Above a bed, a console or a mantel, measure from the furniture rather than the floor. Each of the three has its own reference point: a bed is sized to the mattress width, a console to its own width, and a mantel to the fireplace opening. The 145 cm centre convention that governs an empty wall does not apply once a substantial object sits underneath.
These three placements come up constantly and each fails in a different way. Beds fail on width, because a queen headboard makes a small painting look lost. Consoles fail on gap, because the objects standing on them get forgotten. Mantels fail on depth, because the shelf projects and changes how the painting is seen from below.
Key takeaways
- Bed: size to about two thirds the mattress width, centred on the bed, with 15 to 20 cm above the headboard.
- Console: size to between half and two thirds the console width, and measure the gap from the tallest object on it, not the surface.
- Mantel: size to the fireplace opening rather than the mantel shelf, and expect to hang closer than you would elsewhere.
- All three override the 145 cm floor measurement.
- Centre on the furniture, never on the wall, whenever the furniture is the dominant object.
Above a bed
A bed is measured by its mattress width, not by the headboard, which may be wider or narrower depending on style. A queen mattress is 152 cm, so the target for art is around 100 cm. A king at 193 cm suits about 130 cm.
| Bed size |
Mattress width |
Target art width |
| Double |
137 cm |
About 90 cm |
| Queen |
152 cm |
About 100 cm |
| King |
193 cm |
About 130 cm |
Leave 15 to 20 cm between the top of the headboard and the bottom of the frame. Where there is no headboard, measure from the top of the mattress and pillows as they normally sit, then allow a little more, since the visual mass of the bedding acts as an informal headboard.
Two practical points specific to bedrooms. First, keep the fixing genuinely secure, because this is the one wall in the house where a falling painting lands on somebody. Where possible fix into a stud, and use an anchor rated well above the weight of the piece. Second, a bedroom is usually the darkest room in the house during the day, which makes it a good home for a work you want to protect from light.
Above a console or sideboard
A console is sized to itself rather than to a room dimension. Aim for between half and two thirds of the console width: a 120 cm console suits 60 to 80 cm of art.
The gap is where consoles catch people out. The reference is not the surface of the console, it is the top of whatever stands on it. A pair of lamps, a tall vase, or a stack of books changes the effective height considerably. Measure from the tallest object you intend to keep there, and leave 15 to 20 cm above that. If the objects change seasonally, measure from the tallest arrangement you are likely to use.
Consoles suit a group better than most furniture, because their width is modest and the objects on the surface already create visual interest. Two or three smaller pieces above a console read as a considered vignette. One oversized canvas above a narrow console tends to look like it was hung there for want of anywhere else.
Above a mantel
A mantel is the most constrained of the three, and the reference point surprises people: size the art to the fireplace opening, not to the mantel shelf. The shelf usually extends well past the firebox, and matching the shelf produces a painting that looks too wide for the fireplace it sits above.
Match the width of the opening, or go slightly wider, up to the width of the chimney breast. Anything narrower than the opening looks undersized against the mass of masonry below it.
The gap is smaller here than elsewhere, typically 10 to 15 cm above the shelf, because the shelf itself projects and creates a visual break. A large gap above a mantel leaves the painting stranded high on the chimney breast.
Two cautions apply to fireplaces that are actually used. Heat rises, and the air directly above a working fireplace is both warmer and drier than the rest of the room. The Canadian Conservation Institute puts the safest relative humidity for paintings on canvas or wood at a stable level between 40 and 60 percent, with temperature in the range of 16 to 25 degrees Celsius, and a mantel above a lit fire can sit outside both. Soot deposition is the second problem. A valued original is better hung elsewhere, with something more robust over the fire.
Stairwells and hallways
Though not furniture, these two locations share the same principle: hang to how the space is used rather than to a fixed number.
In a stairwell there is no single eye height, because the viewer's eye rises with every step. The usual approach is to follow the line of the stairs, keeping each piece at a consistent height above the tread directly below it, so the arrangement climbs at the same angle as the staircase. Hanging to a level line in a stairwell fights the geometry of the space.
In a narrow hallway the viewer is always close to the wall and usually moving. Works are seen at an angle and from a short distance, which favours smaller pieces with detail worth approaching, and argues against a large canvas that can never be seen whole.
Getting the fixing right
All three placements put a painting above something people use, and two of them put it above where people sit or sleep. The fixing matters more than usual. Find out what the wall is made of, use a fitting rated above the weight of the piece including its frame, and fix into a stud where the weight justifies it. Our guide to hanging hardware and wall types covers drywall, plaster, brick and concrete.
Frequently asked questions
What size art should hang above a queen bed?
A queen mattress is 152 cm wide, so aim for a painting or a group about 100 cm across, which is roughly two thirds of the mattress width. Measure the mattress rather than the headboard, since headboards vary in width by style and give an unreliable reference. Centre the art on the bed itself rather than on the wall, because the bed is what the eye reads it against.
How high above a headboard should a painting hang?
Leave 15 to 20 cm between the top of the headboard and the bottom of the frame. Where there is no headboard, measure from the top of the mattress and pillows as they normally sit and allow slightly more, because the visual mass of the bedding acts as an informal headboard. This gap keeps the bed and the painting reading as one arrangement rather than two separate objects.
Is it safe to hang a heavy painting above a bed?
Only with a fixing rated well above the weight of the piece, since this is the one wall in a home where a falling painting lands on someone. Fix into a stud wherever possible rather than relying on a drywall anchor alone, and include the weight of the frame and any glazing in the calculation. Where a secure fixing is not achievable, choose a lighter unframed canvas instead.
What size art goes above a console table?
Aim for between half and two thirds of the console width, so a 120 cm console suits 60 to 80 cm of art. Consoles often suit a group of two or three smaller pieces better than one large canvas, because the console is usually narrow and the objects already standing on it add visual interest. A single oversized piece above a narrow console tends to look misplaced.
How do I measure the gap above a console?
Measure from the top of the tallest object standing on the console, not from the console surface. Lamps, vases and stacked books change the effective height considerably, and a gap measured from the bare surface disappears once the objects go back. Leave 15 to 20 cm above the tallest item you intend to keep there permanently, allowing for seasonal arrangements if they are taller.
Should art above a fireplace match the mantel or the opening?
Match the fireplace opening, not the mantel shelf. The shelf typically extends well beyond the firebox, so sizing to the shelf produces a painting that looks too wide for the fireplace beneath it. Match the opening width or go slightly wider, up to the width of the chimney breast. Anything narrower than the opening looks undersized against the masonry below.
How high above a mantel should a painting hang?
Leave 10 to 15 cm above the mantel shelf, which is a smaller gap than you would use above other furniture. The shelf projects from the wall and creates its own visual break, so a large gap leaves the painting stranded high on the chimney breast. Where a mirror or television already occupies the space, that fixed element sets the position instead.
Can I hang an original painting above a working fireplace?
It is not the best place for a piece you value. Heat rises, so the air above a lit fire is warmer and drier than the rest of the room, and soot deposits on the surface over time. The Canadian Conservation Institute puts the safest relative humidity for paintings on canvas or wood at a stable 40 to 60 percent with temperature between 16 and 25 degrees Celsius, and a working mantel can fall outside both.
How do I hang pictures going up a staircase?
Follow the line of the stairs rather than a level line. Keep each piece at a consistent height above the tread directly below it, so the arrangement climbs at the same angle as the staircase. There is no single eye height in a stairwell because the viewer rises with each step, so a horizontal row fights the geometry of the space and looks wrong from every position on the stairs.
What size art suits a narrow hallway?
Smaller pieces with detail worth approaching suit a hallway best. The viewer is always close to the wall and usually moving, so works are seen at an angle from a short distance and a large canvas can never be taken in whole. A series of modest pieces at a consistent height gives someone walking through something to look at without demanding they stand back.
References
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Environmental Guidelines for Paintings, CCI Notes 10/4. Canadian Conservation Institute, Government of Canada. Published 1990, revised 2016. Accessed 5 September 2026. Source for the 40 to 60 percent relative humidity range and the 16 to 25 degrees Celsius temperature range.
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On the proportion figures: the two thirds and half to two thirds width guides, and the 10 to 20 cm gaps, are design conventions in common professional use rather than published standards, and are described as conventions in the text. Mattress dimensions are standard Canadian retail sizes. Checked 5 September 2026.
