Gallery wall calculator

A gallery wall calculator for spacing, size and hook height

Enter your frames and what sits below them. You get where every hook goes: how far up from the floor and how far out from the centre line.

Starts as three 40 × 50 cm frames above a 200 cm sofa. Change any number.

Your frames

LayoutTriptych
Frames across
Frames down

What is below

RoomLiving room
Hanger and wall width

Hook height153 cmup from the floor, every hook
Hook positions46 cm left · centre · 46 cm rightout from the sofa's centre line
Sits as one group above the sofa, covering 66% of its width.
Mark it out4 steps and sizes

    Try this layout on my wall First room free. No account needed.
    Spacing
    5 to 7.5 cm
    2 to 3 in, the same gap between frames
    Gallery wall spacing guide →
    Size
    66 to 75%
    of the width of the sofa or unit beneath
    Gallery wall sizes guide →
    Height
    145 to 150 cm
    57 to 59 in, to the centre on a bare wall
    How high to hang a gallery wall →
    Nine common sizes

    Standard frame sizes and the group each one makes

    Pick a size to load it into the calculator above. Groups use a 6 cm gap (10 cm for the two largest sizes), and the furniture widths are for three across.

    Scroll sideways to see all four columns

    Standard frame sizes, the group each one makes, and the furniture width it suits
    Frame sizeThree acrossTwo by twoSuits furniture
    21 × 30 cm (A4)75 cm2 by 2:48 × 65 cmsuits100 to 110 cm
    30 × 40 cm102 cm2 by 2:66 × 86 cmsuits140 to 150 cm
    40 × 50 cm132 cm2 by 2:86 × 106 cmsuits180 to 200 cm
    50 × 70 cm170 cm2 by 2:110 × 150 cmsuits230 to 255 cm
    8 × 10 in73 cm2 by 2:47 × 57 cmsuits100 to 110 cm
    11 × 14 in96 cm2 by 2:62 × 77 cmsuits130 to 145 cm
    16 × 20 in134 cm2 by 2:87 × 108 cmsuits180 to 200 cm
    18 × 24 in149 cm2 by 2:97 × 128 cmsuits200 to 225 cm
    24 × 36 in203 cm2 by 2:132 × 193 cmsuits275 to 305 cm

    Sizes are the frame outside, not the print. The reasoning behind the group width is in the gallery wall sizes guide.

    Four steps

    How to mark the hooks on the wall

    Two reference points: a centre line for the positions across, and the floor for the height. The calculator above gives you both numbers for your own frames.

    46 cm centre 46 cm 153 cm 20 cm sofa floor
    46 cm centre 46 cm 153 cm 20 cm sofa floor

    Drawn from the starting example: three 40 × 50 cm frames, 20 cm above an 85 cm sofa. Each hook sits 2 cm below its frame's top edge; if yours differ, change it under Hanger and wall width.

    01

    Find the centre and mark it

    Measure the furniture, halve it and draw a light pencil line up the wall there. Every position across runs from this line, so the group stays centred on the furniture wherever it sits on the wall.

    02

    Mark each hook position across

    Measure out from the centre line to each hook and mark it. With an odd number of frames the middle hook sits on the line itself.

    03

    Measure the hook height from the floor

    Measure up from the floor, not the skirting or the furniture, and mark the hook height. Draw a level line through it. Check for cables and pipes with a detector, then drill where the line crosses each position.

    04

    Hang the top row first

    Check it with a spirit level before you hang anything else. For a second row, drop to the next height and repeat the same marks across.

    The planner

    What the numbers cannot tell you

    The calculator gives you the rectangle. It can't show whether the prints work together, or how the group looks above your sofa. Upload a photo of your wall and the planner shows you before anything goes into the plaster.

    60+ layouts on a photo of your own wall
    Swap prints until the set works together
    Walk the room in AR before you order
    Try this layout on my wall

    First room free. No account needed.

    Straight answers

    Common questions about spacing, size and height

    The rules the calculator works to, why the hook is never at the middle of the frame, and how to keep the numbers once you have them.

    Contact us
    Spacing and size
    Height and hooks
    Using the calculator

    How far apart should gallery wall frames be?

    Use one gap everywhere, 5 to 7.5 cm (2 to 3 in), across and down; 6 cm suits most walls. Tight grids of matching frames can sit 4 to 6 cm apart, and frames 70 cm or larger 10 to 13 cm apart. Whatever you pick, keep it the same between every frame.

    What size gallery wall goes above a sofa?

    Aim for 66 to 75% of the sofa's width: 132 to 150 cm (52 to 59 in) above a 200 cm sofa. Going too small is the commonest mistake, so between two sizes, take the larger. Hang the lowest frame 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in) above the sofa back, cushions included.

    How do I work out the size of the whole group?

    Multiply the frame width by the number across, then add the gap once for every space between frames. The height works the same way with the rows. Three 40 × 50 cm frames at a 6 cm gap come to 132 cm wide and 50 cm tall; a second row takes the height to 106 cm.

    Can I mix frame sizes?

    Not in this calculator. It works out one frame size on a regular grid, which is what makes a single hook height per row possible. For walls that mix sizes, start from a gallery wall template or place the frames yourself in the planner.

    How high should a gallery wall hang?

    Centre the whole group at eye level: 145 to 150 cm (57 to 59 in) from the floor in a living room, 150 cm (59 in) in a dining room or bedroom, and 145 to 155 cm (57 to 61 in) in a hallway. Treat the frames as one rectangle and centre that, not each frame in turn. Above furniture, the gap to the furniture comes first.

    How high above a sofa or bed should a gallery wall go?

    Leave 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in) between the top of a sofa or console and the lowest frame, and never more than 25 cm (10 in); cushions and throws count as the top. Above a bed, desk or dining-room sideboard, leave 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 in), measured on a bed from the headboard or the pillows, whichever is higher. Within that range, pick the gap that brings the centre of the group closest to eye level. The calculator does this for you until you type your own.

    Where do the hooks go, and why not at the centre of the frame?

    A frame hangs from the hardware on its back, which sits below the top edge, so the hook is higher than the middle of the frame. The calculator assumes 2 cm below the top edge and you can change that under Hanger and wall width after measuring one of your own frames.

    Is there anywhere a gallery wall should not go?

    In a kitchen, keep the frames to a stretch of wall away from the hob, the sink and the splash zone. In a nursery, hang nothing directly over the cot or the changing area; beside them, with a gap, is fine. In a bathroom the calculator treats the wall as bare, because the space over the basin usually belongs to a mirror.

    Does the calculator work in inches?

    Yes. It starts in inches if your browser is set to US English; otherwise switch the unit at the top of the form, and every field, every result and the drawing change with it. A shared link opens in the unit it was sent in.

    Does the calculator check my gaps?

    It checks the ones you type. A gap between frames gets a note when it falls outside the usual range for your frames: 5 to 7.5 cm (2 to 3 in), 4 to 7.5 cm in a grid, or 10 to 13 cm (4 to 5 in) for frames 70 cm or larger. So does a gap above the furniture outside the range for that room. Layouts from the Layout list keep the planner’s own gaps, from 2.5 cm for the smallest frames to 8.5 cm for Tall Pair, without a note.

    How do I save or share the numbers?

    The address bar updates as you type, so bookmarking the page or sending the link keeps your exact setup. Copy the numbers puts the whole summary on your clipboard, and Print the steps gives you a sheet to take to the wall.

    Keep planning

    Once you have the numbers

    Six botanical prints in oak frames in a salon arrangement above a bench in a kitchen diner

    Browse templates

    Gallery wall templates

    Eight ready-made styles, each with its frame sizes and the room it suits.

    Six prints in black frames hung in a two by three grid on a hallway wall

    Open the planner

    Gallery wall layouts

    Sixty-one layouts for small walls, big walls, hallways and staircases.

    An eclectic gallery wall of six prints in mixed frames and sizes above a bed

    Get ideas

    Gallery wall ideas

    Thirty walls by room and style, with the measurements behind each one.

    Four prints in walnut frames, grouped around a large floral one, above a wooden chest of drawers

    Open the visualizer

    Gallery wall visualizer

    Put the frames on a photo of your own room before you buy anything.

    Next step

    Try it on your wall before you drill

    Put a layout on a photo of your wall and move anything that looks wrong. Then mark the hooks with the numbers above.

    Try this layout on my wall

    First room free. No account needed.

    Upload a photo of my wall
    Three 40 by 50 cm prints hung in a row at 6 cm gaps above a sofa
    Guides
    All gallery wall guidesHow to plan a wallSpacing & sizesHow high to hangHanging without nailsIdeas by room and style
    Legal
    Terms & conditionsPrivacy policyCookie policyCookie settings

    Curate is a gallery wall planner. Upload a photo of your room, arrange prints and your own photos on the wall, then preview the finished wall in AR before you buy a single frame. First room free. Built in the UK.

    Curate is operated by Curate Walls Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 17412020. Registered office: 167-169 Great Portland Street, Fifth Floor, London, W1W 5PF. Registered with the Information Commissioner's Office, reference ZC229040. Curate is a registered trade mark, UK00004377186.