Gallery wall layout: spacing, size and height

Three rules make a gallery wall look planned: equal gaps of 2–3 in (5–8 cm), a group about two-thirds as wide as the furniture below it, and the center of the whole group at 57–60 in.

Plan it in five steps

1. Measure the wall or the furniture below it and target about two-thirds of that width for the whole group.
2. Pick the largest piece first and place it slightly off center; build around it.
3. Trace each frame on paper, cut out the shapes and tape them to the wall. Mark the hanger position on each template.
4. Keep every gap the same — 2 in for a tight grid, up to 3 in for mixed sizes.
5. Step back, photograph the layout, adjust, then nail through the marks on the paper.

Grid or salon style

• Grid: identical frames in rows and columns — calm and modern; needs exact spacing.
• Salon: mixed sizes around a shared center line or outer rectangle — relaxed and easy to grow.

How many pieces

For a 72–84 in sofa, 5–9 pieces is typical; a single large anchor piece plus smaller ones keeps it from looking busy.

Height

Center the whole arrangement at 57–60 in, or keep the bottom row 8–10 in above furniture. See how high to hang art.

Try the anchor piece first

The largest piece decides the scale of the wall. Check its size in AR on your wall with WallPreview before ordering the rest.

Questions

More size guides

• What size art goes over a sofa?
• What size art goes over a bed?
• How high should you hang art?
• Standard canvas sizes (inches and cm)
• Three-panel (triptych) wall art: sizes and spacing