choosing art sizes for your space

It’s always fun (ok, maybe it’s just me) to figure out what size artwork to hang in a given location. We’re currently trying to figure out which size of framed pieces we would like to hang above our new living room sideboard.

Our means for doing this is very tactile, very visual, and very effective: hang pieces of paper of various standard frame sizes to test drive our options. This works for us because we plan on hanging prints here that can be created in a variety of different sizes, however if you have an original painting in mind you’ll be more limited when it comes to size.

Stuff you’ll need:

• pencil or some other writing implement
• ruler
• scissors
• large pieces of paper – can be anything, here I’ve used plain kraft paper because I carry these in my portfolio for when people ask about sizing, but I usually recommend that people use newspaper or whatever they have hanging around
• painters tape

What you’ll need to do:

Figure out which size frame or finished artwork is available to you either by visiting your local art store, framer, artist who’s work you’d like to hang, or by using our handy standard artwork framing chart as a guide. Measure and cut out pieces of paper in those sizes. Use painter’s tape to stick your pieces of paper to the wall in your desired location.

This should help you determine which size of framed artwork you would like to hang, then work backwards to figure out what size of art you will actually need. For instance, if you decide that 24×30 inches looks great in your space you can either hang an piece that is 24×30 inches and not use a mat, or you can display a 16×20 inch print with a some matting around it. Using a smaller piece of art can save you a bit of money, plus it’s always nice to have a mat around your artwork because it will protect it from touching the glass.

In our case we quite like the look of 24×30 inches, but we’d most like to hang three pieces across the wall so we’re thinking about going slightly smaller: three 20×24 inch frames. Actually, we may even do six 20×20 inch frames hung in two symmetrical horizontal rows.

Looking for art to hang? You should check out our photography shop.

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