How do I hang a picture straight?
How to hang pictures at the right height, get them level first time, and space a group of frames so it looks deliberate.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 20 min
- Read
- 2 min
Short answer
Hang so the centre of the picture is about 145–150cm from the floor — roughly eye level. Measure from the top of the frame down to the taut hanging wire, subtract that from where you want the frame top, and that's your hook position.
Two things make hung pictures look wrong: height and spacing. Most people hang too high, because they measure from the ceiling or the top of a sofa rather than from the floor. Galleries hang to a consistent centre height, which is why a gallery wall reads as calm even when the frames vary.
What you'll need
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Spirit level
- Picture hooks or wall fixings
- Hammer
Step by step
- Decide the centre height — 145–150cm from the floor for a standalone picture.Lower it slightly if the room's seating is low or the ceiling is unusually low.
- Work out where the top of the frame will sit: centre height plus half the frame's height.So a 40cm-tall frame centred at 145cm has its top at 165cm.
- Pull the hanging wire taut towards the top of the frame and measure the gap to the frame top.This is the drop. It's the number everyone forgets, and it's why pictures end up hung too high.
- Subtract the drop from the frame-top height and mark that point on the wall.That mark is where the hook goes, not where the top of the picture goes.
- Fix the hook — a pin-type picture hook into plaster, or an anchor for anything heavy.Pin hooks hold more than they look like they should, but only in sound plaster, and only for light frames.
- Hang the picture and check with a spirit level laid on the top edge.Nudge one side of the wire on the hook to correct small tilts.
- For a group, lay the arrangement out on the floor first and keep the gaps consistent.5–8cm between frames reads as a deliberate group; wider gaps read as unrelated pictures.
Tips
- For anything heavy or wide, use two hooks spaced apart rather than one. It stops the frame tilting and halves the load per fixing.
- Masking tape on the wall, marked up with the frame outline, lets you see the arrangement before you make a single hole.
- Above furniture, leave 15–20cm between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the frame so they read as related.
- Adhesive strips work well for lightweight frames on sound paint, and are worth it in rented properties — but check the weight rating honestly.
Common mistakes
- Hanging at eye level for a standing adult — Most rooms are experienced seated. 145–150cm to the centre suits both.
- Forgetting the wire drop — The most common reason a picture ends up several centimetres higher than intended.
- Uneven gaps in a group — Inconsistent spacing is what makes a gallery wall look accidental rather than designed.
Questions people ask
How high should pictures be hung?
Centre the picture at about 145–150cm from the floor. This is the museum standard and it works in most rooms, whatever the ceiling height.
What about hanging above a sofa?
Keep the same centre height if you can, but leave at least 15cm above the sofa back. If the two conflict, the gap above the furniture matters more visually.