Lifestyle / Categories
Fashion Stories Beauty Family Food Recipes Home Weddings
News Travel Books Tech Money Wellness Fitness Pets
Trending / Top Stories
2022 Interior Design Trends 5 Haircut Trends That Are Shapin... Does Hand Sanitizer Work? We Ask... How to Make Your Home Feel More... How to Get Rid of Dark Spots Onc...
Videos / Watch
How-to's Blink Beauty Tutorials Popular Videos
Cities / Editions
New York Miami Dallas Los Angeles
Hamptons Chicago San Francisco
Connect With Us
Sign Up Gallery Media Group
All Sections
    • Now ReadingSuch Great Heights
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • MORE
    • NEXT ARTICLEThe Professional Way to Make a Bed
    • SIGN UP NOW
      • Trending

Share

Share
Pin
TEXT Email
Twitter
http://pwow.me/1OQBx7s
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Family
  • Recipes
  • PureWow100
  • Podcasts

Are you sure you want to remove this item from your Recipe Box?

Please enter a valid email address...

Thanks!

The emails have been sent

Thanks for Sharing!
Now like us on Facebook

No, thanksI'm already a PureWow fan.

Want more where that came from? Follow PureWow on Pinterest

No, thanks I hate pretty things.

  • 21.8KShares
home

Such Great Heights

The rules for hanging just about anything

By Jillian Quint
| Jul. 7, 2014
/
The rules for hanging just about anything
Rule #2: The center of any arrangement should be 60 inches off the ground.
hang1

Art

It’s a national epidemic, and it’s driving us crazy: People are hanging their art way too high! Here’s the deal: For optimum viewing (and to make the ceiling look higher), the center of any painting should be at eye level, which means about 60 inches from the floor. Feeling bold? Go a little lower for a more modern and intimate look. 

Photo credit: Lonny Magazine

hang2

Gallery Wall

If you’re attempting a gallery wall, make sure the center of the whole arrangement is at the 60-inch mark.

hang3

Television

Again, think about eye level, people. It might seem like a good idea to go high (you don’t want your TV to be the focal point of the room, after all), but just trust us and resist the urge. As a rule, you want a person sitting on the couch to be able to watch her Housewives without craning her neck. That typically means the center of the screen should be about four feet off the ground. 

As for the ideal distance between TV and sofa: Simply multiply the diagonal width of the screen times three. So if you have a 42-inch TV, your couch should be ten and a half feet away.

hang4

Towel Rack

The industry standard is 48 inches from the ground (36 inches in a kid’s bathroom). But the most important rule is to hang the rack low enough that you can reach it easily and high enough that the folded towel draped over it won’t hit anything below. Also, be sure to steer clear of light switches and outlets. You don’t want to have to reach behind a wet towel to plug in your flatiron!

hang51

Mirror

Hang any mirror so that the center is a few inches below standard eye level--typically about 55 inches off the ground. The exception, of course, is your bedroom mirror if you are particularly short or tall. In that case, go with your personal eye-level measurements. (A girl’s gotta see her full outfit, after all.)

hang61

Chandelier Over a Table

The rule is probably lower than you think: The bottom of the fixture should hit 26 to 32 inches above the table.

hang71

Chandelier in an Entryway

The bottom of the chandelier should hit seven feet above the floor--unless you’re a family of basketball players, in which case, go higher.

hang8

Coatrack

This one is sort of a no-brainer. Any visitor (adult or child) should be able to reach the coatrack...and no coat should drag on the floor. By this measure, five feet from the floor is generally a good height.

hang9

Curtains

This is the place to break the rules. Curtains are traditionally hung right above the window frame. But we prefer to go much higher (up to eight inches above the frame) to give the illusion of a grander ceiling.

hang10

And to Recap...

Just don’t ever do this.

  • hang gallery wall 400
    Back to Article
  • hang1
  • hang2
  • hang3
  • hang4
  • hang51
  • hang61
  • hang71
  • hang8
  • hang9
  • hang10

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from our 95-year-old grandma, it’s that, in life, there’s always a right way to do something. (And, conversely, there is also a very, very wrong way. She's looking at you, Cousin Felix.)

Case in point: hanging things around the house. From art to towel racks to chandeliers, we firmly believe that installation at the correct height makes all the difference when creating scale and balance in a room.

Check out our cheat sheet to see the rules. You can still choose to break them--you'll just have Grammy to contend with.

  • SHARE955
  • PIN IT21K
  • EMAIL
  • EMAIL
SHARE
EMAIL TEXT
More

More Stories You’ll Love

More Stories From our Partners

Company

  • About
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Press
  • Instagram Portfolio
  • ONE37pm

Legal

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Contests
  • Do Not Sell My Information

Features

  • News
  • The Coterie
  • Quizzes
  • Featured Content
  • Gift Guides
  • Subscription Boxes
  • Self Care
  • Face Masks

Connect With Us

Subscribe Gallery Media Group
© 2010-2022 Wow Media Products, Inc doing business as PureWow. All rights reserved.
Manage Your Account

Enter your registered email below!

Email to a friend (or five).
Thanks!
Your email has been sent.