What Size Wall Art Do I Need for My Living Room? (UK Size Guide)

You’ve found a wall you want to fill, you’ve picked a style you like, and then the big question appears: “What size wall art do I actually need?” Too small and it looks lost, too big and it can overwhelm the room.

The good news? You don’t need to be an interior designer to get it right. With a few simple rules and a tape measure, you can choose wall art sizes that work beautifully in real UK homes – whether you live in a compact London flat or a larger family home.

In this guide, we’ll walk through easy size rules for above the sofa, above the bed and empty living room walls, plus how these rules apply to both our 3D Heavy Textured Oil Paintings and our Textured Partial Oil Paintings.

1. The simple 2/3 width rule (so you’re never guessing)

The easiest place to start is with the furniture directly under your wall art. In most living rooms, that’s the sofa or sometimes a sideboard.

A reliable rule is:

Your wall art should be roughly 60–70% of the width of the furniture below it.

For example:

If your sofa is 180 cm wide, aim for wall art that’s roughly 110–125 cm wide.
If your sofa is 200 cm wide, aim for around 120–140 cm of wall art width.
If your sideboard is 150 cm wide, aim for roughly 90–105 cm.

That width could come from:

One large canvas
A pair of medium canvases side by side
A three-piece (triptych) set spread across the wall

Our larger square and rectangular pieces in the 3D Abstract Oil Paintings collection and the Abstract Textured Partial Oil Paintings collection are sized with this 2/3 rule in mind, so you can easily find options that feel “made” for above the sofa.

2. How high should I hang it? (eye level + 20–25 cm)

Size is only half the story. Hanging height can completely change how your wall art feels in the room.

As a starting point:

The centre of your wall art should be roughly at eye level when standing (around 145–155 cm from the floor for most people).
The bottom of the frame should sit about 20–25 cm above the top of the sofa.

If you hang it much higher than that, it can feel as if the painting is “floating away” from the sofa. Lower it a little and the whole wall usually feels more relaxed and intentional.

For a deeper dive into positioning and height, you can also read our guide: “How to Choose the Perfect Wall Art Above Your Sofa (A Practical UK Guide)” .

3. One big canvas or several smaller ones?

Once you know your ideal width, the next question is whether to go for:

One large statement piece
A pair of canvases (diptych)
Three or more canvases (gallery wall or triptych)

One large statement piece

This is the easiest route and often the most elegant. A single, generously sized canvas:

Gives you a clear focal point
Reduces visual clutter
Works especially well with tactile, textured pieces

If you like bold, sculptural surfaces, a large piece from our 3D Heavy Textured Partial Oil Painting collection is ideal here – the texture alone makes the wall feel more special without needing multiple frames.

Two or three canvases

If you prefer more variation, you can split your total width into two or three canvases. For example:

Sofa width: 200 cm → target art width: 130 cm → three canvases around 40–45 cm wide each, with small gaps between.
Sideboard width: 150 cm → target art width: 100 cm → two canvases around 45–50 cm wide each.

Just remember to treat the whole arrangement as one visual block that still follows the 2/3 rule.

4. Recommended wall art sizes for typical UK living rooms

To make this even simpler, here are some common living room setups and the sizes that usually work well:

Above a standard 3-seater sofa (180–220 cm wide)

One large canvas: width around 110–140 cm (for example, one of our larger formats in 3D Abstract or abstract textured partial collections)
Two canvases: each around 50–70 cm wide
Three canvases: each around 40–50 cm wide

Above a 2-seater or small sofa (140–170 cm wide)

One canvas: width around 85–110 cm
Two canvases: each around 40–50 cm

Above a sideboard, console or radiator cover (100–140 cm wide)

One canvas: width around 60–90 cm
Two small canvases: each around 30–40 cm

Our product pages list size options clearly, and if you’re ever unsure, you can always take a quick photo of your wall and tape out the size using masking tape before choosing your final dimensions.

5. Matching size to style: 3D vs textured partial

Size also affects how different styles feel in your living room:

3D heavy textured pieces carry more visual weight. They’re perfect for larger walls where you want a strong focal point – for example, above a big sofa or on a wide living room wall. Explore options in our 3D Heavy Textured Partial Oil Painting collection .
Textured partial oil paintings are slightly calmer and more subtle. They work beautifully in medium sizes or as part of a gallery wall, especially in neutral, relaxed living rooms. You can see examples in our Textured Partial Oil Paintings collection .

If you’re curious about how textured partial pieces are made and why they feel different from flat prints, you can read our article “Textured Partial Oil Paintings: A New Dimension in Art” .

6. Don’t forget the rest of the room

While the wall and sofa are important, remember to consider:

Ceiling height: In higher-ceilinged Victorian or Edwardian homes, taller canvases often look better than thin, narrow ones.
Room size: Small rooms usually benefit from fewer, slightly larger pieces rather than lots of tiny frames.
Light: 3D textured pieces in particular react beautifully to changing daylight and lamplight. You can see examples in our blog “Discover the Beauty of Textured 3D Oil Painting Art” .

A single well-chosen piece at the right size can often do more for a room than five smaller prints scattered around.

7. Quick way to test a size before you commit

Still unsure? Here’s a simple trick many of our UK customers use before ordering:

Cut out paper or cardboard to the size you’re considering, or mark it on the wall with low-tack masking tape.
Leave it there for a day or two. Sit down in the evening, walk past during the day, turn the lamps on.
Adjust the outline if it feels too high, low, narrow or wide – then match the final shape to one of our available sizes.

Once that outline feels “right”, choosing the actual painting becomes much easier.

8. Ready to choose your wall art size?

To recap the key points:

Aim for wall art that’s around 60–70% of the width of the furniture below.
Keep the centre of the artwork roughly at eye level.
Hang it around 20–25 cm above the sofa.
Use larger canvases for bold 3D textured pieces, and medium sizes for subtler textured partial works.
Test the size with tape or paper before drilling any holes.

If you’re ready to explore options, a great place to start is:

Our main 3D textured wall art collection: 3D Heavy Textured Partial Oil Paintings
Our calmer textured partial oil paintings: Textured Partial Oil Paintings
Or, if you love classical art: Famous Painters’ Textured Partial Oil Paintings

Whether you’re dressing a small city flat or a spacious family living room, the right size of textured wall art will make your space feel more considered, more personal and much more “you”.