Question 1

What is the ideal spacing between artworks?

Accepted Answer

In galleries, 5-10 cm between pieces is standard. Spacing depends on artwork size and wall space. Larger works generally need more breathing room. Museums typically use 10-15 cm spacing.

Question 2

At what height should I hang artwork?

Accepted Answer

The centre of the artwork should be at eye level, approximately 145 cm (57 inches) from the floor. This is the standard used by most galleries and museums worldwide.

Question 3

What is salon style hanging?

Accepted Answer

Salon style (also called the Petersburg hang, after the dense floor-to-ceiling displays at the Hermitage in St Petersburg) is a densely packed arrangement with artworks hung at varying heights, creating a wall of art. The salon name comes from the 17th-century Paris salons of the Academie royale.

Question 4

How wide should the arrangement be relative to the wall?

Accepted Answer

A widely used design guide (the "2/3 rule") is that the overall artwork group — pieces plus the gaps between them — should span about two-thirds to three-quarters (66-75%) of the wall or the furniture beneath it. That is a WIDTH guide and is different from the Wall Utilisation this calculator reports, which is an AREA ratio (artwork area divided by total wall area) and so will read much lower — typically 10-25% for a tidy single row. Use the Edge Margin output to judge the width: balanced margins at either side usually mean you are in the right range.

Gallery Wall Space Calculator — Artwork Spacing

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