Choosing wall art is often the easy part. Choosing the right size can be surprisingly tricky.
Too small and your artwork can feel lost on the wall. Too large and it can overwhelm the furniture around it. The goal is to make your art feel connected to the room rather than simply hung in it.
Here’s a simple guide to choosing between A3, A2, A1 and A0 wall art for your home.
A3 Wall Art
A3 is a smaller print size and works beautifully when you want art to feel like a considered little detail rather than the main feature of the room.
It’s ideal for:
- bedside tables or smaller bedroom walls
- shelves and console areas
- home offices
- gallery walls
- smaller nooks that need something interesting
A3 also works well when you deliberately position a piece off-centre rather than trying to fill an entire wall.
A2 Wall Art
A2 is a versatile middle ground. It has enough presence to work as a standalone artwork without dominating a room.
Try A2:
- above a bedside table
- over a small console
- in an entryway
- on smaller dining or living room walls
- as part of a pair of prints
For homes where you want artwork to add warmth and personality while keeping the room feeling calm and uncluttered, A2 is often a great choice.
A1 Wall Art
A1 is where artwork starts to become a genuine feature of the room.
It works particularly well:
- above beds
- above sideboards
- beside large windows
- in living rooms
- on larger blank walls
If you’re unsure between two sizes, going larger will often look more intentional. A common mistake is choosing artwork that’s too small for the furniture beneath it.
A0 Wall Art
A0 is designed to make an impact.
Large-scale photography works beautifully at this size because you begin to notice the smaller details, colours and textures within the image.
A0 works especially well:
- above a large sofa
- over a king or queen bed
- on high or expansive walls
- in open-plan living spaces
- as a single statement artwork
You also don’t necessarily need to centre a large artwork. An A0 print positioned toward one end of a bedhead or sofa can give a room a more relaxed, contemporary feel.
Consider Your Furniture, Not Just Your Wall
Rather than measuring the empty wall alone, look at the furniture underneath your artwork.
Art above a sofa, bed or sideboard should feel visually connected to it. A tiny print floating above a large sofa will usually feel out of proportion, even if there is technically plenty of blank wall around it.
Also consider the frame. Adding a frame and mat increases the overall dimensions of your finished artwork, so factor this into your measurements.
When in Doubt, Go Bigger
One of the easiest ways to make a home feel more considered is to use fewer, larger pieces of art.
You don’t need to fill every wall.
A single Australian nature photograph at a generous scale can introduce colour, texture and a connection to the landscape without adding clutter to the room.
At Lyptus Art, prints are available from A3 through to A0, making it easier to choose a scale that works with your space rather than trying to make your space work around the art.
The right size is ultimately the one that makes the artwork feel like it belongs in the room.