Selecting the perfect art to hang above your king-sized bed can be a challenging endeavor. With so many options to consider regarding size, style, color, and placement, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. However, thoughtfully choosing artwork for this prime wall space can make a dramatic impact on the overall look and feel of your bedroom. Follow these tips to determine the ideal art size above a king bed.
Take Measurements First
Before shopping for art, take some measurements of your bedroom walls to understand the parameters you’re working with. Be sure to measure the full width of your king headboard. Standard king headboards are about 76-80 inches wide. You’ll want your art to take up 60-80% of that width for proper proportion and balance.
Take the ceiling height into account as well. Art that is too small will get lost, while pieces that are oversized can feel oppressive in a bedroom with average 8 foot ceilings. Measure how far your headboard sits below the ceiling to give yourself a height limit for the art.
Consider the Style of Your Bedroom
The artwork you select should complement the existing style and color palette of your bedroom. Take a look at your headboard, bedding, furniture, window treatments and other decor elements. What is the overall aesthetic you’ve created in the space? Choose art that enhances rather than competes with that style.
For example, in a contemporary bedroom with clean lines, neutral colors and minimal clutter, a large abstract canvas print would suit the space beautifully In a cozy cottage-style room, a classic landscape painting may better reflect the charm of the decor
Choose the Right Shape
Beyond the size, pay attention to the orientation and proportions of the art piece. A horizontal rectangular canvas that mimics the shape of your headboard can provide a seamless look. Or consider square art for an eclectic touch.
If your king headboard has an arched shape or a high point in the middle using two narrow vertical canvas pieces or prints is a great way to frame the bed. Just be sure the two pieces together equal 60-80% of the width of your headboard.
Pick Impactful Colors
Color choice is critical when it comes to art above a bed. Neutral bedding provides flexibility, allowing you to select art in any color palette that appeals to you. But if your bedding or walls are bold and colorful, choose art in complementary soft, muted tones to provide balance.
Black and white art makes a classic statement And you can never go wrong selecting artwork that incorporates the colors already present in your bedding, furniture or decor
Consider Special Lighting
Properly illuminating your art creates ambiance and draws attention to this special focal point. Install sconces or picture lights above the bed at the same height as your artwork. This provides direct lighting.
For softer mood lighting, consider placing lamps on side tables to cast light upwards and create a glow on the wall behind the bed. This showcases the art beautifully.
Select Quality Materials
Invest in quality materials like stretched canvas, wood frames, metal prints or acrylic sheets for art above a bed. These materials have texture and depth, allowing the art to take center stage. Basic paper prints tend to look flat and fade over time.
Also make sure artwork for a bedroom is under glass or acrylic rather than bare canvas. This protects it from humidity and potential damage.
Allow Adequate Breathing Room
When arranging art above your king-sized bed, don’t crowd it too close to the ceiling, bed or side walls. Allow a minimum of 2-4 inches clearance on all sides. This negative space frames the art and prevents your bedroom from feeling cluttered.
Hanging art too high above the bed is a common mistake. As a general rule, leave just 6 inches between the top of your headboard and the bottom edge of the art piece.
Go Big or Go Small
Should you choose one large statement piece or a cluster of smaller artworks above your bed? Either approach can work beautifully.
A single oversized canvas makes a bold impression. Be sure to leave plenty of open wall space around it.
Or create an artistic collage using a collection of frames, prints and paintings. Odd-numbered groupings work best for gallery walls above a bed.
Consider Special Touches
Look for special accents that make your art feel original. Gallery-wrapped canvas adds dimension. Hand-embellished prints provide unique texture. Metallic or distressed frames give an art piece character.
Another idea is to display art on removable wallpaper or a boldly painted accent wall. This transforms the entire wall into a work of art.
Choose Art That Inspires You
Most importantly, select art that makes you happy and helps create a bedroom retreat you look forward to retiring to each evening. Whether you prefer classic landscapes, abstracts, photography or motivational quotes, surround yourself with images that spark creativity and joy.
The ideal art size above a king bed will vary based on your unique bedroom. But following these tips will help you nail the placement, scale, style and details that contribute to a designer look above your bed. Invest time curating special art just for your master bedroom. Because this personal space deserves to reflect your taste and inspire you daily.
Make Every Inch Count
Now that everything else is set, let’s talk about where to put a piece of art that really speaks to you. This isnt for your guests—its a special piece for you and your partner. Let’s make it truly meaningful!.
Before choosing painting styles, assess your wall space and surrounding decor. Our goal is to maximize the space effectively. For instance, if you have a large king-size bed, you might think you need equally large artwork. But curtains and other decorations around it can take up wall space, so it’s better for medium-sized to small, personal art pieces rather than big, loud ones.
As true artists, we suggest starting with a rough sketch. No drawing skills? No problem—this is just for you. Grab a pencil and start sketching. You can begin with our graphics, and if you need help, please feel free to email us. Were happy to create a few mock-ups to guide you.
Check the size of your wall to see what size art will fit, and think about whether a gallery wall would work. After sketching, use painters tape to outline your preferred artwork sizes on the wall. This lets you see how much space the art will take up and live with it for a few days to see how it feels, which is a great way to make a decision.
To simplify the process, weve provided a few graphics to assist you with this creative project. In the example, the king bed mattress is 76” wide, with the bed frame being slightly larger. Well use the bed as an anchor point since these dimensions are common and easily found.
The decor in this space is very symmetrical, featuring pairs of lights, nightstands, curtains, and even pillows. When you’re picking out art, think about whether you want to keep this balanced look with two prints or paintings or change things up with one canvas. Another way to keep the symmetry with a single painting is to mimic shapes. For instance, the king bed and headboard are big horizontal shapes in the middle of the room. The art can reflect these shapes to keep the room balanced.
To help you visualize, let’s explore canvas options, starting with 48” width paintings and working our way down.
48” x 36”: A 48” wide canvas is the largest we recommend for this space. Anything larger may look too crowded and encroach on the curtains. To keep things in balance and harmony, give everything a place of its own. This is especially important in a neat, clean room like this one. On walls that are 8 feet high, the 36-inch height makes the painting hang just below the curtain height. We recommend that you base the height of the paintings on the tops of the windows. Anything taller could make the room feel top-heavy and create visual tension. Painting that is between 36” and 40” high will make the room feel taller because it draws the eye up.
48″ x 30″ and 48″ x 24″: If you want a more horizontal look, choose a canvas that is 48″ x 30″ or 48″ x 24.” When the painting is this size, it has a less noticeable effect, depending on the colors and scene. All three sizes work for the space; it depends on your intent. Do you want the painting to take up most of the wall or just be a small part of the room?
40″ x 30″: If the 48″ x 30″ or 48″ x 24″ paintings feel too long, a 40″ x 30″ painting is a smaller, more personal choice that still covers enough of the wall. You can hang it a bit higher this way, which will center the canvas on the wall and give it the same amount of space on all sides. This creates a perfectly symmetrical look, serving as a focal point without enhancing the rooms height or width. If you want a single painting on the wall, we suggest that you don’t pick anything smaller than this canvas. If you are considering sets, then two smaller paintings or prints would work perfectly well.
Alternatively, a square painting can also work well in the space. Just be careful not to choose one thats too large. A painting that is square will stand out against the bedroom’s horizontal lines while keeping the room’s symmetrical feel and balanced look. Additionally, a square canvas will leave more space between the painting and the curtains.
48″ x 48″: A painting that is 48″ high would be too tall in this room with 8-foot ceilings and these big windows. If the ceilings and windows were taller, this size would be perfect. Keep that in mind if your home has high ceilings and large windows. For this specific space, we do not recommend this canvas. As the picture shows, a 48″ x 48″ canvas is too big and overwhelming. It hangs over the curtains and windows and throws off the balance of the room.
This square painting, 36″ x 36″, is perfect for this room because the empty wall frames it perfectly. Hanging the bottom part closer to the headboard helps anchor the piece. While vertical paintings may not suit this horizontal space, a square option provides a balanced and centered look.
Gallery walls can be a bit intimidating, even for experienced designers, because there are many elements to consider. Its like assembling a puzzle without a picture for reference. Dont worry! Well use a single print size per example in the following examples to keep things simple. We won’t talk about colors, textures, or shapes in this session. Instead, we’ll focus on setting up the art in different ways.
If you work with smaller pieces of art (16″ x 20″), you can arrange them in a number of different ways. If the art is 16″x20″, it can be put in this space in a group of four, either horizontally or vertically. However, just because it fits doesn’t mean it works.
With five inches of space between each piece, four 16″x20″ prints or original works of art would be too high to work on the wall. As shown in the diagram, the grid will cross the barrier. The top of the art would hang as high as the curtains, which would create visual tension and make the grid’s top look heavy.
Keep in mind that grids work like a single piece of artwork. When we look at them, our minds and eyes see them as a whole, not as separate pieces. This is not the case with all gallery walls; some are more organic and freeform. However, the one we are working with is a bit more formal.
20” x 16”: If we arrange the artwork horizontally, the grid will have enough space around it to avoid feeling crowded by the surrounding decor elements. It is also short enough to stay below the top barrier. The top of the grid sits slightly below the windows, making it more compatible with the horizontal shape of the area. For those on a budget, this grid layout is great for limited-edition prints. You can include frames by adding a few extra inches or opt for a simple glass display. Visit our print gallery to find four 11” 14” prints on 16” 20” mats that perfectly complement your space.
11” Wide x 14” Tall
11” x 14”: A gallery wall with six 11”x14” prints or paintings would be an excellent choice for this wall. Leaving five inches between each print creates enough space for the artwork to breathe, ensuring nothing feels crowded or overwhelming. Each design element has its own space, contributing to a balanced look. If you’re on a budget, this grid layout is ideal for limited-edition prints. Add a few inches per square for the frames, but this layout works perfectly if you prefer just glass. Check out our print gallery for five 8”x10” prints on 11”x14” mats that work for your space.
How big should wall art be?
FAQ
What size art goes over a king bed?
What is the 2 3 rule in art?
How many inches to hang art above bed?
How big should art be for a King Size Bed?
When selecting art for over your king-size bed remember our design rules. You want the art to be about 50 – 80% of the width of a headboard. King size headboards are about 80” wide. Which means you want your art to be between about 40” and 64” for a king bed. That’s some large art! King size beds art gives you the most room to play.
How big should a King-Size Bed be?
King-size beds have a width of 80 inches or around 203 centimeters. This makes wall art 48 by 64 inches or 122 by 163 centimeters the most recommended size for individual art pieces. With the bigger size available for king-size beds, grouping or layering multiple artworks to fill and decorate the space can also be an option.
What size wall art should be above a bed?
Wall art above any piece of furniture should span between 60% to 80% of the width of the piece. That includes art above the bed! Sometimes finding a large piece can be a challenge so it’s ok to use multiple pieces to fill the space. If you’re preparing to sell your home, take a look at this artwork we like for home staging.
What size art above a queen bed?
When trying to determine the best size art above a queen bed, keep your piece (s) within that magical range of 60% to 80% of the headboard width. Most queen headboards are about 62” wide, give or take a couple of inches. So you’ll want the art above a queen bed to occupy somewhere between 37” and 50” of wall space, frames included.
How big should art be above a twin bed?
Again, remember that your art should be somewhere between 60% and 80% of the width of the piece of furniture it hangs above. That makes the ideal art size above a full-size bed between 34″ and 45″. Twin headboards are about 41″ wide. If you’re decorating the wall space above a twin bed, keep the total width of your artwork between 25″ and 33″.
What size wall art for a king-sized bed?
A 40 inches x 20 inches size is a common choice for both queen and king-sized beds. You can even go a little wider for a king or taller with high ceilings. My only tip is that if you go with the narrow option, you should hang the art closer to the bed frame rather than trying to fill the open space above the bed.