Guides & tips

Living room wall art: ideas for every wall

The living room is where art gets looked at the most – from the sofa, from the doorway, over a long dinner. It also has more walls to solve than any other room: the big one above the sofa, the sideboard and the TV, the corner by the armchair. Here’s how to make each of them work, which sizes fit, and how to choose motifs that suit the room you already have.

A large deep red abstract print in an oak frame above a blush velvet sofa with a black floor lamp

A landscape print of the Matterhorn at dusk in an oak frame above a rattan sideboard with ceramics

In short

2/3of the sofa’s width is the sweet spot for the art above it
8–12in between the back of the sofa and the bottom of the frame
57–59in from the floor to the middle of the art on an open wall
3colors from your textiles are enough to guide the motifs

Above the sofa

The wall above the sofa is the one everyone sees, so start there. Aim for art that covers about two thirds of the sofa’s width and hang it 8–12 in above the back, so the sofa and the art read as one. Center it on the sofa, not on the wall. Above a 79 in sofa, that gives you four good options:

One XL print

One 39.4x55.1 in, portrait or landscape. Landscape covers about two thirds of the sofa; portrait trades width for height – the boldest choice.

A pair

Two 27.6x39.4 in, about 57 in wide. The safest way to fill a big sofa wall.

A row of three

Three 15.7x19.7 in, about 52 in wide. Graphic, calm and easy to hang straight.

A gallery wall

Six frames around one 19.7x27.6 in, about 55 in wide. Personal, and it can grow over time.

For one big print, see the motifs in our XL guide. For more ways to combine several, see our gallery wall ideas, five layouts drawn to scale.

Size calculator

What size fits your wall?

Choose the furniture, enter its width and see what fits – with the size, the gap and the height to hang it.

StatementSubtleA pairSquare

39.4x55.1 in · landscape

55 inwide in total
8 inabove the sofa
61 infloor to center

One large print that sets the tone – the wall does the talking. Covers about 70% of the sofa’s width.

Shop 39.4x55.1 posters Five gallery wall layouts →

Based on our hanging guide: 8–10 in above the furniture, about 2.5 in between frames and the top edge no higher than 83 in. Standard furniture heights and an 8 ft ceiling.

Two botanical prints with white peonies and purple irises in oak frames above a beige sofa

A gallery wall with a Monet landscape in an oak frame among smaller prints above a white sofa

Above the sideboard or TV stand

A sideboard is the easiest place in the living room to style. A landscape print about two thirds of the sideboard’s width, hung 6–10 in above it, always looks right. Or lean one or two frames on top for a relaxed, layered look that’s easy to change.

Got a TV? Don’t squeeze art directly above it. Hang it beside the TV, level with the screen, or build a small gallery wall around it in black frames, so the dark screen becomes one of the pictures when it’s off.

A small black and gold abstract print in a black frame leaning on a white TV stand with a larger framed print behind it

A fashion illustration in an orange frame leaning on a walnut sideboard beside a white lamp

A gray abstract print in an oak frame between two smaller prints above an oak sideboard with books and vases

The corners: armchair, window and doorway

The smaller walls are where a living room gets its personality. Above a reading chair, go for one portrait print in 19.7x27.6 in or two 11.8x15.7 in stacked, and hang it a little lower than usual – you look at it sitting down. A narrow wall between two windows takes a tall, slim format, and the wall you see from the doorway deserves one of your favorites.

An abstract print with orange lines in a white frame above a brown lounge chair in a bright corner

An abstract mountain print in an oak frame above a beige armchair by a window with a wall lamp

Choose motifs that suit the room

Start with what’s already there. Pick two or three colors from the sofa, the rug or the curtains and let them guide the motifs – colors that repeat are what make art look like it belongs. Then decide on the mood: calm and quiet, or a wall that adds energy. Four directions that suit most living rooms:

Calm and neutral

Soft abstracts, white on white and black-and-white photography that sit easily with linen, oak and wool.

Muted Organic Flow I

Labyrinthe Blanc

Porsche in the City

Japandi

Japanese woodblock prints and quiet nature motifs for a calm room full of natural materials.

Peacock by Ohara Koson

Moon Illustration by Watanabe Seitei

The Great Wave by Katsushika Hokusai

Color and pattern

Cut-outs, florals and bold shapes that lift a neutral sofa and make a white wall feel warm.

Papiers Découpés Orange

Ojai Meadow

Tulip Blue

Classic art

Matisse, Klimt and van Gogh – timeless in a modern room, and always a conversation starter.

Nu Bleu II

The Kiss by Gustav Klimt

Terrasse du Café le Soir by Vincent van Gogh

Not sure what fits?

Cut paper to the size you’re considering and tape it to the wall for a day. Seen from the sofa, it’s much easier to tell whether 19.7x27.6 in is enough or whether the wall wants 27.6x39.4 in. Our poster size guide has every size, and when you’re ready, browse all our living room posters.

What size art should hang above a sofa?

About two thirds of the sofa’s width. Above a 79 in sofa that’s roughly 51–59 in of art: one 39.4x55.1 in, two 27.6x39.4 in, three 15.7x19.7 in or a gallery wall. Above a 63 in sofa, two 19.7x27.6 in or one 27.6x39.4 in.

How high should art hang above a sofa?

Leave 8–12 in between the back of the sofa and the bottom of the frame. On an open wall, hang the middle of the art about 57–59 in from the floor.

Should the art be centered on the sofa or on the wall?

On the sofa. The sofa and the art are seen as one group, so line up their centres – even if the sofa isn’t in the middle of the wall.

What art works in a living room with a TV?

Hang art beside the TV rather than squeezed above it, or build a gallery wall around the screen in black frames so it blends in. Calm motifs work best next to a screen.

Which motifs suit a living room?

Pick two or three colors from your textiles and let them guide you. Abstract and botanical motifs are easy to live with, photography adds calm, and classic art gives the room character.

Shop by size

Posters8.3x11.8 11.8x15.7 15.7x15.7 15.7x19.7 19.7x19.7 19.7x27.6 27.6x27.6 27.6x39.4 39.4x39.4 39.4x55.1

Frames8.3x11.8 11.8x15.7 15.7x19.7 19.7x19.7 19.7x27.6 27.6x27.6 27.6x39.4 39.4x39.4 39.4x55.1

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