What size of painting should you choose for your living room?
The simplest rule: above a sofa, a painting should cover about two thirds of its width, with its centre at eye level. Here is how to apply it at home, with real examples.
It is the question I hear most often, right after “how much does it cost”. And it is often where a hanging succeeds or fails: a beautiful canvas that is too small looks lost above a large sofa, while one that is too big overwhelms the room.
The two-thirds rule
Measure the width of the piece of furniture the painting will hang above — sofa, sideboard, headboard. The ideal painting covers between half and two thirds of it. For a 2.20 m sofa, that means a work 110 to 150 cm wide. If you are torn between two sizes, choose the larger one: it is almost always right.
How high should it hang?
The centre of the painting should sit around 1.45 to 1.55 m from the floor, the average eye level. Above a sofa, leave 20 to 25 cm between the top of the backrest and the bottom of the frame: enough room to breathe, not so much that the two pieces drift apart visually.
Portrait or landscape?
A landscape format extends a low piece of furniture and makes the room feel longer. A portrait format does the opposite: it draws attention to the ceiling height and suits narrow walls, between two windows or above a console.
What about colour?
There is no need to match the painting to your cushions. Instead, look for one colour in the room that appears, even subtly, in the work: the wood of a table, the green of a plant, a fabric. That single echo is enough to tie them together.
If in doubt, send me a photo of your wall with its measurements, and I will tell you honestly which size would suit it best.
