How to Choose the Right Wall Art Size for Your Space
The most common mistake people make when buying wall art isn't the image they choose — it's the size. A print that would be extraordinary at A1 becomes invisible at A3. A photograph that works perfectly in a bedroom at A2 can overwhelm a small corridor at the same size.
Size is not a detail. It's the decision that determines whether the print works in the space or doesn't. Here's how to get it right.
Start With the Wall, Not the Print
Before you look at prints, look at the wall.
Measure the width of the wall you're working with. Then measure the height from floor to ceiling, and from floor to where you'd hang the print (eye level is typically 145–155cm to the centre of the image).
A print should occupy 50–75% of the wall width it's hanging on. Any less and it floats awkwardly. Any more and it competes with the architecture.
Example : A wall that's 180cm wide should have a print between 90cm and 135cm wide. At A1 landscape (84cm wide) you're at the lower end — workable but minimal. At A0 (118cm wide) you're in the sweet spot.
The Room-by-Room Guide
Living Room
The living room is where large-format prints earn their place. If you have a main wall — behind a sofa, above a fireplace, facing the entrance — this is where you go big.
Recommended size : A1 (59 × 84cm) minimum. A0 (84 × 118cm) for walls wider than 200cm.
A single large print is almost always better than a gallery wall of smaller prints. One strong image commands attention. Six small images create visual noise.
Bedroom
The bedroom is more personal — this is the space you actually live in, not the space you show people. The print you choose here should be something you want to wake up to.
Recommended size : A2 (42 × 59cm) for above a bedside table or in a smaller bedroom. A1 for above the bed on a main wall.
Avoid prints with very high contrast or busy compositions for above the bed — they make it harder to sleep. The Tokyo Sunset River and Dubai Golden Dunes prints work particularly well in bedrooms for this reason.
Home Office
The home office is where people underestimate wall art. A strong print behind you on a video call communicates taste and intention. It's also the space where you spend hours every day — the image matters.
Recommended size : A2 or A1, depending on wall size. Position it directly behind your usual seating position for maximum impact on calls.
Urban photography with strong geometry — the Tokyo Utility Pole, the Hong Kong MTR, the Dubai Desert prints — works well in office spaces. They're visually strong without being distracting.
Corridor / Hallway
Corridors are narrow and often overlooked. They're actually one of the best places for fine art prints — people move through slowly, at close range, which means they actually look at the image.
Recommended size : A3 (30 × 42cm) or A2 (42 × 59cm). Portrait orientation works better than landscape in most corridors.
Small Room or Apartment
In a small space, the instinct is to go small — don't. A single large print in a small room makes the room feel bigger. Multiple small prints make it feel cluttered.
Recommended size : One A1 on the main wall. Nothing else on that wall.
Single Print vs Gallery Wall
A gallery wall can work. But it requires planning, consistent framing, and a clear logic — by theme, by colour palette, by territory. Done badly it looks like indecision.
If you're buying your first fine art print, start with one. Find the right image, the right size, the right wall. Live with it for a month. You'll know within a week whether it's working.
If you want to build a gallery wall, choose prints from the same collection — the Tokyo series, or a mix of Tokyo and Hong Kong, or the full Asia collection. Consistent framing (same colour, same style) ties them together.
A Practical Test Before You Buy
Cut a piece of paper or card to the exact dimensions of the print you're considering. Tape it to the wall. Live with it for a day.
This sounds obvious. Almost nobody does it. It's the single most useful thing you can do before buying.
You'll immediately see whether the size is right, whether the position is right, and whether the wall you've chosen is actually the right wall.
Framing
All Vingt-deux Bis prints are sold unframed. We recommend:
Simple black aluminium frame with a white or off-white mount — works in almost any interior, emphasises the image
Natural wood frame (oak or walnut) with a white mount — warmer, works particularly well with the Tokyo and Saigon prints
Frameless float mount — the print is mounted on a backing board and hangs without a frame, giving a clean, contemporary look
The mount (the white border around the image inside the frame) should be at least 5cm on all sides. For A1 and above, 7–10cm looks better.
Available Sizes at Vingt-deux Bis
Format Dimensions Best for A3 30 × 42cm Corridor, bedside, small spaces A2 42 × 59cm Bedroom, office, medium walls A1 59 × 84cm Living room, main walls
All prints are produced on Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308g, limited to 30 numbered copies per image.
Vingt-deux Bis is a fine art photography project shooting across Tokyo, Saigon, Hong Kong and Dubai. All editions are limited, numbered and signed.
