How to choose the right size artwork for your space
It is no secret that art can improve our mental and emotional wellbeing, which is why choosing the right artwork for your space is important. However, it can be challenging to find an example that fits perfectly in terms of colour, texture, framing, style, and, above all, size. You may find an incredible piece, but it will appear awkward and instead draw attention to vacant wall space if it is too small for the room. Equally, if you choose a piece of art that is too large, it risks overwhelming your space and making it feel cramped. If you find yourself staring at a blank wall in your home, wondering where to begin, then keep reading. This article will explore how to choose suitable artwork sizes by carefully considering the size, placement, orientation, and other factors.
What size are you looking for?
Whether you want to decorate a large open space in your lounge, or perhaps are looking for something to draw the eye at the end of a hallway, you will want to make sure the size is suitable.
It can be challenging to decide from just looking at an area, so there are a couple of simple sizing rules to follow that will help you decide between the various artwork sizes available.
The first rule is that your wall art should take up around ¾ of the flat wall space. The simplest way to figure this out is by measuring the width and height of your wall and then multiply them both by 0.75 which will give you the width and height you should be looking for in a piece of art. Any example that is within a few centimetres of those numbers should fit the space well. These measurements can be helpful, particularly when looking to buy a fine art print directly from an artist, because they can be printed and framed to suit your requirements perfectly.
The second rule is for spaces where your work of art will be hung over a bed, sofa, console table, or fireplace, for example. In this instance, your piece should be around 2/3 of the furniture’s width.
This calculation is similar to the first, because you take the width of the furniture and multiply it by 0.66. For example, if your fireplace is three feet wide, any artwork with a width of around 1.98ft will look great hung above it. If you are working with a larger wall space, and wonder if even one big piece of artwork would be enough, why not consider a collection? The trend of triptych art is making a comeback in 2021, with many interior designers grouping three of the best pieces from the same collection. Our own piece, entitled ‘Composure’, is a collection of three abstract paintings that would perfectly compliment any room above a console table or sofa.
The mixture of complimentary textures and colours injects your space with a sense of movement and allows the viewer to journey across your room with the art guiding them. Larger pieces are often big enough so that you can position them two to three inches apart from each other, and they will still act as a cohesive collective artwork. By placing them at eye level, away from the surrounding furniture, these pieces will really draw the eye away from the blank surrounding wall.
Another tip Toni likes to suggest when deciding the size of the artwork you may wish to use in your room is to cut a piece of paper, perhaps even wallpaper or newspaper, to the size of the piece you are looking to buy and placing this on the wall where you would wish to position your artwork. She recommends leaving this on the wall for a few hours or even days, allowing you to familiarise yourself with the size of the artwork before you invest in a piece.
Where should your art be placed?
Art placement is essential, and a good rule of thumb for blank walls is to always hang pieces around 60 inches from the floor because this is where the average eye level is. If you are placing your art above a piece of furniture, you will want to ensure that it is still visible around eye level and isn’t so close to the furniture that your space feels cluttered. Often, you can judge yourself if a piece of art looks too close to another accent piece in your room, but in most cases placing it anywhere between four and 12 inches above is best. This allows your artwork to act as a focal point still.
What orientation are you looking for?
The next step in choosing the correct artwork sizes is taking the orientation into account.
You could find a piece of artwork that you think would perfectly accentuate your décor, but you may feel nervous to change the artist’s intended orientation of the artwork. Here at Toni Thornton Art, and particularly with our abstract and larger prints they can be turned in any orientation, you would like and will still perfectly accentuate your space. When purchasing, if you email us at info@tonithorntonart.com with your order number, we can ensure your piece is signed accordingly if choosing a different orientation.
If you have a blank wall spanning across your kitchen that you are looking to fill, you could easily choose a large landscape piece or equally, ‘Composure’ our triptych of medium-sized portrait pieces. It is essential to consider what will best fill your visual field and really bring your walls to life.
How does it make you feel?
There are many rules you can follow when it comes to choosing artwork that is the right size for your space, but arguably the most important factor to consider is how you feel about the piece. Art is so much more than an aesthetic choice for your home; it can reflect who you are. Whether the piece is in your lounge, bedroom, kitchen, or even in your hallway, it is something you will see every day and therefore should evoke positive emotions. Great art makes you take time out of your day to let your mind wander into deeper contemplation, forgetting about everything else and becoming completely immersed. It is this art you should be looking for, something you feel connected to.
Find the perfect sized artwork for your space
Toni Thornton Art offers a wide variety of large bespoke artwork and giclée prints which can help to create the perfect atmosphere in any home. Toni has worked with countless clients to create ideal-sized fine art prints to compliment their space. She has curated a stunning collection of original, eye-catching contemporary pieces that seamlessly balance and accentuate your space. Included are unique abstract pieces available in a range of sizes.
If you are working with an area that requires a larger and bolder piece of art to capture the imagination, please visit our dedicated Larger Sized Limited Edition Giclee Prints page.
Each piece in this stunning abstract collection is designed to work with your space and can be positioned both landscape and portrait. Our large stretched canvas prints come in 38mm knotless pine canvas frames, milled with a curved profile, preventing unsightly impression marks or surface cracks.
Get in touch!
If you would like to know more about the larger size limited edition prints from Toni Thornton, or any or any of the collections available, please visit our website.
Feel free to get in touch today via the contact page or call the artist studio directly on 01977 809048.