Where to hang your prints, room by room

Five album prints hung along a single axis, a large format at the centre

The same frame does not have the same effect depending on where it goes. Here is what works room by room, and the mistake almost everyone makes.

The common mistake: too high

People instinctively hang at raised-arm height, which is twenty to thirty centimetres too high. The guide is simple: the centre of the frame at eye level, around 1.50 m off the floor. In a room where you are mostly seated, living room or bedroom, go a little lower still.

The living room

Above the sofa is the most looked-at wall in the house. Allow 20 to 25 cm between the top of the backrest and the bottom of the frame, and an overall width of about two thirds of the sofa. A single 50x70 holds its place there; so do three 30x40 in a row.

The bedroom

Above the headboard, go for a single centred format rather than a composition: this is a room where the eye rests. It is also where the most personal album belongs, the one you would not necessarily hang in the living room.

The hallway

The best place for a series. You pass through it walking, so the eye scrolls: three to five prints in the same format, the same gap, the same centre line, and the hallway stops being wasted space. That is often where a gallery wall gives its best result.

The office

Above the screen or on the side wall, an album print works better than a neutral decorative image: it shows up on video calls and says something about you. A 30x40 is enough at that distance.

The kitchen and the entrance

Two underrated spots. In the entrance, a single well-placed print sets the tone of the home from the door. In the kitchen, avoid the wall directly above the hob: steam and grease eventually reach the glazing and the frame.