Buying guide — the arithmetic of hanging
Buying guide: measure first, hang once
This guide is about the arithmetic of hanging wall art well. It applies to any piece, from any seller — the numbers are the point.
1. Measure the wall, not the furniture
Measure the clear wall area you want to use: width and height in inches, excluding baseboards, moldings and anything that will stay in front of the wall. Write both numbers down — the planner asks for exactly these.
2. Hang to a centerline, not a ceiling
A common gallery convention is to place the vertical center of a piece — or of a whole arrangement — about 57 inches from the floor, roughly average eye level. In a room where you mostly sit, a few inches lower often reads better. Pick one centerline and keep it consistent across the room; mixed heights are what makes a wall feel accidental.
3. Keep gaps small and equal
Between frames in a group, 2 to 3 inches reads as one arrangement; much wider and the group breaks into separate pieces. Whatever gap you choose, keep it identical between every pair — the planner uses a fixed 3-inch gap for this reason.
4. Size against what sits below
Over a sofa, sideboard or bed, a widely used rule of thumb is an arrangement about two-thirds the width of the furniture beneath it. One large piece is calmer; a grid is tidier; a salon cluster is busier and needs the most measuring. Treat this as a starting point, not a law — and verify with the planner's fit verdict before drilling.
5. Orientation follows the wall
Tall, narrow stretches of wall (between windows, beside a door) take portrait pieces; long, low stretches (over a sofa) take landscape or a horizontal row. When in doubt, tape paper templates at the planned sizes to the wall and live with them for a day.
6. Get the exact measurements
The room planner turns these rules into numbers: per-piece left edge, bottom edge and center height, plus an honest verdict when an arrangement does not fit your wall.