or some other element or will the wall be furniture-free? If they’ll be viewed from a standing position then you’ll want to employ the gallery height rule which basically states that you should hang artwork at 57” on center. So what does that mean exactly? It means that first you need to measure up 57” from the floor, then measure the picture top to bottom, divide the number in half and subtract the space between the wire and the top of the frame (if that’s even the case) and add that number to the initial 57”. That’s where the pin should go so that the center of the picture will be at eye level.

Another exception is when you display a group of pictures or framed artwork pieces on several layers as opposed to a single oneYou can follow the same rules when hanging mirrors and other things on walls, not just pictures and artworkIf you’re hanging pictures above a headboard, be sure to leave a bit of space between them and the headboardIf there’s a group of pictures or items and one of them is the central piece, that’s the one you should place at eye level

The gallery height rule is ok to follow for spaces such as hallways or foyers. If you want to display your pictures in the living room or the dining area you’ll need to adjust your measurements. If they’ll be viewed from a seated position then make sure that the center of the picture is at eye level measured when seating on a chair or sofa (depending on the space and its function. If you want to hang them above a couch, a headboard, mantel, bar or some other element, then make sure you leave 8 to 10 inches between the bottom of the picture and the furniture piece or structure beneath it.

If several furniture pieces are involved, decide which one matters in relation to the pictures or artwork displayed above themSometimes it’s ok to line up the bottom of the frames when displaying two or more pictures with different heightsA large or oversized picture or painting might look overwhelming if placed too low or too high on the wall so try to find the sweet spotA cabinet or a dresser might force you to display the pictures higher than eye level but it could still look good in the context of the room