Wall Art for Living Room

Large Wall Art for Living Rooms

In most living rooms, I prefer one substantial piece of artwork over a collection of smaller pieces.

Large photographic artwork creates a much cleaner visual presentation and allows the details in the image to be appreciated from across the room as well as up close. This is particularly important with my landscape and nature photographs, many of which contain small details that become much more noticeable as the print increases in size.

A large photograph can also visually anchor the room.

Instead of competing with furniture, windows, shelving and other objects, the artwork establishes a primary focal point. This works especially well in modern homes where the interior architecture tends to include larger uninterrupted wall spaces.

All of my photographs are available in sizes ranging from approximately 36 to 84 inches wide, with selected pieces available at considerably larger sizes.

For particularly large walls, I regularly produce photographs up to 120 inches wide.

Wall Art Above a Sofa

The wall above a sofa is one of the most common places collectors install my work.

It is also a space where people frequently choose artwork that is too small.

A photograph that looks substantial when viewed by itself on a computer screen can suddenly look undersized once it is hanging over an eight or nine foot sofa.

As a general starting point, I usually recommend that the artwork occupy a significant portion of the width of the sofa below it.

For many standard living rooms, photographs between 48 and 72 inches wide work extremely well above a sofa. Larger sectionals or long furniture arrangements may require artwork in the 72 to 100 inch range.

The exact size depends on the width of the furniture, ceiling height, available wall space and how much visual impact you want the artwork to have. As a general rule, I recommend artwork approximately 60% to 75% of the width of the sofa below it, with roughly 6 to 10 inches of space between the top of the sofa and the bottom of the artwork.

For a long wall, a panoramic landscape photograph can be particularly effective because its proportions naturally follow the horizontal shape of the sofa.

Panoramic Wall Art

Panoramic photography is one of my favorite formats for living rooms because many of the walls in these spaces are naturally horizontal.

A panoramic photograph can stretch across a long wall without requiring excessive height. This makes the format particularly useful above sofas, credenzas and long furniture arrangements.

Panoramas are also extremely effective in open concept homes where the artwork may be visible from several rooms.

From across the space, the photograph provides a strong graphic shape. As you move closer, smaller details inside the landscape begin to reveal themselves.

For wide living room walls, panoramic prints between 60 and 100 inches can create a very strong presentation without feeling unnecessarily heavy.

Horizontal landscapes and panoramic photographs are particularly well suited to the long proportions of a sofa or sectional. View all Panoramic Landscape Photography.

Wall Art Above a Fireplace

Fireplaces create a different set of considerations.

Because the fireplace is already a strong architectural feature, the artwork above it needs enough visual presence to hold its own without overwhelming the space.

For many homes, photographs approximately 36 to 60 inches wide work well above a fireplace. Large fireplaces, stone walls and rooms with tall ceilings can easily support larger artwork.

One of the advantages of photography above a fireplace is that the right landscape can almost act like an additional window in the room.

A mountain scene, forest, ocean photograph or distant landscape creates visual depth behind the wall rather than simply placing another decorative object on it.

The subject matters, but scale matters just as much.

As a starting point, artwork approximately two-thirds to three-quarters the width of the mantel usually creates a balanced presentation.

A dramatic photograph printed at 36 inches can feel completely different when produced at 60 or 72 inches. At larger sizes, you begin to experience the photograph rather than simply look at it.

Landscape and Nature Wall Art for Living Rooms

Landscape and nature photography has always worked particularly well in living spaces because it introduces a sense of depth that most other types of wall art cannot provide.

Mountains recede into the distance. Rivers and shorelines lead your eye through the composition. Forests create layers of texture. A photograph of colorful autumn aspens can bring warmth into a neutral contemporary living room. An abstract photograph of water or stone can introduce color and movement without dominating the room. A quiet forest photograph can soften a space filled with modern materials such as glass, concrete and metal.

My limited edition collections include tree and forest photography, vast mountain scenes, autumn colors, seascapes and rivers, the islands of Hawaii and Iceland and geological patterns, intimate landscapes and abstract details found in nature.

Some collectors are drawn to large dramatic mountain landscapes while others prefer quieter scenes involving forests, water or subtle light.

There really is no single type of landscape wall art for a living room that works for everyone.

This is why I generally prefer choosing artwork based on both the image itself and the feeling it brings into the space rather than simply matching a particular color. I encourage collectors to start with the photographs they respond to personally and then determine which size, orientation and presentation will work best in the room.

Triptych Wall Art for Living Rooms

Triptychs are another option for very large living room walls.

A triptych divides a photograph or visual concept across three panels. The spacing between the panels becomes part of the overall presentation and allows the artwork to cover a substantial area without feeling like one massive object on the wall.

This format works especially well over large sofas, long sectionals and furniture arrangements in open concept spaces.

It can also be a useful solution when shipping or installing one extremely large photograph would be difficult.

When properly sized, a triptych can easily become the visual centerpiece of a living room. Explore Triptych Wall Art.

Vertical Wall Art

Not every living room needs a horizontal photograph.

Tall walls, narrow spaces between windows and areas beside fireplaces often work much better with vertical artwork.

A single large vertical photograph can emphasize ceiling height, while two complementary vertical photographs displayed together can fill a larger wall without requiring one extremely wide print.

Vertical pairs also provide more flexibility if the room has architectural elements that make a traditional horizontal photograph difficult to place.

I have a number of photographs that can be paired together based on subject, color, location or visual style.

If you are considering two pieces for the same wall, I am happy to help determine which photographs work best together.

Choosing The Right Size For Living Room Wall Art

There is no single correct size for living room wall art, but there are some useful starting points.

For smaller living rooms or walls, I often recommend artwork around 36 to 48 inches wide.

For average living rooms, the 48 to 72 inch range is very popular.

For larger living rooms, large sectionals or substantial walls, 72 to 96 inches usually provides much greater visual impact.

Very large homes, tall walls and open concept spaces can often accommodate artwork 96 inches wide or larger.

The mistake I see most often is going too small.

Collectors sometimes worry that a large photograph will overwhelm the room, but after seeing a correctly scaled mockup they often realize the opposite is true. One properly sized photograph usually looks cleaner and more intentional than several smaller pieces attempting to fill the same space.

Living Room Wall Art Size Guide

See the Artwork in Your Living Room Before You Buy

One of the most useful services I offer is a complimentary digital room mockup.

You can send me a photograph of your living room along with the approximate dimensions of the wall. If there are photographs from my collection that you are considering, send those as well.

I can create mockups showing different pieces and sizes directly on your wall.

This allows you to compare a 48 inch photograph with a 60 or 72 inch version before making a decision.

It can also help answer questions such as whether a horizontal photograph or panoramic composition works better, whether the artwork should be centered over the sofa or fireplace and whether one large photograph or multiple pieces makes more sense.

For larger purchases, this process can save a tremendous amount of guesswork.

Request a Complimentary Mockup

Recommended Living Room Art Sizes

These are not strict rules, but they can provide a useful starting point.

Small wall or apartment living room:
Approximately 30 to 48 inches wide

Standard sofa:
Approximately 48 to 72 inches wide

Large sofa or sectional:
Approximately 60 to 84 inches wide

Large living room wall:
Approximately 72 to 100 inches wide

Oversized or luxury residential space:
Approximately 84 to 120 inches or larger

If you are unsure, send me a photograph of your wall and its approximate measurements. It is much easier to evaluate artwork when I can see the actual space.

Luxury Wall Art for Living Rooms

For me, luxury wall art has very little to do with simply making something expensive.

It comes down to the quality of the artwork, the quality of the finished print and the experience of owning something that was not produced by the thousands.

My photographs are produced as limited editions and are available in museum quality presentation options including acrylic and aluminum.

Each limited edition photograph is signed and numbered and includes a Certificate of Authenticity. Once an edition sells out, that edition is retired.

I also work directly with collectors rather than selling through a traditional gallery system. That means you can contact me personally with questions about photographs, sizing, materials, framing or installation.

For collectors working on larger homes or multiple rooms, I can also help curate groups of photographs so that the artwork feels connected throughout the home without every room looking the same.

Choose the Artwork First

I have helped many collectors choose artwork for their homes, and one piece of advice I give repeatedly is to avoid getting too focused on matching colors.

If your sofa is blue, you do not necessarily need blue artwork.

If your walls are beige, you do not need a photograph filled with beige and brown.

The best rooms usually have some relationship between the artwork and the surrounding space, but they are rarely built around perfect color matching.

Choose a photograph that you genuinely want to look at.

Then determine how the colors, scale and presentation work within the room.

Furniture gets replaced. Walls get painted. People move.

Good artwork tends to stay with you much longer.

Large Photography Prints for Living Rooms

Photography changes dramatically when it is printed large.

A landscape that appears simple on a computer screen may contain hundreds of small details that only become apparent in a large physical print.

Individual trees appear across a distant mountainside. Patterns emerge in rock and water. Layers of light become easier to see. Small elements that seemed insignificant suddenly become part of the experience of the photograph.

This is one reason I create much of my work with large scale printing in mind.

I want the photograph to work from across the living room and still reward you when you walk closer.

When the size and image are right, a large photograph does more than decorate the wall.

It changes the room.

Explore Wall Art for Your Living Room

I am a completely self-taught photographer. Everything I know about selling nature wall art comes from real-world experience rather than formal training. Since 2013, I have sold thousands of fine art nature photography prints and large-scale landscape photography pieces directly through my website, generating more than $6 million in revenue. 

I look forward to working with you personally to choose exceptional wall art that will transform your space and be enjoyed for years to come.