You could have the comfiest, most gorgeous-looking sofa in the world but it will count for nothing if there’s a glaring eyesore above it.
An empty sofa wall is nearly as bad as one with poorly arranged decor on it, so there’s no running from the fact that you have to deal with this prime piece of real estate with a critical eye, which is where we come in.
Nothing injects fun visuals and heaps of color into a space quite like artistic embellishments, which is why you would do well to look at that blank wall as somewhere to display your favorite artwork.
But what should you hang up and how?
Stagger it
Nothing warms up a space like art that sort of wanders along the wall with no pre-determined destination in mind.
If this speaks to you then you have a strong case to stagger those paintings and wedding photos and family portraits.
The basics couldn’t get more basic: no two consecutive pieces should be level at the top or bottom.
When executed properly, you’ll be left with a zigzag pattern and an acutely homey vibe that makes returning home after a long day so much more relieving.
Split it over several pieces
Art that serves up whole images is fine if you want to please the eye for a second or two. But when the aim is to generate sustained interest, don’t be frightened to make the viewer work a little bit harder.
In other words, break up the image via split canvas prints.
Not only is this a great way to enjoy your art from a unique perspective, the fact they can be spaced apart means you get to cover a wider surface area without your decorating costs going up.
Cross a boundary
Maybe the wall in question is wainscoted or has two tones, in which case you have an excellent opportunity to raise the status of your above-couch art, capturing people’s attention in the process.
By all means place a few pictures and paintings on either side to show full respect for the line where two colors or surface types meet, but also deploy at least one rebel piece that transcends the boundary and unifies the sofa wall to complete the overall look.
Bookend your sofa
As crucial as it is to fill that prime spot directly above the sofa, there’s one other location worth exploring to get that picture-perfect finish.
If you have lots of open space on one or both sides of your couch, have a go at bookending it with a tall art piece that stands on the floor and gently rests against the wall.
This way, you will frame off the sofa and enhance that snug feel.
Create a layered effect
There’s nothing worse than an improperly hung piece of artwork – you’d be better off leaving the wall empty! Thankfully, you can ease the pressure by throwing a shelf into the mix.
Getting a shelf involved means you can lean your art instead of displaying it flush against the wall the old-fashioned way.
What’s more, you can begin the process of layering, whereby small pieces rest against a larger piece at the back, leaving you with all the depth and dimension you could ever wish for.
Randomize a gallery wall
If styling that big wide space with one or two pieces isn’t enough of a challenge for you, have a go at creating a fascinating mix of sizes, mediums and colors in the form of a gallery wall, and reap the rewards that follow.
Actually, it’s not as challenging as one would think, since it often pays to take a random approach so that your gallery wall has an organic voice.
Set photographs alongside paintings, dark frames alongside bright frames, utilizing both horizontal and vertical orientations, and you’re golden.
Do some color coordinating
When a room’s design scheme has diversity, it has visual interest, but you don’t want each and every element doing its own thing without a care in the world, otherwise the space won’t feel harmonious.
To this end, take stock of the colors around the couch, with particular regard for accent pieces like cushions and coffee table decor, and let that inform your choice of wall art.
Doing this will ensure that whatever you choose to display over the couch will feel part of its surroundings.
Make it symmetrical
If organic art arrangements don’t do it for you, maybe because you want to strike a more formal tone, then a symmetrical look is well worth pursuing.
It’s true that symmetry doesn’t hold your attention in quite the same way asymmetrical things do, but you get to enjoy the best of both worlds when the pieces carry different images.
So choose a mix of imagery, keep the arrangement symmetrical and balanced, and everyone’s happy.
Frame it with another frame
Are you working with one piece and the volume of space on the sofa wall is too large for it to really sing? An extra border wouldn’t hurt.
In fact, the sight of molding instantly makes you want to sit up straight and mind your mannerisms.
But more to the point, this decorative feature can help highlight your artwork and give off the impression that the very architecture of the room is powering it.
Paint over it
Usually paint is used to create an interesting backdrop and your art remains the star of the show. All the more reason then to make a truly artistic impression with some role reversal.
It’s time to bring paint to the foreground, but do it in a way that shows clear intention and not like a toddler has scribbled something on the wall.
Blocks of color which partially covers the artwork is edgy enough – for the best results, apply this technique on more than one piece but to different extents for the sake of variety.
Keep it close for comfort
Let’s say your style skews loose and casual, or maybe DIY isn’t your strong suit and you have a habit of doing untold damage to your walls with the hammer – we have just the trick for you.
Lean your wall art on the back of the sofa, and just like that you will have casual elegance and visual interest in equal abundance.
Moreover, it’s a great way to bring tall ceilings down to a more comforting, more human scale.
Aim for continuity
Another way to embrace organic art arrangements over the couch without letting it get out of control is to weave in some commonality between the pieces.
It’s best to target features which are secondary to the work itself so that the arrangement remains natural-looking at its core.
You can’t go wrong using the same frame type in the same color for that little bit of continuity to polish things off.
Overlap it
You can be forgiven for wanting to display art so that it’s fully visible at all times, not least because you paid full price for it.
However, you’re not going to instigate a talking point by hanging art the way everyone else does.
This is where overlapping art arrangements come into play, whereby the pieces sit on top of one another in a bid to get noticed.
They say that you’ve won when your decor jumps off the wall, so what better way to achieve a winning aesthetic above the sofa than taking your wall art into the three-dimensional realm?
Supersize it
Yes, there are rules of thumb surrounding the hanging of art above the sofa, one being to aim for a 10-inch gap between the back of the sofa and your art piece, but there are always exceptions to the rules.
If you really want an oversized piece that goes right from the sofa all the way to the ceiling, evaporating that big empty space once and for all, choose quiet colors so you don’t throw the whole room off-balance.
A neutral piece will feel right at home in an interior with neutral walls no matter how big it is.
Take advantage of room height
The proportions of the room should also have a say in how you arrange art on the sofa wall, as the last thing you want is artwork that runs counter to the flow of the space, which can be jarring to the eye.
As with mirrors, too many people see a sofa that runs along the wall and decide that it needs horizontal art running parallel to it, which is fine in wide spaces, but what if you have the luxury of a tall ceiling?
Such a scenario calls for art with a vertical placement to enhance the height of the space.
Choose a grid format
It would seem rather wasteful from a design perspective to take a group of square or rectangular artwork only to arrange them in a way that creates the outline of yet another square or rectangle, wouldn’t it?
Well, not necessarily, because it depends on your individual personality.
A grid layout could be just what the doctor ordered if you’re the kind of person who revels in the logical and the orderly.
If that’s you then knock yourself out with neat rows and columns, a repeating theme and equal spacing.
Fit the pieces together
Want something organic yet structured, and covers a large expanse of wall space, all in one fell swoop? Just imagine you are fitting together a puzzle piece!
Grab an even number of similar-sized pieces, set them out on the wall so that they appear to interlock, remembering to alternate the orientation to break some of those long straight lines that you see come to the fore in a grid layout.
The end result is an aesthetic that pleases every taste no matter where you stand on the organic spectrum.
Light it up
A true masterpiece or mighty ensemble of works won’t need it, but to turn down a picture light is like turning down jewelry – it enhances one’s beauty and symbolizes status.
In actual fact, to reduce picture lights to a pretty bit of hardware is to do them a huge injustice – they bathe warm illumination over your favorite artwork as well as anyone seated on the couch, making them a useful source of task lighting for those long reading sessions at night.
Go triangular
Sure, wall art is available in all kinds of shapes, so in theory you can make any shape you like above the couch.
But the reality is, anything other than rectangles and squares is going to look really awkward. It’s just how it is.
Though, keep your chin up because you can use groupings to make the shapes you’ve always wanted.
Groups of three never look out of place in a welcoming living room, and when you set them out in a triangle-like fashion, it exhibits that lovely asymmetrical, off-center quality that immediately puts the mind at ease.
Construct a right angle
If somebody looks at your wall art and says “Where’s the rest of it?”, that’s not in and of itself a bad thing. Subjectivity is the whole point of art, and the manner in which it’s grouped, arranged and displayed is also subjective.
Indeed, decorating the sofa wall with art in the shape of a right angle is a good example of an aesthetic that doesn’t look complete but will certainly turn heads and get people talking.
And to be honest, we’re all for it because there’s something quite poetic about using right-angled shapes to create another right angle.