One of the first steps in making a space feel like home is hanging photos and art.

When shopping for a photograph, size is nearly as important as the composition of the piece. An improperly sized photograph can either overwhelm a room or allow the room to overwhelm the art, neither of which is aesthetically pleasing. For many, art is both a passion and an investment, and when it comes to the latter, you should take the time to buy something that’s perfect for your home.

Here is a guide on how to decide what size of wall art will be just right for your room, to help make the selection process a little bit easier, and more importantly fun!

Selecting the right size print for your space can be daunting, but below are a few tips and tricks to help make it quite simple.

THE ROOM –  When picking art for any room BIGGER IS BETTER!

If you are investing in art, you certainly don’t want to buy it, and hang it,  only to discover your room still feels barren.  Take into account the amount of furniture that you have in a room, if it is sparse, then a large piece of artwork will fill up the visual field as furniture might.

THE WALL – You need to think about two things here – the overall dimensions of the wall, but then you also the orientation.

Tall, narrow walls will work best with photographs of a similar shape, created in a portrait, or vertical orientation, while horizontal wall spaces (often found over sofas, in a hallway) work best with landscape-oriented artwork.

1.  Measure the length and width of the wall where you want to hang the photograph. If it is going over a bed, couch, or another piece of furniture, only measure the open wall space, from the top of the furniture to the ceiling rather than from floor to ceiling.

2.  Follow the three-eighths rule. When working with an otherwise empty wall, the general rule is to choose a piece that will leave empty space in the amount of three-eighths of the width of the photograph on each side. This means that you can determine the perfect size photograph by multiplying the width of the wall by .57. So if your wall space is 60 inches, then your finished image (with frame and matting, etc) should be 34 to 35 inches wide.

It is important to note that art/images on a wall have an ideal viewing distance. The rule of thumb is to take the diagonal measurement of the image (do not include frame or matting) and this will give you the ideal viewing distance. So if your image is 30 inches diagonally across, then the ideal viewing distance is 2 and half feet away.

3.  Calculate the space between photographs if you’ll be hanging more than one. This includes hanging photographs over furniture, a fireplace or on a blank wall. When choosing a photograph to hang next to an existing piece, the space between the two should be included when using the ratios described.

4.  Account for what is on the wall already when deciding on a size for the photograph. Photographs hung over furniture should be less than 75 percent of the width of the furniture; for example, a photograph over an 84-inch-long sofa should be 63 inches wide or less. Artwork hung over a fireplace tends to look best when the photograph is as wide as the opening of the fireplace (no matter the size of the mantel).

5.  Factor frame size into your choice.

Have a look at the guide below to see how different print sizes would look relative to your living space.

Note that 8×10 and 8×12 sizes are best suited as tabletop displays.  For walls, larger sizes always look best.

This image is just a guide using the photographs alone, so you get an idea of the proportions of sizes sold at Cristina Photo Store and your living space.

The simplest answer is to just match the frame to the size of the picture! Frames are always listed for sale by the inside dimension. This means if you have a 16×20 piece of artwork, it will fit a 16×20 frame, as simple as that!

For a nicer presentation, most people want a border around the picture before the edge of the frame starts. This is called a mat or matte, and it is not merely cosmetic. It is also important for keeping art or photographs off of the surface of the glass or acrylic where condensation can occur and cause damage.

For all fine art photographs larger than 8×12/11×17 we recommend getting them professionally framed.

When buying a frame for something already mounted onto a mat, measure the outside dimension of the mat. Purchase a frame that matches this size.

1. In order to figure out what picture frame sizes you need to look for, start by carefully measuring your picture.

2. Next, you need to decide how much border you want on the outside of the picture, let’s say something between 1 1/2-4 inches.

3. Once you know the border size, and thus the mat size, you can shop for picture frame sizes that match this.

For example, you would be looking for a 16×20 frame with a mat for an 11×14 photograph.

Large, bold images draw attention. You want people to notice them, but always remember not be overwhelmed by them.

Please note: We are not responsible for any damage during the framing process.

Stores we suggest to find frames in Canada:  Michaels, Ikea, Chapters, or check your local frame store

Artwork/images should be centered at eye level for the average height person.

Gallery Walls – Gallery walls are a fun, eye-catching way to fill a large space when you are drawn to more than one piece by the same artist when you find several prints or photographs within the same color palette which you’d like to group together in frames.  You can group together wall art which is all the same size, or create real visual interest by grouping together art of varying sizes in one

If you have a big group of images that you are planning to hang, lay them on the floor first and determine the best arrangement.

Unique Ways Of Displaying Photographs and Prints In Your Home and Office. Where would you put a wall gallery in your house?

Here is some ideas and decor inspiration: