BUYING GUIDE · 7 min read · Kuriosis Studio Team, Berlin · April 2026
The wall above the bed is the most visible surface in any bedroom — and usually the emptiest. It is the last thing you see before sleep and the first thing you see when you wake up. What you hang there matters more than anywhere else in the house.
This guide covers the practical side: what size works, how high to hang it, how to choose art that sets the right mood, and the safety question that everyone worries about but few address directly.
Size: The Two-Thirds Rule
The print (or group of prints) above your bed should be roughly two-thirds the width of the headboard. On a standard 160cm double bed, that means about 100–110cm of framed width. A 70×100cm print framed in oak comes to approximately 80cm wide — which works well as a solo piece or as the anchor for a pair of smaller prints flanking it.
Going too small is the most common mistake. A single A3 print above a king-size bed looks like an afterthought. If you want something smaller, use two or three prints in a row arrangement rather than one isolated frame.
Already thinking about sizes? Our art print size guide breaks down dimensions room by room.
Height: Not as High as You Think
The standard advice — used by the Tate and most European museums — is to hang art at eye level, about 145–150cm from the floor to the centre of the print. Above a bed, that rule shifts. You are not standing when you look at this art; you are sitting or lying down.
The bottom edge of the frame should sit 15–25cm above the headboard (or above the top of the pillows if you have no headboard). Any higher and the art disconnects from the bed. Any lower and it risks getting bumped when you sit up.
If you have a tall headboard (above 120cm), position the print so its centre is at about 180cm from the floor. This keeps the art visible without hovering near the ceiling.
Single Statement Piece
One large print (70×100cm), centred above the headboard. Clean, calm, and confident. Best with landscape orientation.
Symmetrical Pair
Two matching prints, same size and frame, flanking the centre line. Works with portrait or square formats. Feels balanced and intentional.
Triptych Row
Three prints in a horizontal row, aligned at centre. Mix sizes slightly (one larger in the middle) or keep them uniform.
Canvas on Stretcher
A canvas print without glass is lighter and safer above a bed. The texture adds warmth that suits bedroom atmospheres.
Mood: What Works in a Bedroom
A bedroom is not a gallery. The art above your bed should feel calming, not stimulating. That does not mean boring — it means choosing prints where the energy is contained rather than explosive.
What works: landscapes, seascapes, soft abstracts, muted botanicals, atmospheric scenes. Prints with horizontal compositions naturally suit the width of a bed and create a sense of openness. A coastal scene like Morning Sea at Shiribeshi by Hasui or a warm abstract like Warm Haze Glow by Dina Dankers set exactly the right tone.
What to avoid: high-contrast graphic work, busy patterns, intense reds and oranges, and portraits that stare directly at the viewer. These are not bad prints — they just belong in rooms where you want energy, not rest.
Warm Haze Glow by Dina Dankers
Almond Blossom by Van Gogh
Radiant Haze by Dina Dankers
Colour Psychology for Bedrooms
Colour affects sleep quality more than most people realize. Research from the Sleep Foundation consistently links blue, green, and muted earth tones with better sleep outcomes. Cool blues and greens trigger calming associations; warm neutrals (beige, soft ochre, dusty rose) create a cocooning effect.
This does not mean your bedroom art must be monochrome. A print with a dominant blue or green palette — a Japanese seascape, a botanical illustration, an abstract in teal and cream — provides colour interest while staying within the restful spectrum.
"The art above your bed sets the emotional temperature of the room. It is the visual equivalent of the thread count on your sheets — not the most important thing, but the thing you notice every day."
— Kuriosis Studio Team
Browse Bestselling Art Prints at Kuriosis →
The Safety Question
Can a framed print fall off the wall and onto the bed? It is a legitimate concern and worth addressing directly.
The answer depends on how you hang it. A properly installed picture hook or wall anchor in plaster or brick will hold a framed print securely. The risk comes from improvised hanging — nails in drywall without anchors, adhesive hooks rated for lighter loads, or wire hangers on a single point.
For prints above beds, follow these rules:
- Use two fixing points per frame, not one. This prevents the frame from tilting or swinging.
- Use wall anchors rated for the weight of the frame. A framed 70×100cm print weighs 3–5kg — within the capacity of standard picture hooks, but above the limit for most adhesive strips.
- Canvas prints on stretcher frames are significantly lighter than framed paper prints (no glass, no frame weight). If weight is a concern, canvas is the safer option above a bed.
- Check your fixings annually. A 30-second tug test once a year is sufficient.
Landscape vs. Portrait Orientation
As Architectural Digest notes, landscape (horizontal) is the default choice above a bed. It echoes the horizontal line of the headboard and mattress, creating visual harmony. Portrait (vertical) prints can work in pairs or triptychs, but a single tall portrait-format print above a wide bed creates an awkward vertical-horizontal tension.
If you prefer portrait-format art, consider a pair of matching prints — one on each side of the bed's centre line. This converts the vertical format into a balanced horizontal arrangement.
Calm, atmospheric prints for bedroom walls:
Stormy Horizon by Alice White
Nenokuchi Lake by Hasui
Morning Sea at Shiribeshi by Hasui
The Kuriosis Approach
Our prints are produced in our Berlin studio with archival pigment inks — both on fine art paper and canvas. For bedrooms, many customers choose canvas for the lighter weight and warmer texture. Either format will last well beyond the next time you redecorate.
