Ordering new artwork to display in your home is exciting, but you don’t want to be disappointed when it arrives as you discover it is too large or too small to suit the space that you originally intended to display it in.
To make sure that your latest purchase is the ideal fit and ready to adorn your walls, you need to take a few moments to measure the piece, any frame, and the space correctly so that you can show it off to friends and family as soon as it arrives.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you correctly measure the space for your new artwork and ensure that your chosen piece looks great on your wall.
Length and width of your artwork
This might sound a little obvious, but you will need to measure the length and width of your artwork including any frames before measuring the available wall space.
If you’re still waiting for your artwork to be delivered, just confirm the measurements with your supplier or art dealer beforehand.
Next, you’ll need to consider space around the piece and ensure that you have a good few inches around the edges so that your latest purchase isn’t too close to any corners.
We recommend using the 3/8 rule below to get the perfect border measurements and display your artwork properly.
Follow the 3/8 border rule
Once you’ve determined the exact measurements of your artwork, the next stage is to find out how much wall you’ll need for the perfect border.
The 3/8 rule is a great way to get the perfect border, so using the overall measurements for your artwork (including any frame), calculate how much empty space you need around the edges by finding how many inches are in 3 / 8th of the piece.
You can easily do this by finding 37.5 percent of the length using a calculator.
For example, if your artwork is 60 inches in length, then the ideal border is 22.5 inches.
If you have an unusually shaped piece of artwork, such as a circle, calculate the perfect border using the widest part of the piece.
When working with nonstandard-shaped painting (like a circle), use the widest point. Using a wall of 120 inches as an example, the perfect circle piece would be 68 inches in diameter.
Now you have the correct area measurements for your piece, its time to move on to finding the perfect wall space to display it.
‘Clear’ space
When measuring the available wall space, you must take into account any furniture that is set against that wall. A good example of this would be sofas or cabinets, so don’t measure the entire wall, just the available ‘clear’ space that you have.
Another thing to think about when measuring a space for your artwork is balance. If your new piece is going to be displayed above a sofa, then a good rule of thumb is to have artwork that is 75 percent of the size of that furniture. For example, if your sofa is 90 inches long, then a piece measuring around 67 inches in length would be ideal.
If you’ll be hanging your new piece of artwork over a fireplace, try and opt for a piece that has the same length as the fireplace surround as this will give a cleaner, more uniform look. Too small and the piece will look odd, too large and you won’t have enough surface area surrounding the artwork, so choose carefully!
Consider other pieces
Are you looking to create a feature wall where you’ll be displaying several pieces of your favourite artwork? Then it’s essential that you consider other pieces when taking your measurements for the wall space.
One great tip is to cut out pieces of cardboard that you may have hanging around the house to the exact sizes of each piece if you haven’t already received them. This way you can pop them on the wall using removable picture hanging strips, take a step back and see if that particular composition looks right.
If it doesn’t, then you can just take the cardboard off the wall and start again until you’re happy with the finished result. Its far easier trialling a display using cardboard than it is with canvases, so it’s a good idea to test first, especially if your artwork is on order and hasn’t arrived yet.
Just remember to include the dimensions of the frame if your artwork isn’t a canvas!
Taking the steps above means that you’ll be able to purchase your next piece of artwork safe in the knowledge that not only will it fit your wall space perfectly, but it will also look fantastic and be ready to enjoy for years to come.
