There are two basic ways to arrange art on a wall. You can make the two halves mirror each other, or you can make them different and still balanced. The first is symmetry and the second is asymmetry. Each gives a room a distinct character, and most hanging problems come from doing neither properly.
What symmetry looks like
Draw an imaginary line down the middle of the wall. In a symmetrical arrangement, what is on the left matches what is on the right.
- One piece, centred.
- A matching pair, side by side.
- A pair either side of a mirror, a window, a bed or a fireplace.
- A row of three or five identical frames.
- A grid of four, six or nine.
What it does
Symmetry feels calm, ordered and formal. It is predictable, and the eye finds that restful. It makes a room look tidy and considered, and it suits traditional and classic interiors, as well as crisp, modern ones.
Where it works best
- Bedrooms. A centred piece above the bed, or a pair above the two bedside tables. Calm is what a bedroom is for.
- Dining rooms.
- Hallways. A row of matching frames.
- Formal living rooms.
- Any wall with a strong central feature, such as a fireplace or a bed.
How to get it right
Symmetry is unforgiving. If it is slightly off, everyone can tell.
- Measure. Find the true centre of the wall or the furniture and work outward.
- Use a level.
- Use identical frames and sizes.
- Keep the gaps exactly equal.
- Centre on the furniture, not the wall, if the two differ.
What asymmetry looks like
The two halves are different, and the arrangement still feels stable.
- One large piece with two small ones stacked beside it.
- A cluster of mixed sizes, with a loose outline.
- A single piece hung off-centre, with a lamp or a plant on the other side.
- Pictures leaning on a shelf, overlapping.
- A row that steps up or down.
What it does
Asymmetry feels relaxed, lively and modern. The eye has to move around to take it in, which makes it more engaging. It looks collected over time, and it suits informal, creative and eclectic rooms.
Where it works best
- Living rooms with a casual feel.
- Home offices and studios.
- Stairways, where the wall itself is asymmetrical.
- Walls with off-centre features, such as a window to one side or a door in the corner.
- Collections that grow. You can add to an asymmetrical wall without redoing it.
How to get it right: visual weight
Asymmetry is not randomness. It depends on balance, and balance depends on visual weight: how much a piece draws the eye.
- Bigger is heavier.
- Darker is heavier than lighter.
- Brighter and more saturated is heavier than muted.
- Busy is heavier than plain.
- A face or a figure is heavier than a landscape or an abstract.
To balance an asymmetrical arrangement, set one heavy thing against several light ones. A large dark canvas on the left is balanced by two or three smaller, paler pieces on the right. Or by a tall lamp, a plant, or a stretch of empty wall. Think of a seesaw: a heavy person near the middle and a light one further out.
Other rules that keep it from looking accidental:
- Keep the gaps even. Regular spacing is what makes irregular sizes look planned.
- Line something up. A shared top edge, bottom edge or centre line gives the group a spine.
- Keep the outer shape simple. A rough rectangle, not a sprawl.
- Have one constant. The same frame colour, or the same palette.
See mixing canvas, framed prints and posters on one wall.
Symmetry inside the picture
Artwork has its own composition, and it affects how a piece should hang.
Some pictures are symmetrical in themselves. Cosmic Deer has a stag dead centre on a path, with trees rising evenly on both sides like columns. Black Hole and Purple Pink Wormhole are circles in the middle of the frame. Cyber Wave Escape has a grid running to a central vanishing point.
Symmetrical pictures like these are formal and still. They look best hung centred: over a bed, a sofa, a console, or at the end of a hallway. Hung off to one side, they can feel as if they have slid out of place.
Other pictures are asymmetrical. Astronaut in the Clouds has a helmet low on the left and cloud rising to the upper right. Koi Attack has two fish on a diagonal. These have movement and direction, and they are more flexible. They can hang centred or off-centre.
One tip for pictures with a direction: hang them so the movement leads into the room or toward the centre of the wall, not out of it. A figure that looks or moves toward the edge of the wall takes your eye with it.
Mixing the two
You don't have to choose one for the whole home, or even for one room. A common and effective approach is a symmetrical base with an asymmetrical touch.
- A centred canvas above the sofa, with a floor lamp on one side only.
- A matching pair above the bed, with different objects on the two bedside tables.
- A formal row in the hallway, and a loose cluster in the study.
That gives order, with enough variation to keep it from feeling stiff.
Which should you choose?
- You like things tidy and calm: symmetry.
- You like things relaxed and personal: asymmetry.
- The wall has a central feature: symmetry.
- The wall is awkward or off-centre: asymmetry.
- You have a matching pair or set: symmetry.
- You have pieces of different sizes: asymmetry.
- You expect to add more: asymmetry.
- The artwork itself is symmetrical: centre it.
The mistake to avoid
The arrangement that fails is the one that is almost symmetrical. Two frames nearly the same size. A piece an inch or two off centre. Gaps that are nearly equal. It reads as a mistake. Either make it exact, or make the difference big enough to be clearly on purpose.
For spacing and height, see how much empty wall a piece needs and how high to hang wall art. Browse the canvas art collection.