If you’re trying to curate your wall art or create an interesting gallery wall, choosing the right frame size is crucial.
By choosing the correct frame size for your prints, you can avoid having any awkward negative space between your prints. If you choose a frame or a print that’s too small, you risk losing your artwork completely, but if it’s too big, it can seem overbearing and can completely take over the room.
If you’ve been thinking about how to choose the right frames to avoid awkward empty spaces, here are all the tips and tricks you need to keep in mind.
Start with your wall
Often, it can be easy to see a piece of artwork, fall in love with it and not even consider where you’ll actually place it in your home. Instead of rushing to buy frames or prints before considering where they would work in your space, you want to start by looking at your wall first.
It’s important that you know the size of your wall before you set about trying to decorate, and a good rule of thumb to follow is that your artwork shouldn’t take up more than 60% of the available width. This is a simple rule to follow to make sure that you are utilising wall space effectively and don’t have any of that awkward negative space that you’re trying to avoid.
Think bigger
If you don’t want to create a gallery wall and instead want one focal piece in your space, you should try to think bigger rather than smaller. If you don’t have the exact measurements of your wall, go slightly bigger than you think you need to, as when it comes to focus pieces, something that looks bigger always looks more intentional and less clunky than something that is too small.
If your wall still feels empty after putting up your artwork, there’s a high likelihood that you have chosen a frame that is too small for the space.
Rather than running to exchange your piece for something bigger, you can always simply find a larger frame and add a backing that incorporates the colours in your print.
Group frames
If a large print isn’t your style, a thoughtfully curated gallery wall might be more your speed. To create a gallery wall that looks intentional, there are a few key things you need to keep in mind.
First things first, you should try to use two or three large frames for your gallery wall. If you want more prints, you can then incorporate smaller frames (like A5 frames) to add visual interest. You also want to ensure proper spacing between prints, around 5-8cm between each frame is the sweet spot, anything else can look awkward, and anything less can look cluttered.
To test out your arrangement before committing to hanging it on your wall, lay all your frames on the ground first and decide which placement looks best. This will allow you to fix any awkward spacing issues before hammering a bunch of holes into your wall.
Height matters
When it comes to actually hanging your prints, the height you hang them matters so that you don’t have awkward space at the bottom or the top of your prints.
When it comes to the ‘most ideal’ height for your prints, you should be aiming to hang them so that the centre is at around eye level. If you’re hanging prints above furniture, this might be a bit more difficult, but it’s important to make sure you leave a good amount of space between the furniture and the bottom of your print.
By choosing the right height, you can ensure your artwork feels more intentional in your room, preventing it from looking isolated and awkward.
Frame size can make all the difference
In order to make sure there isn’t too much negative space on your wall, the right frame size really does matter. Choose frame sizes that match your prints, but remember to go bigger rather than smaller.
By going bigger and then adding a backing to your frame, you can give it a professional feel whilst also making sure your walls feel properly proportioned.
