Entryway Art and Hallway Art: Small Originals for Passing Walls
Entryway art looks best when it is about 2/3 to 3/4 the width of the console table below it, hung with the bottom edge 6 to 10 inches above the tabletop, and on an open hallway wall the center of the art sits 57 to 60 inches from the floor. That usually means 1 framed piece or a pair of small framed originals. An entry is the first wall anyone sees in your home and the one they see most briefly, so it suits small paintings with bold color and simple subjects that read in a glance. As a painter who works mostly in sizes from 6×8 to 16×20, these passing walls are some of my favorite places to hang art.
Why Entry Way Art Works Best With Bold Color and Simple Subjects
Most people experience entry way art and hallway artwork on the move. You walk in with groceries, drop your keys, head down the hall to a bedroom. Nobody stands back 10 feet and studies the wall. That viewing distance changes what works.
A painting with a clear subject, a few confident brushstrokes and a strong color relationship registers in a second or 2. A bright orange against a soft pink, a single flower stem, a bird in silhouette: those read from the corner of your eye as you pass. Tiny detail and subtle shifts in tone get lost at walking speed, so save those pieces for a reading chair or a bedside wall where someone will sit with them.
This is why I love small originals in an entry. A 9×12 floral or an 11×14 piece with 2 or 3 bold colors says hello as you come through the door, and it gives guests a little glimpse of who lives there.
How to Size Art Over a Console Table
Art over a console table follows the same scale rule as any furniture: aim for about 2/3 to 3/4 of the table’s width. Most entry consoles run 36 to 48 inches wide, so the math looks like this:
- 36-inch console: 2/3 of 36 is 24 inches and 3/4 of 36 is 27 inches, so art about 24 to 27 inches wide.
- 48-inch console: 2/3 of 48 is 32 inches and 3/4 of 48 is 36 inches, so art about 32 to 36 inches wide.
Hang the bottom edge 6 to 10 inches above the tabletop. That gap keeps the art and the table reading as 1 arrangement, with room for a lamp, a bowl for keys or a small stack of books. If a lamp sits on one end, let it overlap the edge of the frame slightly or shift the art a few inches toward the open side so the 2 feel balanced. My 3 simple rules for hanging art walk through height and scale for the rest of the house.
Small Originals Grow When You Frame Them
A small painting gets a lot bigger once it is matted and framed, and that extra size is what lets a small original hold an entry wall. When you plan a wall, measure the frame.
How Much a Frame Adds
- A 9×12 painting on paper with a mat goes into a frame of about 12×16 or 14×18.
- An 11×14 painting on paper with a mat goes into a 16×20 frame.
Worked Example: A Pair Over a Console
For a 36-inch console: take 2 small 9×12 paintings framed at 12×16, hang them side by side in portrait with 3 inches between them. The pair measures 12 + 3 + 12 = 27 inches wide by 16 inches tall. That lands right at 3/4 of 36.
For a 48-inch console: take 2 paintings at 11×14 framed at 16×20, hung side by side in portrait with 3 inches between them. The pair measures 16 + 3 + 16 = 35 inches wide by 20 inches tall, right between 2/3 (32) and 3/4 (36) of 48.
For 1 framed piece: a single 16×20 frame turned landscape is 20 inches wide, which works over a 30 to 36-inch console, especially with a lamp filling out 1 side.
Treat a pair as 1 piece when you measure. The outer edges of the grouping are what you compare to the table. Keep the space between frames at 2 to 4 inches so the 2 paintings read together. How to frame original artwork covers mats and frames for paper and canvas, and Try a Frame lets you preview frame colors on a painting first.
Paintings for Hallway Walls and Narrow Walls
Paintings for hallway walls follow the open-wall rule: center each piece 57 to 60 inches from the floor. Since you pass them at close range, small originals feel right at home here, and you can see brushwork up close in a way you never do across a living room.
Narrow Walls Beside Doors and Windows
That 18 to 24-inch strip of wall beside a front door or between 2 doorways is perfect for a vertical stack. Hang 2 framed 12×16 pieces 1 above the other with 3 inches between them, and the stack measures 12 inches wide by 16 + 3 + 16 = 35 inches tall. Center the whole stack at 57 to 60 inches and it fills the slim space nicely.
Long Hallways
A long hallway can carry a row of small framed originals spaced evenly along its length, all centered at the same height so your eye travels along them as you walk. Keep a common thread, such as matching frames or a shared palette, so the row reads as a set. These gallery wall layouts for every style help if you would like a tighter grouping at the end of a hall, and if your hall opens onto stairs, my post on stairway wall decor ideas shows how to carry art up the diagonal.
Try It on the Wall Before You Hammer
Trace each frame on kraft paper, cut them out and tape them to the wall. Live with them for a day or 2 and walk past them the way you normally would, coming in the front door and heading down the hall. You will know quickly whether the size feels right. You can also mock up framed art on your own wall from a photo of your entry.
Entryway art also pairs naturally with the rest of your home. If you are deciding where each floral piece belongs, floral wall art: which piece goes where walks through every room, and my guides to art over a couch and art above a bed use the same framing math on bigger walls.
Frequently Asked Questions About Entryway Art
What size art goes over a console table?
Art over a console table looks best at about 2/3 to 3/4 the width of the table. For a 36-inch console that is 24 to 27 inches, and for a 48-inch console it is 32 to 36 inches.
How high should I hang art over an entry table?
Hang the bottom edge of the frame 6 to 10 inches above the tabletop so the art and the table read as 1 arrangement.
What kind of art works best in a hallway?
Hallway artwork with bold color and simple, recognizable subjects reads well as people walk past. Small originals are a good fit since hallways are viewed up close.
Can small paintings work in an entryway?
Yes. A small painting grows once it is matted and framed. A 9×12 on paper framed at 12×16, hung as a pair with 3 inches between, measures 27 inches wide, which suits a 36-inch console.
What art fits a narrow wall?
A single vertical piece or 2 small framed pieces stacked 1 above the other with 3 inches between them. Center the stack 57 to 60 inches from the floor.
If you would like to see what might live by your front door, you can explore my original paintings, or browse Studio Steals for smaller pieces at a gentler price.