Wondering how high to hang that dining room chandelier or how far your coffee table should be from your sofa? I frequently see people make the same mistakes, like too small area rugs or low hanging artwork. When decorating a room, it is important to understand the rule of spacing and proportion.
Below are some general rules of thumb to help prevent decorating mistakes. Of course these are just guidelines, and there are exceptions to every rule. Do what works best for your situation and trust your gut.
Artwork
When it comes to hanging artwork and mirrors, don't position them too high. The perfect height is at eye level, which is approximately 60 inches from the floor to the center of the picture. When hanging two or more pieces of artwork over one another, treat them as one large piece. Find the center point between them and use that as your measuring point.
For groupings, hang things closer togethr than you would think. 1 1/2″ – 2″ is the approximate space that should be between any pieces in a gallery wall or grouping. If you space them too far apart, they act as separate pieces rather than a cohesive statement.
Art above a sofa (or console table, buffet, dresser, etc) should be about ⅔ the width of the item. If artwork is hung over furniture, leave approx 6-9” of wall exposed between art and furniture.
Source: Wayfair
Source: Wayfair
Rugs
Rule of thumb is bigger is usually always better. Want more specific information about rug sizes? Check out our blog on rug sizes here.
Curtains
Nothing ruins a room faster than drapes that are too short or hung too low. A good rule of thumb for the average window is to install the rod at least halfway between the top of the window casing and the ceiling, or at least a minimum of 2-4” above the top of the casing. Extending the curtain rods 4″ – 6″ beyond on either side, if possible, will create the illusion of wider windows. We have more window treatment measurements in our blog here.
Lighting
Chandeliers should be hung centered above a dining table approx 30-36” from the surface to the bottom of the fixture in homes that have average (8-9’) ceilings. With higher ceilings shoot for approximately 3” for every additional foot of ceiling height.
Your chandelier should be about 1/2 to 3/4 the width of the table.
Island pendant should hang approx 30-36” above the island, come in about 6” from each edge, and hang about 24-30” apart. For balanced design, pendants should be about ⅓-½ as wide as the island.
Sconces next to a bed should be at eye level when sitting in bed.
Source: Havenly
TVs
Distance to the sofa determines screen size. Just divide your screen’s diameter by 8, and that's your ideal distance in feet. For instance, you should be around 5 feet back from a 40-inch and approximately8 feet back from a 65-inch.
Living Room
The ideal distance between couch and coffee table is 18”.
Walkways between furniture and walls should be at minimum 26” to allow for easy movement in all directions.
An end or side table should be within approximately 2” of the arm of your sofa or chair.