Artwork, especially floral art, is a beautiful way to to add more personality into our home decor especially if you love botanicals, of course! Not only does it bring nature indoors, it offers up many colours to accessorise.
Factors to consider when chosing the right size Art above your sofa.
There are many different ways of displaying artwork but above the sofa is usually the first choice or starting point for many. The sofa and the space above is often the focal point of the room. However, there must be balance between the size of the wall art and the size of your sofa.
Proportion and balance of wall space and sofa
Landscape Format or Horizontal orientation of artwork above the sofa
Artwork above the sofa ideally needs to be impactful, the focal point of the room. whether it be colour, or a graphic element. It should be a statement piece. It needs to be big, but balanced. Ideally it needs to be 2/3 the width of the sofa. This is known as the 2/3 Rule.
First, measure the width and height of the wall where you plan to hang the artwork. This will give you the maximum dimensions your art should occupy.
Here, my CHRYSANTHYMUMS Botanical Print fits the bill with the A0 size of 33" x 47" being correctly proportional to this 2 seater sofa.
The bottom of the print should be 8-10" above the sofa. When positioned too low the print gets lost in the sofa, and too high creates unpleasing separation.
Bear in mind also, higher walls would need a bigger size print or a large gallery wall to occupy the space well.
Vertical orientation of artwork above the sofa
Vertical orientation can also look great above the sofa with two or more pieces, depending on size, arranged as a dyptych or triptych, in a way where each botanical print is complementary to its neighbour.
Here, my 'HELLEBORUS 'PICOTEE' collection of two botanical prints are an obvious choice. As many botanical prints are vertical, it is an excellent way of displaying botanical art.
The proportions are the same, about 2/3 the width of the sofa and 8-10 " above the sofa with 2"- 5" in between. These are A1 size or 23.4"x 33.1". Although smaller, together they still make a statement.
Gallery Walls above the Sofa
Here is where to have fun with mixing things up with a variation of different shapes and sizes artfully arranged to make a pleasing display. Your botanical art prints can be symmetrical and or wild and free. It can have matching or mismatched frames or themed by work by the same artist or subject matter. You can mix them up with artwork you love or art you just want on your wall..somewhere!
Above, I have chosen a symmetrical arrangement with a hero piece 'SUMMER COOL' , a Dahlia inspired art print, in the middle.
Above, I have filled the wall space with prints in their various sizes but kept some symmetry with similar frame heights, aligning them to make a pleasing display. Using artwork from the same artist creates cohesion but variation is cool, too. It really is playtime here, though. Let your creativity run wild!
How to plan a Gallery Wall above the sofa
To save making unnecessary holes in the wall, the best way to style it is to create same - size templates of your artwork. Lay them out on the floor to work out your design, take a photo on your phone, and then stick them to the wall for tweaking. Then replace each template with your chosen artwork. The proportion rules could be broken here depending on the look you are after. Adding more artwork to the sides to fill the whole wall could work beautifully. Check out the link below for more info.
Things to remember when choosing wall art for your living room
- A single statement piece needs to be big, well balanced and in harmony with the sofa. Remember 2/3 width rule of the sofa and 8-10" above.
- A dyptych or tryptych also needs similar balance to harmonise but using smaller pieces.
- A gallery wall - anything goes but better, I think, with some balance.
- Experiment with same- size templates.
I hope you enjoy bringing joyful botanicals into your home.. and have fun! The more the better!
For a closer look at the dark botanical prints featured - click here