Gallery wall above a sofa: sizes and layouts

Short answer: make the gallery wall about two-thirds of the sofa's width, and leave 8–10 inches (20–25 cm) between the sofa back and the lowest frame.

A measured example

An 84-inch sofa:

• Target group width: about 56 in (two-thirds of 84)
• Four 16×20 in frames in a row with 3 in gaps: 4 × 16 + 3 × 3 = 73 in — too wide
• Three 16×20 in frames with 3 in gaps: 54 in — about right
• Or a 2×3 grid of 11×14 in frames with 2.5 in gaps: 38 in wide — fine for a 60-inch loveseat

Layouts that work above a sofa

• Grid: calm and tidy; best for same-size frames and modern rooms.
• Single row: good for low ceilings or a long, narrow sofa.
• Salon wall: mixed sizes in a loose rectangle; keep the outer edges level so it still reads as one shape.

Centre on the sofa, not the wall

If the sofa is off-centre on the wall, centre the group on the sofa. That is the point the eye uses.

Try it with your photos

The gallery wall planner sizes layouts to your wall, ranks them, and prints a hanging guide with every nail position.