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How to measure a wall for art

Measure four things before you choose a size: the width of the wall section you want to fill, the centre height you will hang to, the gap above any furniture, and the clear wall each side. Most hanging guides start from a centre height of about 57 inches (145 cm) from the floor, and Passion4Art gives 48 to 52 inches for rooms where people sit. Write the numbers down before you open the studio.

Diagram: the four measurements to take. Numbers match the checklist below. Not to scale.

Checklist: measure in this order

Clear the wall section and note any switch, socket or vent that falls inside it.
Measure the wall section width in inches, edge to edge of the space you want to fill (measure at two heights and write down the smaller number).
Decide the centre height. Framebridge measures to the midpoint between the top and bottom of the frame; 57 inches is the starting figure most guides use.
If furniture sits below, measure its width and its top height. Framebridge puts the bottom of the frame 7 to 10 inches above furniture; Passion4Art gives 6 to 8 inches above a sofa.
Write each measurement in inches and centimetres. If you work in feet, convert first: 1 foot is 12 inches and 1 inch is 2.54 cm exactly.
Cut kraft or butcher paper to the size of the piece and tape it on the wall for a day before you order (CustomPictureFrames suggests paper templates for gallery walls; the idea works for one piece too).

Heights from the floor, converted

Inches	Centimetres	Feet and inches	Where the figure comes from
48	121.9	4 ft 0 in	Low end of the seated-room range (P4A)
52	132.1	4 ft 4 in	High end of the seated-room range (P4A)
57	144.8	4 ft 9 in	Centre height most guides start from
60	152.4	5 ft 0 in	Top of the 57 to 60 inch range (P4A, CPFH)
66	167.6	5 ft 6 in	Top of the hallway range of 60 to 66 inches (FB)

The centimetre column is the inch value multiplied by 2.54 and rounded to one decimal. The three sources agree on 57 inches as a starting point and differ on the range, which is why the table keeps each figure with its source rather than choosing one.

From measurements to a size

Once you have the wall width, the wall fit pages show which listed framed canvas size covers 40, 50 or 60 percent of a given width, as examples rather than advice. For the 57 inch rule and its exceptions see the 57 inch rule page.

Sources

Framebridge: what is the right height to hang a frame (fetched 2026-11-12)
Passion4Art: artwork hanging heights (fetched 2026-11-12)
CustomPictureFrames: gallery wall design guide (fetched 2026-11-12)
CustomPictureFrames: installing picture frame hanging hardware (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.