The rule: 145cm to the middle
Hang the picture so its centre is 145cm (57 inches) from the floor. That is roughly the eye level of an average adult, and it is the height many galleries and museums use. It is called the 57 inch rule, and it works because it puts every picture in a room at the same height, wherever they hang.
The key word is centre. Not the top of the frame, not the hook. The middle of the picture.
Working out where the hook goes
- Measure the frame's height and halve it.
- Pull the hanging cord up tight, as if it were on the hook, and measure from the cord down to the top of the frame.
- Hook height = 145cm, plus half the frame height, minus the cord gap.
Example: a Standard frame is 43.3cm (17in) tall, so half is about 21.7cm (8.5in). If the taut cord sits 6cm (2.4in) below the top edge, the hook goes at 145 + 21.7, minus 6, which is 160.7cm (63.3in).
Above a sofa, sideboard or bed
Here the furniture wins. Leave 15 to 25cm (6 to 10in) between the top of the furniture (or the sofa back) and the bottom of the frame. Any higher and the picture floats away from the furniture; any lower and you'll knock it with your head.
High ceilings and stairs
With very high ceilings, you can lift the centre to around 150 to 155cm (59 to 61in). On stairs, keep each picture's centre about 145cm (57in) above the step directly below it, so a row of pictures climbs at the same angle as the stairs.
Several pictures together
Treat the whole group as one picture. Its centre goes at 145cm (57in). See How to plan a gallery wall.
Hanging it level
- Use two hooks for anything wider than about 40cm (16in). Space them a third of the frame's width in from each side. Two hooks keep it level and stop it swinging.
- Plasterboard walls: use plasterboard fixings, not a bare nail, for anything heavier than a small frame.
- Brick or plaster walls: a traditional picture hook with a hardened pin works for most frames. For larger ones, drill and plug.
- Check for pipes and cables before you drill. A cheap detector is worth it.
Every Framewick frame arrives with D-rings and hanging cord already fitted, so all you need is the hook.
Find a frame for your wall, or see how sizes compare in What size frame do I need?
