Wall Art Size Guide (Part Two): Layouts, Gallery Walls & Real-World Tips

In our first guide, How to Choose the Right Size Art Print for Your Room, we looked at the essentials: how to read your wall, use the two-thirds rule and understand standard print sizes.

This follow-up is for when you’re ready to go a little deeper.

Here, we’ll focus on real-world layouts, gallery walls, hanging heights and common mistakes – the practical details that turn a nice print into a beautifully balanced focal point.

Whether you’re planning a calm gallery wall or finally tackling that big blank space over the sofa, think of this as Part Two of your wall art sizing toolkit.

A Quick Recap: The Basics (and When to Break Them)

If you haven’t read Part One yet, the key principle is simple:

Artwork usually looks best when it fills around two-thirds to three-quarters of the space or furniture beneath it.

That’s your starting point.

From there, you can bend the rules:

    - In cosy, layered rooms, slightly smaller art can work beautifully alongside lamps, plants and styled surfaces.

    - In minimal, airy spaces, going a little larger than you think often looks more intentional and gallery-like.

Part Two is all about using those foundations to shape layouts that feel calm and considered.

Treat the Whole Arrangement as One Shape

Whether you’re hanging a single piece or eleven, the same idea applies:

View the overall layout as one shape on the wall.

Ask yourself:

    - Is my “shape” roughly centred over the furniture or in the room?

    - Does it feel visually connected to what’s beneath it, rather than floating on its own?

    - Do the outer edges feel balanced – not too close to the ceiling, corners or door frames?

A Simple Visual Tip

If you’re building a gallery wall or hanging two or three pieces together, lightly sketch a rectangle around the outside edges in your mind (or on paper). If that imaginary shape feels balanced, the individual frames inside it usually will too.

Planning a Calm Gallery Wall (Without the Chaos)

Gallery walls don’t have to be busy or overwhelming – especially when you’re working with nature-inspired artwork.

Step 1 – Choose a Mood, Not Just a Mix

Decide what you want the wall to feel like before you choose sizes:

    - Quiet and minimal – fewer pieces, more breathing space, a restrained colour palette.

    - Warm and collected – more pieces, closer spacing, a mix of sizes that still share a calm, cohesive mood.

For Atelier Lumin prints, soft greens, muted blues, warm neutrals and black-and-white pieces can be mixed together to create a very gentle, grounded look.

Step 2 – Start with a “Hero” Piece

Pick one artwork that you’d like the eye to rest on first:

    - Often the largest print

    - Or the piece with the deepest colour or strongest composition

Place this slightly off-centre in your imagined rectangle, then build the rest of the layout around it.

Step 3 – Use Consistent Gaps

    - Aim for 3–6 cm between frames.

    - Closer spacing feels more like one connected artwork; wider spacing feels more relaxed.

Consistency is more important than the exact number you choose.

Step 4 – Test on the Floor (or with Paper Templates)

    - Arrange your frames on the floor until the overall shape feels right.

    - For extra certainty, draw around each frame on paper, cut the shapes out and tape them lightly to the wall.

    - Adjust until the whole arrangement feels calm and balanced – then commit to hooks.

Real-World Layouts: Sofas, Beds and Stairs

Let’s look at a few common scenarios.

Above a Sofa

Your first guide covers sizing; here we’re focusing on layout.

Option 1: One Statement Piece

    - Centre a large landscape or forest scene over the sofa.

    - Keep the bottom of the frame 15–25 cm above the top of the back cushions.

    - If your ceilings are high, you can afford to go slightly larger or higher without it feeling cramped.

Option 2: Two or Three Pieces in a Row

    - Use two or three prints of the same height.

    - Keep the gaps between them consistent.

    - Treat the whole row as if it were one long artwork, centred over the sofa.

Option 3: Soft Gallery Wall

    - Create a loose rectangle of 5–8 pieces.

    - Put your largest piece slightly off-centre, then fill around it with smaller works.

    - Keep the outer edges roughly aligned so the arrangement has a clear shape, even if the frames don’t “match”.

Above a Bed

Above a bed, you’re working with two strong horizontal lines: the mattress and the headboard. Your art should echo that calm, grounded feeling.

Option 1: One Horizontal Piece

    - Choose a wide, serene print (lakes, horizons, misty tree lines work beautifully).

    - Centre it above the bed, leaving a 10–20 cm gap above the headboard.

    - Avoid pushing it too close to the ceiling – it should feel connected to the bed, not hovering above it.

Option 2: Two or Three Narrow Pieces

    - Use two or three prints that form a subtle rhythm across the wall.

    - Keep the tops aligned for a neat, structured look, or stagger them very slightly for something softer.

Option 3: Asymmetrical Calm

    - Hang one larger piece above one side of the bed and balance it visually with a tall lamp or plant on the opposite side.

    - This works especially well in more relaxed, eclectic spaces.

Staircases and Hallways

    - Stair walls and corridors can be some of the most rewarding places to hang art.

Staircase walls

    - Let the centre line of your frames gently follow the angle of the stairs.

    - Mix square, vertical and horizontal pieces, but keep consistent gaps between them.

    - Start with one piece at eye level on the landing and build up or down from there.

Hallways

    - In narrow hallways, fewer, slightly larger pieces tend to feel calmer than lots of tiny frames.

    - Consider a series of tall, slim prints or a single panoramic landscape that gently leads the eye along the space.

Hanging Height: Getting the Centre Right

The classic gallery guideline still applies:

    - Aim for the centre of your artwork or arrangement to sit around 145–155 cm from the floor.

Then adjust gently for:

    - Furniture – you may need to raise the piece slightly to avoid crowding a headboard or sofa back.

    - Ceiling height – in very tall rooms, you don’t have to chase the ceiling; keep the art connected to the people using the space.

As a rule of thumb:
If you’re looking up at your art rather than slightly down or straight ahead, it may be a touch too high.

Common Mistakes (and Quick Fixes)

1. The “Postage Stamp” Problem

The issue: A small print on a large, empty wall looks lost and accidental.

Fixes:

    - Upgrade to a larger size or framed version.

    - Add complementary pieces to build a gallery wall around it.

    - Move the small print to a more intimate space (next to a bedside, on a shelf, or in a reading corner).

2. Hanging Too High

The issue: Artwork sits too close to the ceiling, disconnected from furniture and people.

Fixes:

    - Lower the piece so the centre is closer to eye level.

    - Tighten the gap between the furniture and the bottom of the frame to 15–25 cm where possible.

3. Frames Fighting the Room

The issue: Heavy, high-contrast frames in a very soft, minimal space (or vice versa) can feel jarring.

Fixes:

    - For calm, nature-inspired rooms, consider lighter wood frames or simple black frames with generous white borders.

    - Keep frame colours consistent across a gallery wall to unify mixed artwork.

4. No Relationship to Furniture

The issue: Art is centred on the wall, but not in relation to the sofa, bed or console beneath it.

Fixes:

    - Re-centre your layout based on the furniture, not the wall alone.

    - Allow the furniture to become part of the composition – the art, furniture and floor should feel like one story, not separate elements.

How Atelier Lumin Can Help You Plan

Every Atelier Lumin collection is designed with real rooms in mind – from small rented spaces to open-plan living areas and quiet therapy rooms.

If you’re:

    - Unsure which size to choose for a particular wall

    - Debating between one statement piece or a gallery wall

    - Planning art for a workspace, studio or practice

…we’re always happy to help.

You can send us:

    - A quick photo of your wall

    - Rough measurements

    - A note about how you’d like the space to feel

We’ll suggest sizes, layouts and specific pieces from our nature-inspired collections to suit your room and your style.

Crafted to Inspire. Designed to Belong.
Explore our full range of fine art prints and framed prints in the Atelier Lumin collection.