The 57-inch rule
Hanging art too high is one of the most common decorating mistakes. Museums and galleries solve it with a simple standard: the center of the artwork sits about 57 inches above the floor, close to the average adult eye level. Some designers prefer 57 to 60 inches, or a little lower in rooms where people mostly sit. Using the same center height for every picture in a room also makes them look coordinated.
The calculation
Centered at eye level
- Top of the frame = center height + frame height ÷ 2
- Nail height = top of the frame − drop to the hanging point
Above furniture
- Bottom of the frame = furniture height + gap
- Top of the frame = bottom + frame height
- Nail height = top − drop
The drop is the distance from the top of the frame down to the point that will sit on the nail: the wire pulled taut toward the top, or the hanger itself.
Example
A frame 24 inches tall, with the taut wire 4 inches below its top, hung with its center at 57 inches:
- Top of the frame: 57 + 12 = 69 in
- Nail: 69 − 4 = 65 in above the floor
- Bottom of the frame: 45 in
Above a 34-inch sideboard with an 8-inch gap, the same frame would have its bottom at 42 inches and its nail at 62 inches.
Practical tips
- Measure from the finished floor, and mark the horizontal center of the wall or furniture first.
- Over a sofa, bed or sideboard, leave about 6 to 10 inches between the furniture and the frame, and choose art about two thirds as wide as the furniture.
- For a gallery wall, treat the group as one large picture and place its center at 57 inches.
- Use two hooks for wide or heavy frames to keep them level, and find studs or use anchors rated for the weight.
- In a stairway, keep the center about 57 inches above each step, following the slope of the stairs.