What's the "Right" Size for my Portrait ?

It's not too difficult to determine the "appropriate" size portrait to display in your home. Bigger is not always better! We'll show you the simple steps to help you decide what size portrait is best for you.

First off, decide where you'd like to display your portrait.

Which room will suite your portrait best? A formal family portrait might look great in the formal dining room, but look out of place in the entertainment / play room. The same goes for your maternity portrait, perhaps better displayed in your bedroom, or the baby's room, rather than your Living Room.

Next, determine the appropriate size using a Classic Interior Design Rule.

Interior Design Rule #1; Measure the area and divide by a factor of 2.

Step 1: Examine the area where you've decided to place your artwork and measure the height and width of that area.

Step 2: Divide that area, both height and width, by 2 for the appropriate size for your artwork.

For example, you want to put your family portrait above the fireplace mantle. That space is wider than it is tall, so your horizontal portrait will look great. You measure the mantel to be 72" wide and from the mantel to the ceiling, it's 48" tall. Using our Design Rule, the appropriate size for your portrait is 36 x 24 (72/2 x 48/2).

In the event where the ceiling is much higher above the mantel, you would still use the width of the mantle to determining the width of the portrait. Or, you could display a large vertical portrait to better fill the space according to our Design Rule.