Artwork height? Rug size? ..and other useful information

​Artwork height, rug sizes and other useful info

Designing spaces involves a lot, and I mean A LOT of technical knowledge, rules and terms. I learned a ton while doing my course at the Interior Design Institute of Vancouver and I continue to learn every day. So, I won’t bore you with the chevron versus herringbone tile patterns or the light colour of a candle at 1900 kelvin versus 6000 for daylight, or how much space you need in a commercial bathroom for wheelchair access…I’ll keep that for another day. 

Light colour is crucial in home decor but today, I’ll be talking about other useful information like rug size and artwork height, size, etc.

1- How high should you hang art?
In most situations, you can apply the "145cm" wall art rule of thumb. 
This general rule is to place the centre of the art piece at the standard eye level of an average person, which is 145cm, or 57 inches from the floor. This formula doesn’t work for every situation but it’s a good place to start. For larger pictures, you can hang them a bit higher. When hanging a picture above a sofa. I usually go with 6 to 10 inches above the top of the furniture piece. When working with a low sideboard or console, I usually place the bottom of the art 4-6 inches above the top of furniture. And when it comes to gallery walls (a collection of items: framed artwork, photographs and personal treasures hung in a grouping), I look at the gallery in its entirety and try to centre the art in the middle row at eye level, 57” from the floor.

2- What size art should I choose?
In this case, yes, bigger is better. An oversized piece will look better than a piece too small. The size of your art (or grouping) should take 2/3 of the width of the piece of furniture (if not, at a very minimum, half).

3- What size rug do you need for your bedroom, living room, dining room?
When it comes to rug size, the biggest mistake is buying the wrong size. And almost all of the times, the rug is way too small for the space. 

In the bedroom, I always consider 3 options for rugs. 

A- The first option and the one I use the most is a large rug under the bed that extends all the way to the width of the side tables, but doesn’t go under the night stands and extends pass the end of the bed by at least 18 to 24 inches. If you have a bench at the foot of your bed, then the rug needs to extend pass that. 

B- The second option is to go for an even larger rug, large enough so all furniture sits on the rug, including the night stands. 

C- Opinion 3 is to choose a runner rug for each side of the bed. This is a good option for those on a budget who prefer not spending a lot of money on a rug mostly covered by the bed. With this option, the runner rugs should be 6 to 8 feet long. Runners are also a great solution for smaller or narrower bedrooms.

In the living room, larger is always better. The rule I apply is all front legs of the furniture should sit on the rug, if not all of the furniture. 

Typically, an 8x10 rug works for most living rooms. If you can fit a larger rug 9x12, go for it. If your room is smaller or closed in, make sure you leave an 18” perimeter around the room to expose the floor underneath. This presentation gives your eyes a place to rest, and create balance.

In the dining room, the rug should be large enough to fit all chairs, even when they are pulled out, so at a minimum 24” pass the edge of the table. The same rule applies for a round table. Your circular rug should be large enough for all chairs to sit on it when pulled out.

…another mistake I have seen and something you should consider is the rug thickness. Is there a door in that room that needs to open above the rug? Make sure the rug is not too thick so that the door doesn’t get caught in the rug. I have seen it, especially with entryway rugs.

Hope this helps! Comment or you can always contact me for questions.