How High To Hang A Picture [Including For Various Ceiling Heights]

Hanging pictures around your home is a great way to personalize home décor. However, hang art incorrectly and it can make the room feel off-balance. Wondering how high to hang pictures? We've researched the answer to help you figure out the best height.

The rule of thumb is that pictures or artwork should hang at eye-level. For many situations, this means the center of the picture should be 57 to 65 inches above the ground. If your ceiling is higher than nine feet, you can raise the height a few inches. If you're hanging a picture above furniture, the bottom of the frame should be between eight and fifteen inches above the furniture. 

It's important to get the height and arrangement of the pictures on your wall correct. Keep reading as we'll look at these heights more closely, plus discuss other unique scenarios and layouts. Here we go!

How high to hang pictures for eight- or nine-foot ceilings?

The goal of most wall art is to draw the eye of residents and visitors. If you're going to be hanging artwork or photography in your home, you want it to be noticed. Thus, hanging art somewhere between 57 and 65 inches will allow most adults to be at eye-level with the piece. 

Keep in mind that this measurement should be for the middle of the artwork. This standardizes the height, even if a picture is smaller or larger than normal. If the people in your home are shorter or taller than average, you might want to adjust the height of these measurements accordingly.

How to measure to the middle of a picture

Even though measuring the top or bottom of the frame would be easier, your walls will look better if the middle of the artwork is at eye-level. Don't worry: there's an easy way to figure it out. 

The first step is to measure the outer edge of the frame of the picture. Do this from top to bottom, and measure in inches. Divide that number in half.

Then, add that divided number to however many inches off the floor you'd like the artwork to hang. For instance, if you want the middle of the picture to be 60 inches off the ground and the frame is 28 inches tall, you'd hang the top of the picture 74 inches high. 

How high to hang a picture for ten- or twelve-foot ceilings?

If your ceilings are higher than average, you'll want to raise the pictures' height in the room. Otherwise, it will look like an abnormal amount of space between the top of the frame and the high ceiling. Plan on putting the middle of the picture somewhere between 65 and 68 inches above the ground.

However, keep in mind that you still want the picture to be as close to eye-level as possible. Putting the artwork too high -- even if the ceilings are high -- will look off since your eye will land at the bottom of the frame. Just like with eight- or nine-foot ceilings, feel free to adjust the height based on the average height of the people in your home.

Can you hang pictures of your family in the living room? Check out this article for advice: "Can You Hang Family Photos In The Living Room?"

How high to hang a picture over furniture or countertops?

While eye-level is the general rule on open walls, hanging pictures over furniture can be more complicated. Depending on the height of the furniture, eye-level might look incorrect. To fix this, make sure the bottom of the picture is somewhere between eight and fifteen inches above the piece of furniture.

If the artwork is too big to make this realistic, you should find another place for it. On the other hand, if the artwork is too small to fit within these parameters, consider making it part of a gallery wall that can go above the furniture.

Since you mostly stand in front of countertops, you don't need to adjust the pictures' height. Keep them at eye level. If there are cabinets on the wall above the countertops, like in a kitchen, avoid putting pictures on the wall between the two. 

How high to hang pictures in a hallway/entryway?

The main activities in a hallway or entryway are standing and walking. Thus, you should put the center at eye-level, similarly to most other rooms in the house. However, you can get away with putting images in these areas slightly higher if that makes the scheme look better. Hallways and entryways don't typically have countertops or a sofa, so you don't have to worry about those obstacles.

Should all pictures be hung at the same height?

A very popular decorating tactic is to hang multiple pictures on the same wall, or at least in the same living room. If you decide to do this, you'll need to decide how the pictures should relate to each other. Unless you're planning on having a gallery wall of pictures (multiple pictures arranged in a non-linear fashion), the images should all be the same height off the floor.

It's best not to line up the tops or bottoms of all pictures if they are different sizes. Instead, stick to lining up the middle. Otherwise, the strict lines formed by the edges of the frames will look harsh. The arrangement could look like a bar graph on the wall.

How to arrange three pictures on a wall?

If you want to hang three pictures on the same wall, there are a couple of ways you can arrange them. You'll want to make your decision based on space and how you'd like your room to feel. 

Uniformly

Are all three frames the same size? Do you have enough space to spread them out on one wall? If so, you might consider arranging them uniformly. Basically, this means centering them at the same height vertically, like the image below.

While some might consider this layout to be boring, it's a safe way to ensure that the arrangement looks clean. If you opt for this choice, make sure the frames are equidistant from each other horizontally.

Gallery

The other option for hanging three pictures is to hang them gallery-style. This is the best choice if you have three frames of different sizes or if you need a way to consolidate the amount of space the images will take up on the wall. For best results, try to make the distance between each frame equidistant all the way around the gallery wall.

As with hanging only one artwork, the focal point of the gallery should be at eye-level. Thus, the middle of the group should be around 57 to 65 inches above the floor.

Should art be centered on wall or over furniture?

If you're hanging art over major pieces of furniture, you should align them to the center of the piece of furniture. This makes the furniture and artwork look cohesive. Otherwise, the room will appear off-kilter and poorly planned.

Because of this, you should set up your big pieces of furniture exactly where you like. Let the sofa or bed stay for a few days to make sure it's in the right spot. Once you're positive you have the furniture where you want it, use the piece as the parameters for where you'll hang the pictures. 

Where should you not hang pictures?

There really isn't any space where you shouldn't be hanging art. If you have an image that you like and you want to use it to help personalize a space, go for it!

However, keep in mind that pictures are a great way to break up long, boring walls. They don't look good next to windows, door frames, light fixtures, or other things that take up space on walls. Space them out from the edges of these items.

Looking for other things to put on the wall when space is tight? Read this article next: "How To Hang Stuff Up Without Wall Space [4 Ways]."

In Closing

While hanging pictures on your wall, aim to make the center of the frame at eye level. Generally, this will be somewhere between 57 and 65 inches above the floor. Make sure the center is within that range. If your ceiling is higher than normal -- ten or twelve feet high, for instance -- you can raise the level a few inches. If hanging the artwork above furniture, put the bottom edge of the frame eight to fifteen inches above the piece.

Keep in mind that the pictures should look correct to you, even if they don't follow these rules. We hope this article has helped your home look as good as possible!