Someone asked a question about art size I think others would benefit from.
I received this email question today...
"I am redecorating my family/living room which is 18'x18'. I found a picture that I really like but it is 60" wide and 46 1/2" high. I would like to hang it over my sofa which is 88" long. However, my walls are only 8' high although I do have a cathedral ceiling. Is the picture too large for my room?
Thank you,
L.H"
Well - on first blush I'd think the picture would fit BUT there are other things to consider. How do you use your spaces? And what is your decorating style? If you have smaller, fussy furniture with small details such as scrolled arms on Victorian chairs then a large picture might dwarf the rest of the room. If you have large, oversized furniture then the picture might go very well.
There is also the other walls. Do you have a cluster of small family photos or a neat line of larger photos or pieces of art. This also needs to be taken into consideration before you take the leap.
Also the art itself. If it's a piece with large chunks in one color it might flow better than a very detailed, intricate piece of artwork would.
So there are a lot of things to consider, but physically I would say it seems like you have the space and it might help draw the eye down from the cathedral ceiling and focus it on the artwork.
If you're simply concerned about it fitting and everything else about it seems perfect for your room you might want to mock it up. Get some blue painter's tape and make an outline that is the size of the picture. Then stand back and take a look to see if it feels right to you.
Remember to use painter's tape because traditional masking tape may tear the paint off your walls. And even with the painter's tape, I wouldn't burnish it to the wall in most spaces and I'd be carefully when tugging it off.
Good luck!
