What Size Nursery Art Should You Buy?

One of the most common questions I receive from customers decorating their nursery is, "What size nursery art should I buy?" Without physically seeing the baby's room, it's difficult to say, but here are several guidelines that I typically suggest using in making your decision when thinking through the sizing on your nursery decor. 

How to Correctly Size Nursery Art 

• Size of Room: Larger rooms, such as a playroom or larger nursery, will likely require bigger nursery prints to maintain balance, while smaller spaces, will be best suited for smaller nursery decor so as to not overwhelm the space. 
• Available Wall Space: Take a look at the wall you want to decorate and get a sense of its scale and the furniture and other items that are or will be along that wall (E.g., cribs, dressers, rockers, etc.). Whatever space is not blocked by these items is your available wall space. 

• Overall Dimensions for Nursery Art: Generally speaking, nursery wall art should take up 60%- 75% of your available wall space. To get to these dimensions, start by measuring the width and height of the available wall space in the baby room. Then multiply both dimensions by 0.60 and 0.75 to get the general ranges of dimensions you will want to fill with nursery wall decor. For example: If you have available wall space that measures 8 feet wide by 6 feet tall, you would multiply the 8 AND the 6 by 0.60 and 0.75. The width of artwork would then result in 4.8 feet to 6 feet, while the height of nursery artwork will be between 3.6 feet and 4.5 feet. (Refer to the diagram below - "Overall Art Dimensions.")

• Nursery Art over Furniture: If you're hanging nursery art over furniture, such as a dresser, crib or glider, you can opt to use the furniture as a guide for your nursery art size. In this case, your artwork should be between 60% and 75% the width of the furniture. You can use the same approach as in "Overall Dimensions for Nursery Art." For example, if the space over your bed is 6 feet wide, multiply 6 and 5 by 0.60 and 0.75 to get the width of the nursery art. In this case, it will result in a piece that is between 3.6 feet and 4.5 feet wide. When it comes to the height of your nursery art, you'll want to hang canvases or framed prints at 6 to 12 inches above the top of your furniture piece and the middle of your artwork should be at about eye level. (Refer to the diagram below - "Overall Art Dimensions.")

Additional Considerations for Nursery Art Size

• Focal Point: If you're decorating a nursery, your crib might be the focal point of the room. So, opt to use the crib as your guide in decorating your wall. If, however, you wanted the dresser or glider to be the focal point, consider those pieces to be your guide for decorating your nursery. Also, if you would like your nursery art to be the main focal point, you may opt for a larger size. On the other hand, if you prefer your artwork to complement other elements in the room, a gallery wall of smaller nursery prints or a smaller size of nursery art might be more appropriate.
• Statement Piece or Gallery Wall Art: The dimensions that you came up with in the "Overall Dimensions of Nursery Art" section above remains the same whether you're decorating with one single statement piece or designing a gallery wall. So, if the dimensions you come up with are somewhere around 5 feet wide and 4 feet tall, you can choose one piece that is that size like the mom and baby humpback whale print below on the right, or several that fill those dimensions like the mom and baby ocean animal prints on the right.

• Personal Preference: Ultimately, your personal taste and preferences should guide your decision. Choose nursery decor that resonates with you and fits your aesthetic vision for the space. Remember that these guidelines are not set in stone, and there's room for creativity and individual interpretation. Trust your instincts and select nursery prints that bring joy and enhances the overall ambiance of your space.

In short, you want your nursery wall art to look visually appealing and proportional. Too small of a piece, and it will get lost in your daughter's or son's room or on the wall. Too big, and you run the risk of the baby room decor taking over the entire space. If you're struggling with this question, here are some considerations to determine the best size for your nursery art:

I'm hopeful that these tips help. If you ever have any questions about sizing, feel free to reach out!

Happy Designing!