What should you hang on a living room wall?

You have found the living room furniture, but the wall is still waiting for its picture. A large artwork, two prints or a gallery can all work, provided you consider the available space alongside the sofa and surrounding objects.

Here is how to prepare a composition and compare the options in a family living room. The aim is to give the pictures you enjoy a clearly defined place.

Use the furniture as your starting reference

Identify the sofa, sideboard or console table the frames will accompany. A width close to two thirds of the furniture is one possible starting point. It is not a compulsory rule: windows, lamps, the backrest's height and the amount of visible wall can lead to a different proportion.

For a 210 cm sofa, two thirds is 140 cm. Mark that width on the wall with paper, then compare a smaller or wider composition. Measure the frames' external dimensions and the gaps: the print sizes alone do not give the final space occupied.

Compare a trio with a gallery

The visualisations show Mediterranean prints in a living room with a navy blue sofa, light grey wall, books and toys. They compare three ways to arrange the wall. These are layout illustrations; exact sizes must be checked on your own wall using templates.

A trio creates an easily recognisable rhythm. Choose a visible connection between the pictures: a palette, related subjects or a matching outline. View it from the entrance, then from the armchairs. A very detailed subject may need a larger size or a closer position.

A gallery lets you bring together more pictures. Prepare it as a whole on the floor and test its total width before making the first hole. Regular gaps and a shared line provide reference points. If you want to add to it later, leave room around the group and note the sizes used.

Try two large pictures as well

A pair concentrates the composition on two subjects. Portrait-format prints can form that pair, with matching frames or an echoed colour. Look at their visual weight together: a very dark picture can dominate its neighbour even when their dimensions are identical.

This option means coordinating fewer pictures, but does not necessarily require less width. Two portrait 70x100 prints, spaced 5 cm apart, already occupy 145 cm before the mouldings. Compare that width with the furniture and obstacles instead of automatically reserving pairs for narrow walls.

For the budget, compare the total cost of prints, frames and fixings in each configuration. The number of frames alone does not tell you the price. Also consider whether you want the wall to evolve: replacing a picture should remain straightforward and the hanging arrangement accessible.

Find the height with the sofa in use

Check the height with the backrest and cushions in place. Sit down, lean back and make sure the frame cannot be knocked. A gap of 20 to 30 cm above the backrest can serve as a trial, then be adjusted to the furniture. Use a fixing suited to the wall and total weight.

The gallery wall guide explains several alignments. The guide to print sizes above a sofa helps compare proportions. In both cases, keep the view from your seat as well as from the door in mind to avoid a group that appears detached from the furniture.

Look at the other living room walls too

The wall opposite the sofa deserves attention because you see it while seated. A print can accompany a sideboard or reading corner there. Test its height from your usual seat: it depends on the furniture and your position, without imposing one figure for every living room.

Near the television, check whether a picture remains easy to see beside the screen. An off-centre arrangement can work, but an already full wall does not need another addition. A narrow section near the sofa can accommodate a vertical print if it leaves the walkway clear.

Choose subjects alongside the colours already present

The living room holds your everyday life as well as your guests. Choose a picture you enjoy, then look at its relationship with the rug, curtains and books. Three families provide starting points, with understated and more colourful versions.

• Landscapes: seaside prints and mountain prints add a horizon to look at without actually enlarging the room.
• Plants: olive tree prints, botanical illustrations and tree prints can connect a picture with wood, linen or plants.
• Graphic compositions: abstract prints, line art and minimalism offer different densities of shapes and contrasts.

Black and white and grey prints provide other options. Our guide to coordinating a monochrome picture compares several walls. The decorating trends selection can also offer inspiration, with your own preferences as the starting point.

Check the frame and lighting

A black frame echoes a lamp, oak recalls furniture and white connects with joinery. Compare the finishes with the entire picture. Then check reflections by day and in the evening: a window or bulb may hide the subject from certain seats.

Our paper prints are made to order in Fayence on 270 gsm semi-matt photographic paper with pigment inks. Compare the sizes 21x30, 30x40, 50x70 and 70x100 according to the design's orientation. Finish with a template of the frame or entire group, with everyday objects back on the furniture.