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Art above a bed: headboard gap, width and centre height
Above a bed, leave 8 to 10 inches between the top of the headboard and the bottom of the frame, and centre the art on the bed; Passion4Art gives art widths of 40 to 50 inches for a queen bed and 45 to 60 inches for a king. The same source centres art in bedrooms at 48 to 52 inches from the floor where the piece is not above furniture. The table works out the nail height for three headboard heights.
Diagram: art above a headboard. Schematic, not to scale.
Where the frame sits
Bottom of frame = headboard height + 8 to 10 inches. Centre = bottom + half the frame height. Heights from the floor, in inches. Piece sizes are listed framed canvas sizes; headboard heights are examples, so measure yours.
| Headboard height (in) | Piece (in) | Bottom of frame (in) | Centre of frame (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 24 x 36 portrait (36 in tall) | 44 to 46 | 62 to 64 |
| 36 | 30 x 40 portrait (40 in tall) | 44 to 46 | 64 to 66 |
| 36 | 36 x 48 portrait (48 in tall) | 44 to 46 | 68 to 70 |
| 42 | 24 x 36 portrait (36 in tall) | 50 to 52 | 68 to 70 |
| 42 | 30 x 40 portrait (40 in tall) | 50 to 52 | 70 to 72 |
| 42 | 36 x 48 portrait (48 in tall) | 50 to 52 | 74 to 76 |
| 48 | 24 x 36 portrait (36 in tall) | 56 to 58 | 74 to 76 |
| 48 | 30 x 40 portrait (40 in tall) | 56 to 58 | 76 to 78 |
| 48 | 36 x 48 portrait (48 in tall) | 56 to 58 | 80 to 82 |
Width by bed
| Bed | Art width (in) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Queen | 40 to 50 | P4A |
| King | 45 to 60 | P4A |
Notice that a tall piece above a tall headboard puts the centre well above the 57 inch figure; that is normal for bed walls because the furniture sets the base line and the sources treat 57 inches as a starting point. See the 57 inch rule.
The ArtzFolio Custom library has a Bedroom collection with 11,724 designs (count read from the live collection page on 2026-11-12; a design can sit in several collections, so counts are not added together). See all room collections.
Sources
- Passion4Art: artwork hanging heights (fetched 2026-11-12)
- Framebridge: what is the right height to hang a frame (fetched 2026-11-12)
- CustomPictureFrames: gallery wall design guide (fetched 2026-11-12)
Figures from these pages are paraphrased and re-checked on 2026-11-12. Where two sources disagree, both figures are shown. Hardware and wall products vary, so follow the pack instructions.