Original painting centered above a bedroom bed

Wall Hangings for Bedroom: Types, Sizes and Placement

The best wall hanging for a bedroom is one scaled to the bed, matched to the room’s mood and fixed securely. Paintings, prints, tapestries, woven textiles and wooden pieces all work. Above the bed, the piece should span about two-thirds of the headboard. This guide covers the main types, how to size them, where to place them and how to hang them.

Emansgallery
Find Art for a Restful Bedroom
Explore original handmade paintings and museum-quality canvas prints, including landscapes, seascapes and abstracts for bedroom walls.
Explore the art

TL;DR

  • Main options: paintings, canvas prints, tapestries, macramé, wood pieces, mirrors and shelves.
  • Size rule: art above a bed spans at least two-thirds of the headboard, about 8 to 10 inches above it.
  • Mood: landscapes, seascapes and muted abstracts calm a room. Graphic abstracts add drama.
  • Hardware: match it to weight. Heavy pieces need a wall plug and screw.
  • Planning: mock up the layout with paper or tape before making any holes.

Table of Contents

What counts as a wall hanging for a bedroom

A wall hanging is any decorative piece fixed to a wall. In a bedroom, the category is wide. Homes & Gardens lists paintings, landscapes, seascapes, abstracts, textile art, tapestries, patterned fabric, baskets, ceramics, glass, metalwork, shelving, mirrors, wood, wallpaper and paneling.

The common groups:

  • Framed or stretched art: paintings, canvas prints, framed paper prints, photography.
  • Textile pieces: tapestries, macramé, woven hangings, fabric panels.
  • Natural and sculptural pieces: wood slats, timber shelves, baskets, ceramics.
  • Architectural treatments: wallpaper, paneling, wall fabric.

The Spruce also names removable peel-and-stick wallpaper as an option for renters.

The search results for this keyword mix two ideas. Some pages mean fabric hangings such as tapestries and macramé. Others mean any wall decor. This guide covers both, with extra detail on original art and prints.

Match the hanging to the room

Pick the type of piece from the mood you want. Homes & Gardens reports that landscapes and seascapes support a relaxing bedroom atmosphere, while graphic abstracts create more drama.

Bedroom style Suitable wall hanging
Calm, restful Landscapes, seascapes, muted abstracts
Warm, textured Fabric hangings, woven pieces
Rustic or Scandinavian Natural timber pieces
Architectural, dramatic Wallpaper, paneling, graphic abstracts
Bohemian Macramé
Japandi Wood slats
Modern Sculptural mid-century pieces
Natural, textured Burlap or jute

The last four rows follow The Spruce’s over-the-bed ideas.

Paintings and prints

Paintings give a bedroom a single focal point. A landscape or seascape reads as quiet. A floral piece adds softness. A geometric piece adds structure. An abstract with a controlled palette suits modern rooms.

Original paintings and canvas prints solve different needs:

  • Original painting: one of a kind, with visible brushwork and texture. It suits a room where the art is the main feature.
  • Canvas print: a reproduction of an artwork on canvas. It suits larger walls, multiple rooms and wider budgets.
  • Framed paper print: a lighter format, suited to groupings and smaller walls.

For guidance on art in restful rooms, see our article on choosing art for calm spaces.

Tapestries and textile hangings

Fabric absorbs sound and adds warmth. It also hangs flat, which suits rooms with little depth beside the bed. Tapestries work well over a bed where a framed piece would feel heavy. Macramé suits bohemian schemes. Burlap or jute suits natural palettes.

Woven tapestry hanging beside a bedroom bed

Wood, shelves and objects

Architectural Digest says bedroom walls can carry gallery art, artisanal baskets, and shelves with pottery or other personal objects. Shelves suit rooms where you want to change the display often.

Choose the right size

Size causes most bedroom wall mistakes. A small piece over a wide bed looks lost. Architectural Digest advises relating the scale of art and decor to the bed and the wall.

Use these working rules:

  1. Over the bed: one piece or a coordinated group should span at least two-thirds of the headboard. Veranda calls this a rule of thumb.
  2. Over other furniture: The English Home recommends art about two-thirds the width of the furniture beneath it, with breathing room around the piece.
  3. Oversized pieces: Architectural Digest says oversized art creates a focal point without clutter. Smaller works suit mini-galleries, layered stacks and intimate vignettes.

The 2/3 rule in practice

The 2/3 rule is a ratio. Measure the width of the headboard, or the bed if there is no headboard. Multiply by two-thirds. That is the minimum width of the artwork or group.

Example: a headboard 60 inches wide calls for art at least 40 inches wide. A single canvas of 40 inches or more works. So do three smaller pieces hung as one unit with even gaps.

Artwork width compared with two thirds of headboard

Color and material

According to Architectural Digest, texture or color adds visual interest, and simple, clean pieces suit a minimalist aesthetic. Whichever you pick, treat the piece as an extension of the room’s overall design plan. If the room has wallpaper or wall fabric, choose that first, since it informs later choices.

If the palette is not settled, these guides help before you buy art:

Where to place wall hangings in a bedroom

Find the focal point first. Architectural Digest lists these positions:

  • Above the headboard
  • Above a dresser
  • Leaning on nightstands
  • Across a side wall
  • Opposite the bed

Above the bed

This is the default focal point. Veranda recommends placing the piece about 8 to 10 inches above the headboard. Keep the piece centered on the bed, not on the wall, if the bed is off-center.

Opposite the bed

The wall you see from the pillow matters in a bedroom. A calm landscape or seascape here works as the last thing you see at night. A large piece suits this wall because it has no furniture to compete with.

Eye level

For walls without furniture, hang by eye level. The English Home reports that 165 cm from floor to the picture’s centre is a pleasing placement for many people. That is roughly 65 inches. Our own guide on hanging a large painting uses a center height of 57 to 60 inches. Both are starting points. Adjust for ceiling height and for whether people view the piece sitting or standing.

A group of smaller pieces can replace one large one. The English Home suggests testing layouts on the floor or with taped outlines. It also suggests mixing sizes, media, frame styles and orientations while keeping related warm or cool tones.

Spacing guidance from The Guardian:

  • Consistent gaps matter more than an exact gap.
  • About 5 cm (2 inches) often works.
  • Larger frames may need up to 15 cm (6 inches).

Our guide to making a curated picture wall uses a center of 57 inches and gaps of 2 to 6 inches.

Current display directions named in the same Guardian piece include salon walls, picture ledges, oversized focal pieces, mixed-media gallery walls, textured textiles, natural wood, macramé and architecture-led paneling.

What makes a bedroom wall look cluttered

The usual causes:

  • Too many statement pieces competing in one view.
  • Inconsistent spacing between frames.
  • Art that ignores the room’s architecture, such as a window, a sloped ceiling or paneling.
  • Decor chosen with no link to the overall design plan.
  • Scale that does not match the furniture below.

The fix is restraint. Pick one focal wall. Keep other walls quieter. Repeat one color from the focal piece elsewhere in the room.

Hang it securely

Bedroom pieces hang over the place where people sleep. Fixing matters more here than in a hallway.

Plan before drilling

The Guardian recommends measuring and using a paper or floor mock-up. Lightly mark the centre and the top edge of the frame. Have someone hold the piece while you check it. Measure from the top of the frame to its wire or D-rings before fixing the hook.

Match hardware to weight

The Guardian’s guidance:

Piece Hardware
Lighter work Regular hooks
Larger work Multiple-nail hooks
Very heavy pieces Drilled wall plug and screw

For heavy canvases or framed originals over a bed, use the strongest option your wall allows. Check the weight of the piece first. If unsure about the wall type or a heavy mirror, ask a handyperson or contractor.

Check before you drill

Walls hide wiring and pipes. Use a stud finder or detector before drilling in a spot you have not used. If you plan a safe behind a picture, read about hiding a wall safe without weakening security before you decide where the art goes.

For sleep-related concerns about signs and heavy pieces, see our guide on bedroom wall signs and secure hanging. For larger walls, see large bedroom wall decor.

Renters

Renters can use removable peel-and-stick wallpaper, leaning art on a dresser or nightstand, or lightweight fabric hangings on removable hooks. Leaning art needs no holes at all.

Our perspective

We see the bedroom wall as a decision about one piece. Most bedrooms improve when one wall carries one strong work, and the rest of the room stays quiet.

Our approach rests on three points:

  • Scale first. Decide the size before the subject. A piece that fits the bed and wall looks intentional.
  • Palette second. Pull two or three colors from the bedding, rug or curtains. Brief the artwork on those colors.
  • Subject last. Landscapes, seascapes, florals, geometric and abstract works all suit bedrooms when the palette and scale are right.

This is why we offer bespoke commissions. Buyers can specify scale, palette and mood for a custom piece, with consultation from the artist. A commission removes the compromise of fitting a room to an existing artwork. Guidance for larger rooms is in our guide on wall decor for collectors and for textured rooms in our piece on men’s bedroom wall decor.

— Eman

Eman’s Gallery sells original handmade paintings by Eman Khalifa in abstract, geometric, floral, landscape, seascape and still-life styles. Options for a bedroom wall:

We ship worldwide. Prices are shown on each product page.

FAQ

What can I put on my bedroom walls?

You can use paintings, prints, tapestries, macramé, wood pieces, shelves with ceramics, baskets, mirrors, wallpaper or paneling. Homes & Gardens also counts glass and metalwork. Choose by the mood and scale of the room.

What is the 2/3 rule for hanging pictures?

Art above a bed or other furniture should span about two-thirds of its width. Over a bed, Veranda calls this a rule of thumb for the headboard. A 60-inch headboard calls for art at least 40 inches wide.

How high should I hang art above a bed?

About 8 to 10 inches above the headboard, according to Veranda. If a group of pieces hangs there, treat the group as one unit. Keep gaps between frames consistent.

What makes a bedroom look tacky?

Competing statement pieces, uneven spacing, and art that ignores the room’s architecture or design plan. One focal wall with consistent spacing avoids all three.

Sources

Stay Connected

Zurück zum Blog

Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Bitte beachte, dass Kommentare vor der Veröffentlichung freigegeben werden müssen.