Abstract landscape painting in soft golds, greys and misty blue tones

Art Above the Bed: Size, Height and Ideas That Work

November 04, 2026

Art above a bed should be about two-thirds the width of the headboard, with the bottom edge roughly 20 to 30 cm above the top of it. For a standard double that means art around 90 cm wide. Use light frames with acrylic rather than heavy glass, and fix them securely, because someone sleeps underneath.

How big should art above a bed be?

The two-thirds rule is the one I come back to every time. Measure the headboard (or the bed frame if there's no headboard) and multiply by 0.66. That's the total width your art should cover, frames included. Go much smaller and the piece floats; go wider than the bed and it starts to feel top-heavy.

Bed size (UK)	Typical headboard width	Art width to aim for	What that looks like
Small double (120 cm mattress)	About 125 cm	About 80 cm	One A1 print hung landscape, or two A3 prints side by side
Double (135 cm mattress)	About 140 cm	About 90 cm	One 50 x 70 cm landscape, or two A2 prints
King (150 cm mattress)	About 155 cm	About 100 cm	Two 40 x 50 cm or A2 prints, or one 60 x 90 cm landscape
Super king (180 cm mattress)	About 185 cm	About 120 cm	Two 50 x 70 cm prints, or a trio of A3 prints

Headboard widths vary a lot, especially upholstered ones with wings, so measure yours rather than relying on the table. Remember the frame adds to the size of the print.

How high should art above a bed be?

Leave 20 to 30 cm between the top of the headboard and the bottom edge of the frame. Closer than 20 cm and it can feel cramped, and you risk knocking it when you sit up against the headboard. Much higher than 30 cm and the art drifts away from the bed and stops looking connected to it.

With a low headboard or no headboard at all, measure from the top of the mattress and allow a bit more, roughly 30 to 40 cm, so your head doesn't touch the frame when you sit up to read. The general rule for hanging art at eye level, with the centre around 145 to 150 cm from the floor, often doesn't work over a bed because the furniture sets the height. I cover the same principle for sofas in how high to hang art above a sofa.

Is it safe to hang art above a bed?

Yes, if you take a few sensible precautions. This is the one place in the house where I'm strict about fixings, because a frame that slips will land on someone's head.

Avoid heavy glass. Choose frames with acrylic (perspex) glazing, or a lightweight frame, for anything directly over the pillows.
Use two fixing points. Two hooks or two screws keep a frame level and mean it can't swing or lift off one nail.
Match the fixing to the wall. Plasterboard needs proper plasterboard fixings rated for the weight; solid walls need wall plugs and screws. A single picture nail in plasterboard is not enough over a bed.
Consider security fixings. In a child's room, a guest room or anywhere small children bounce on the bed, security hangers that lock the frame to the wall are worth it.
Check the cord. If a frame hangs on a cord or wire, make sure it's tight and the knots are sound.

One piece, a pair or a trio above the bed?

A single piece

The calmest option. One landscape print, centred on the bed, is easy to get right and suits most bedrooms. Choose something quiet that you won't tire of seeing first thing, like this soft neutral abstract landscape. If the print is portrait, it will look narrow over a wide bed, so a pair usually works better.

A pair

My favourite for doubles and kings. Two portrait prints of the same size, side by side with a gap of 5 to 8 cm, give you width without needing one huge frame. Line up the tops and bottoms exactly and centre the whole pair on the bed. Two prints that clearly belong together work best, such as the soft blue botanical next to the ivory florals on sage.

A trio

Three prints in a row suit super king beds and long, low headboards. Keep them identical in size and frame, and keep the gaps equal at 5 to 8 cm. A set of three simple line drawings, for example the vintage beige botanical line art and the neutral beige botanical line art with a third in the same style, reads as one piece from across the room.

A picture ledge

A ledge above the bed lets you layer two or three prints of different sizes and change them whenever you like, with only one set of holes in the wall. Fix the ledge itself very securely into studs or solid wall. Choose a ledge with a deep lip, use acrylic-glazed frames only, and keep candles, vases and anything heavy off it. A ledge 60 to 80 percent of the headboard width looks right.

What kind of art works best above a bed?

Bedrooms are for winding down, so I tend to steer people toward soft colour, gentle shapes and plenty of space in the design. Muted abstracts, botanicals, landscapes and line drawings are all good. Very busy patterns or strong reds can feel like a lot at 7am. I've written more about picking something you'll be glad to wake up to in abstract art for bedrooms.

Look at the colours already in the room, especially the bedding and the headboard fabric, and pick a print that repeats one of them. Earthy tones like the geometric earth tones print suit linen bedding in rust or oatmeal, while the soft beige curves line art works with plain white sheets.

For a guest room, keep it even simpler, because you're choosing for people you don't know. A single fine-line drawing such as the woman and dove sketch in a light wood frame is calm, light to hang and easy for anyone to sleep under.

Shop the look

There's more in the bedroom prints collection and the abstract art collection. Many prints come framed in black, white, wood or dark wood, in sizes from 13 x 18 cm up to 60 x 90 cm, though sizes vary by print.