Which print should you choose for a bedroom?

You want to decorate your bedroom, but the choice goes beyond the wall behind the bed. You might look at the picture from the door, an armchair or once you are tucked under the duvet.

Start with that everyday viewpoint. You can then choose a subject, compare a single print with a pair, and check their dimensions alongside the headboard and lamps.

Choose the wall you want to look at

From bed, you mainly see the opposite wall or a side wall, depending on the room's layout. You tend to see the wall behind the bed when entering. There is no need to decorate both: first choose the one where a picture would give you real pleasure.

Above the bed, a picture is seen alongside the headboard, bedside tables and wall lights. Opposite, it can accompany a chest of drawers or reading corner. The bedroom collection lets you compare subjects in relation to the furniture and viewing distance.

Measure the composition against the headboard

Use the headboard's width as a starting reference, then look at the available wall around it. A composition occupying roughly two thirds of that width is one option to try, not a requirement. Wall lights, a window or adjacent furniture may justify a narrower or off-centre picture.

For a chest of drawers or sideboard, the living room print guide offers other starting points according to the furniture.

In portrait orientation, two 30x40 prints with a 5 cm gap total 65 cm; two 50x70 prints total 105 cm. Three 30x40 prints with two 5 cm gaps total 100 cm. These calculations exclude the mouldings: add up the chosen frames' external dimensions to find the group's actual width.

The following visualisations illustrate the difference in presence between a small pair and a larger pair. They are not dimensioned plans of your bedroom. Reproduce the external outlines in paper on your wall, then look at them from the door and the places where you move around.

Find a height that works with the bed

The height depends on the headboard, pillows and your position when reading. A reference intended for someone standing in front of an empty wall is not enough here. The frame's lower edge must leave room for the furniture and movement without being likely to get knocked.

Test the template while actually sitting in bed. If the frame seems exposed or the fixing cannot suit the wall and total weight, choose another wall. The guides to proportions above furniture and a home study corner add guidance for different uses.

Choose a subject you enjoy seeing regularly

A bedroom can accommodate a detailed picture, strong contrast or a very simple scene. The choice depends on your taste and existing decor. With a patterned duvet cover, a less dense picture leaves more room for the bedding's patterns; plain fabric allows other combinations.

Botanical prints offer branches and foliage. Minimalism and Japandi provide several directions centred on lines and shapes. Landscapes and mountains can bring back a horizon or place that matters to you.

Beige prints accompany a light palette; blue prints can echo a colour in the bedding. Black and white and line art bring a different kind of contrast. None of these colours guarantees an effect on sleep: choose according to how they relate to the room.

Our guide to coordinating a black and white print compares the picture's background, the wall colour and the frame finish.

Check the picture with the bedside lamps

Switch on the lamps you use in the evening and observe their reflections from the bed. A light close to the frame can hide part of the subject. Moving the frame or lamp slightly may improve visibility without changing the whole arrangement.

Our paper prints are made to order in Fayence on 270 gsm semi-matt photographic paper with pigment inks. The frame's protective cover also contributes to reflections. The guide to art paper and photographic paper explains what to compare.

An oak frame can echo a bedside table, a black one the wall lights, and a white one the joinery. Our article on framing a 30x40 print helps you check dimensions. Consult the frame options that match your print size.

Four prints for the wall above the bed

Four prints for the opposite wall

What about a teenager's bedroom?

In a teenager's bedroom, choose the subject together with its occupant. The selections for teenage girls' bedrooms and teenage boys' bedrooms provide starting points: interests and favourite colours remain the best criteria, whatever the collection's name.

If photographs already occupy the wall, reserve an area for the print. Our teenage bedroom guide explains how to organise pictures around the bed and desk.

Where to start

Choose a main picture and compare the paper sizes 21x30, 30x40, 50x70 and 70x100. A small format may suit a spot near a chest of drawers; a larger one can be seen from the door. The picture's orientation and available space guide your choice.

The wall planner lets you explore combinations of prints, frames and walls. Finish with a real template in your bedroom: the bedding, lamps and headboard width remain your references for deciding.