The Do’s and Don’ts of Hanging Art Above Your Bed

While decorating your home, you may give every one of your rooms special attention except one space: your bedroom. It’s most likely not intentional, but it may be thought of as less important to design the area that your average guests aren’t going to see. But your master bedroom can become a relaxing oasis if you consider decorating it — and the easiest way to spruce up any space is by adding wall art.

Now, you may not think it’s a good idea to try to hang art above your bed, but there are safe practices to ensure your wall accents stay where they’re supposed to be. If you want to level up your bedroom with some bedroom wall art, continue reading for some design inspiration.

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How To Hang Artwork Above a Bed With or Without a Headboard

Any wall decor can live above your bed if it’s something you love, but not every piece of art should hang at the same height. To ensure the bed wall doesn’t look crowded, you must take the headboard and the amount of wall space into consideration.

For Beds With a Headboard:

Follow these steps if you have a headboard:

Step 1: Choose Artwork That Fits the Space

Select a piece (or a set) that’s no wider than the bed itself. Aim for artwork that’s about 60–80% the width of your headboard for balanced visual weight.

Step 2: Measure the Ideal Hanging Height

To avoid awkward spacing, the bottom of the artwork should sit about 6–10 inches above the headboard. An easy trick: place your hand vertically on top of the headboard — if the artwork sits about a hand’s length (roughly 7 inches) above, you’re in the right zone.

Step 3: Check Proportions

If the artwork is so large that you can’t maintain that 6–10 inch gap without it overwhelming the space, consider relocating the piece to another wall or choosing a smaller piece.

Step 4: Use the Right Hardware

Install wall anchors or picture-hanging hooks appropriate for the size and weight of your art piece. For heavier pieces, use two hooks to keep the frame level and secure.

For Beds Without a Headboard:

Don’t have a headboard and want to get some art up on your walls? 

Step 1: Simulate Headboard Height

Use your stacked pillows to estimate a virtual headboard. Typically, a headboard extends about 6 inches above propped-up pillows.

Step 2: Determine Hanging Height

Hang the artwork so the bottom edge sits about 14–16 inches above the top of your mattress. This leaves enough breathing room and prevents the art from being bumped when you sit up.

Step 3: Keep it Centered and Proportional

As with a headboard, the art piece should be centered over the bed and span around 60–80% of the bed’s width for visual harmony.

Step 4: Secure with Proper Mounts

Use wall anchors or picture-hanging hardware suited to your wall type (drywall, plaster, etc.). Avoid adhesive strips for heavier pieces, especially over the bed.

The Best Types of Wall Art To Hang Above a Bed

Even though you spend the majority of your time in your bedroom sleeping, you are still awake for a generous amount of time. This means you should pick one or multiple pieces to hang above your bed that you truly love — or even make a jaw-dropping accent wall. Here are some artwork ideas for above your bed:

Pick Your Favorite Art Print

A fun option for home decor in your bedroom is a rendition of your favorite artist’s work. It could be the ballerinas painted by Degas or Monet’s The Water Lily Pond. Whatever piece of art speaks to you can be made into a light and easy-to-hang canvas that will fit your bedroom’s overall design. 

Put Up Family Pictures

What better place to display your most-loved people than above your bed? If you have children, then this could be a great way to show off their most recent school pictures or an all-family photo. Even better, you can constantly update the prints as new snapshots are taken.

Hang a Tapestry

If your bedroom boasts a boho look and feel, then a tapestry, cloth or yarn design could be a nice fit. Match the colors used in the piece to the hues in your bedding or any other tinted furniture items in the space. 

Locate a Map

A map is another beautiful above-the-bed design choice if you’re a bit adventurous. Find a map that holds value, displays your favorite place or is a long-time travel destination, and either frame it or hang it up as is. 

Create a Gallery Wall

If you can’t decide on just one piece of bedroom artwork, why not choose multiple images to hang? To create an effective gallery wall, it’s best to avoid making the wall look busy by mismatching patterns and styles. To bypass this, you could put up a bunch of family portraits with matching frames or pick neutral paintings to fill the space. When hanging a gallery wall, try to keep about two inches between each picture to give the art space to “breathe.”

Incorporate a Shelf

Whether you want an extra place to put framed art and bedroom decor or simply need extra storage space, a shelf can be a great addition above your bed. Although it’s not artwork, it can be designed to display artistic charm through colorful knick-knacks or beautifully bound books. 

Common Bedroom Art Mistakes

As easy as it is to upgrade your room with hanging artwork and portraits, there is also a fine line between beautiful design and distracting clutter. Here are some common errors that people make when hanging art above their bed:

Hanging Unsafe Items

What are the rules for art over the bed? Great question! Because your bed is specifically designed for you to sleep on, hanging dangerous, sharp or heavy objects on the wall above where you lie down is not the best idea. It’s best to hang a smaller piece of art rather than a larger work. If you do have a large piece in a box picture frame or glass-front artwork that you must hang up, do so with strong reinforcements. The best hooks to use include a sawtooth hook or a strong screw. This will keep you safer and make it less likely that the framed artwork will slip off the wall. 

Picking the Wrong Size and Shape of Art

The other main issue people often create when hanging artwork on the wall above the bed is hanging an oddly shaped or weirdly sized home decor. For example, if you decide to hang a very skinny canvas on a very wide wall, the piece will seem tiny and leave too much empty space. Pick horizontal art for shorter walls, vertical pictures for taller walls and avoid filling up every spare inch with art.

How Decorating Den Interiors Can Help 

We know that hanging art above your bed can be tricky — and dangerous — if done incorrectly. That’s why Decorating Den Interiors is available to help! 

If you’re looking to create a getaway from stress and poor design, give us a call. You’ll receive a free meeting with one of our personal decorators who will visit your home and discuss your personal style and design wishes for the bedroom. After your consultation, your designer will create a plan to hang beautiful art above your bed and completely transform your space. We want this to be relaxing and fun for you, so your personal decorator will take care of the hard work while you simply tell us what you want and enjoy the results. 

Ready to get started? Contact us now!