Wall art above the bed: size, height and what suits it

The wall above the bed is the biggest empty wall in most bedrooms, and the one you see last thing at night. A few measurements make it easy to get right.

How wide

A common interior rule of thumb: art above a bed, or a pair hung as one, should span about two-thirds of the headboard's width.

• A queen bed, about 5 ft wide, suits art around 40 inches across.
• A king bed, about 6 ft wide, suits art around 48 inches across, or two pieces of about 20 to 22 inches with a small gap.
• If shelves or a window take the wall above the bed, a smaller piece on each side works instead.

How high

Leave about 15 to 25 cm between the top of the headboard and the bottom of the piece. Higher than that and it floats away from the bed; lower and it crowds the headboard.

One piece or a pair?

One wide piece is calm and simple. A pair or a set of panels suits a wide bed and lets you split the colour across the wall. Many pieces can be made as a pair; ask when you message.

What suits a bedroom

• Calm palettes and even texture: ivory, sand, sage, soft blues.
• Botanical and abstract relief more than busy, high-contrast scenes.
• A bedside lamp or a window to one side shows relief clearly; a central ceiling light flattens it.

Other walls in the bedroom

If the bed sits under a window or against a padded headboard that runs up the wall, the wall facing the bed is often the better place: it's the view when you wake up. A tall, narrow piece suits the strip of wall beside a wardrobe or a dressing table.

Raised relief over a headboard

• Relief stands off the surface, so keep it clear of a headboard you sit up against.
• Hang it securely, into wall plugs rather than a single nail, because it is above where you sleep.
• Dust it with a soft, dry brush, and keep it off a wall that gets damp.

• Wall art for the bedroom
• Texture paintings on canvas
• What size wall art for a living room?