THE 57 INCH RULE

Do you struggle with hanging artwork? Have you ever wondered how high you should hang it? Have you ever entered someone else’s home and all of the artwork is hung so high that you think a giant must live there? Yes, yes and yes!

After you’ve furnished your living spaces with the basics, I believe that having art in your home is the most important finishing touch. It could be a card you framed that was given to you by your parents, a poster of your favorite band, a large print you found at Home Goods, or a painting found at Goodwill – art is very personal and is an expression of who you are and what you love.  

But let’s face it, hanging art can be challenging and getting it right makes a huge difference in how you and others feel about the room. The 57 Inch Rule is a great standard to use when hanging art on walls. Hang anything you like, any size you like, but hang it at 57 inches on center. This means that the center of the artwork should be 57 inches from the ground. This rule applies to hanging art on an open wall or above low furniture. When hanging art over a fireplace or taller dresser, the rule may not apply.

Why 57 inches? 57 inches is the average human eye height and is what most galleries and museums use. This height tends to be a lot lower than most people naturally hang their artwork. I’m not quite sure why, but most people hang everything way too high. Nothing makes me want to grab a hammer and re-hang a picture more than seeing it hung too high. You’ll notice that if you do re-hang everything in your home using this rule, it will be in closer proximity to furniture, rugs, lighting, etc, making everything feel more connected, which is a good thing. You will also see harmony among all of the wall art and it will share one midline, which is also very good.

Here are some helpful step-by-step instructions to aid you on your art-hanging journey:

1. Measure and lightly mark 57 inches on the wall, measuring up from your floor.

2. Measure artwork and divide by 2 to give you the center.

3. Measure the top of your artwork to the tightened wire or hanging bracket. This should be a pretty small amount, depending on your frame or canvas.

4. Subtract that amount in step 3 from the number you figured out in step 2. This will tell you how far above 57 inches your nail or screw should go. The 57 Inch Rule also applies to groups of pictures. Think of a group or gallery wall as one giant picture. After you arrange how you want them all to hang, start with the center picture and hang it using the 57 Inch Rule. From there, fill in with the rest of the group however you like!

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As mentioned earlier, there are a few exceptions to the rule:

• When hanging artwork above furniture, mantels, or other obstructions, the eye level rule doesn’t always apply.

• The bottom of the frame should be between six to eight inches above the top of the feature. In these cases, it’s acceptable to go higher than the 57-inch guideline if need be.

• The artwork should also relate space-wise to furniture, meaning a small work of art hanging six inches above a long couch won’t look right. However, a large work of art or multiple works would look great.

I hope this was helpful and good luck hanging!

Don’t want to do this on your own? Need some help? I love hanging artwork at the correct height! Contact me through Instagram, Facebook or thru the Contact page of this site, and let’s get started.