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How to hang art at 57 inches: centre line and bottom edge
Most guides centre a picture or group about 57 inches above the floor. To find the bottom edge, subtract half the frame height from 57: a 24 inch tall frame starts at 45 inches. Sources differ by a few inches, so pick one set. Always check the manufacturer rating of your hardware.
Chapters
- 0:00 The 57 inch rule
- 0:05 Mark the centre
- 0:10 Bottom edge
- 0:15 What sources say
- 0:20 Over furniture
- 0:25 Hardware
Transcript
Full text of the video
- Where should art hang? Most guides put the centre of a picture or group about 57 inches above the floor.
- Mark 57 inches up from the floor. That is the centre of the picture, not its top edge. In the picture the frame is 18 in wide and 24 in tall, drawn to a common scale.
- The bottom edge of a single frame sits at the centre height minus half the frame height. For a frame 24 in tall: 57 - 24 / 2 = 45 in to the bottom edge and 69 in to the top edge. A frame 36 in tall has its bottom edge at 39 in.
- Framebridge and Bob Vila give a centre about 57 in. Houzz Magazine gives 57 to 60 in, lower where people sit. Studio McGee gives about 60 in on a blank wall. Framebridge puts hallways at 60 to 66 in to the centre. The guides do not agree to the inch: pick one set and hold it through the room.
- Over furniture, the gap between the furniture and the picture matters more than the floor height. The sources give between 4 and 12 inches depending on the source (for example Hunker: about 4 to 8 in over a sofa).
- Check the manufacturer's rating on any hardware you use. Houzz notes that for art under five pounds a simple nail will work but a stud is safer.
Questions
How high should I hang a picture?
Most guides put the centre of a picture or group about 57 inches above the floor. Houzz Magazine gives 57 to 60 inches, and Framebridge raises hallways to 60 to 66 inches.
How do I find where the bottom edge goes?
Subtract half the frame height from the centre height. For a frame 24 inches tall centred at 57 inches, the bottom edge is at 45 inches and the top edge at 69 inches.
Is 57 inches a standard?
No. The sources give slightly different figures, so pick one set and keep it through the room. Check the manufacturer rating of any hardware you use.
Further reading
- ArtzFolio Studio: hanging height by room (guide with all sources)
- Framebridge: what is the right height to hang a frame (company guide)
- Bob Vila: how high to hang pictures
- Houzz Magazine: decorating secrets, the picture-perfect way to hang art
- Studio McGee: how to hang art
Always confirm the live price in the studio before ordering.