How to hang and choose the right size art piece for above the sofa

Investing in a large piece of art is a big deal, especially if it's your first. Not only do you want to select a piece that you to connect with emotionally, but you want to select something that will compliment the rest of your space.

I am going to give you some quick tips on how to select the perfect size art piece and how to display it so that it's on point.

The Rules:

Let's start with what we shouldn't do, because you might be guilty of doing them already.

• DON'T pick a piece that's too small, especially if it's a stand alone piece. You want your art to shine and sparkle it's wonderful artsy magic, not blend in as another speck in the wall.
• DON'T hang it so high up that you and your guest have to strain their necks just to get a good look at it.
• DON't pick a piece that's too big. Let's not go in the complete opposite direction of the first no-no. You don't want it to over power the rest of your decor and furniture. Unless you're gonna style in a cool boho chic way, it's best to keep the scale in porportion to the rest of the space.

Here is what you should do, and it's really simple. There are only two main rules.

• DO choose a piece that is about 2/3 the width of your sofa. You want to keep it inside of where the arm rests start. For a 90 inch sofa the art should be around 60 inches.
• DO Hang the piece about 4-6 inches above the top of the sofa. Some have said even 8 inches, but that seems a little high to me. If 4-6 inches looks too low for your space, by all means hang it a little higher. Your main goal here is to keep it eye level, so that your guests can properly ooooh and ahhhh at your marvelous find.

So there it is. Not too bad, huh? Just keep these two simple guidelines in mind when searching for the perfect piece.