What Size Art to Hang Above a Bed

A bedroom wall is more forgiving than a living room wall in every way except one. You are almost always looking at it from the doorway or from the bed, both of which are unusual angles, and art that is sized wrong above a headboard is obvious from both.

The rule is the same as anywhere else. The numbers are different because beds are.

Key takeaways

• Art above a bed should span two thirds to three quarters of the bed width.
• Measure the headboard if you have one, the mattress if you do not.
• Hang it 6 to 10 inches above the headboard.
• King beds almost always need a pair. One piece wide enough is rare and expensive.
• Bedrooms reward quieter work than living rooms. This is the room to go muted.

What size art goes above a queen bed?

A queen mattress is 60 inches wide, so you want 40 to 45 inches of art.

That is the one bed size where a single piece comfortably does the job. A 40 × 60 portrait hung above a queen lands at exactly 40 inches wide, which is the bottom of the range and looks generous because of its height. A 36 × 24 landscape also works and reads calmer.

Art size chart by bed size

All dimensions in inches, width first.

Measure the headboard, not the mattress

If you have a headboard, that is the object the eye compares the art against, and headboards are frequently wider than the mattress. An upholstered king headboard can run 82 inches against a 76 inch mattress, which moves your target from 50 to 57 inches up to 55 to 61 inches. Six inches of difference is visible.

No headboard? Use the mattress width and hang slightly lower than you otherwise would, because there is nothing to bridge the gap between the bed and the art.

A worked example

A king bed with a 76 inch mattress and no headboard.

1. Two thirds of 76 is 50 inches. Three quarters is 57 inches.
2. Our widest piece is 40 inches, so a single piece cannot reach 50.
3. Two 24 × 18 pieces with a 3 inch gap gives 51 inches. That lands just inside the range.
4. For a fuller look, two 30 × 40 portraits with a 3 inch gap gives 63 inches, which is 83 percent of the bed. Slightly over the rule, and above a king it reads well because the bed is so large.

Why king beds need a pair

A king bed is 76 inches wide, which means a single piece would need to be roughly 50 to 57 inches across. Pieces that wide exist, but they are expensive, awkward to ship, and they dominate a bedroom in a way most people regret.

Two pieces solve all three problems and look more intentional. A symmetrical pair above a bed is one of the few arrangements that works better than a single piece, because the bed itself is symmetrical and the pair echoes it.

Keep the gap at 2 to 3 inches, use one frame finish, and centre the pair on the bed rather than on the wall.

How high should art hang above a headboard?

6 to 10 inches between the top of the headboard and the bottom of the frame.

If your headboard is tall, stay near 6 inches so the art does not creep toward the ceiling. If it is low or you have none, 8 to 10 inches from the top of the mattress gives you a sensible starting point.

The 57 inch gallery rule does not apply here for the same reason it does not apply above a sofa. The bed sets the height. The floor is irrelevant.

One consideration people forget

You will lie underneath this. Anything heavy needs two mounting points and proper anchors, and we would not hang a large framed canvas above a bed on a single nail under any circumstances. Every piece we ship arrives with hardware, and for the larger sizes we recommend using two anchors rather than one.

What kind of art works best in a bedroom?

Quieter work than you would hang in a living room.

A living room is a room you perform in. A bedroom is the room you are in when nobody is watching, and high contrast, high energy art works against that. This is the room for muted horizons, soft light and low contrast, which is most of what we make.

If you want a starting point, the neutral collection is built for exactly this, and the landscape work gives the eye somewhere to go without demanding anything.

Three mistakes above a bed

1. Hanging too high. Easily the most common. If there is more than 10 inches of wall between the headboard and the frame, it is too high.
2. Centring on the wall instead of the bed. If the bed sits off centre, the art follows the bed. Always.
3. Going too small on a king. A 24 × 18 alone above a king bed looks like a postage stamp. Use a pair.

Frequently asked questions

What size art goes above a king bed?

50 to 57 inches of total width. That almost always means a pair rather than a single piece. Two 24 × 18 with a 3 inch gap gives 51 inches, and two 30 × 40 gives 63 inches for a fuller look.

How high should art be hung above a bed?

6 to 10 inches above the top of the headboard. If there is no headboard, 8 to 10 inches above the top of the mattress.

Should art above a bed be centred on the bed or the wall?

On the bed. If the bed is off centre on its wall, the art follows the bed so the two read as one arrangement.

Can I hang one large piece above a king bed?

You can, but it needs to be roughly 50 inches wide or more, which is a large and costly piece that tends to dominate the room. A symmetrical pair usually looks better and echoes the symmetry of the bed itself.

Is it safe to hang a framed canvas above a bed?

Yes, with proper mounting. Use two anchors rather than one for anything larger than 30 inches, and mount into a stud where you can. Every piece ships with hardware included.

Send us your bed width and a photo of the wall at info@keepingsunday.com and we will tell you what we would hang.