FAQ: What size looks best over a fireplace?

Next to “what should we wear?” maybe the second most asked questions I get is “what size looks best over the fireplace?”

The fireplace seems to be a great spot for hanging a family photo. In most floor plans, it’s naturally where your eye is drawn so it makes a good choice for hanging an art piece from your family photo session.

I love being able to virtually show my families what sizes will work over their specific fireplace - it’s a great “try before you buy” kind of thing.

So what sizes work the best for over the mantel? It depends on some factors, mostly what else you have going on up there. Here are some size references for you..

Something else to consider (that is slightly related): do you see the 16x16? This photo works just fine as a square BUT some photos do not translate very well to square format. This is one of the reasons I LOVE my pre-planning meetings with my families so that we can talk about what the family wants out of their photo session. There have been many times in the past (when I didn’t do pre-planning meetings) and a family has wanted a square print and it just wasn’t possible. So it’s great to set those expectations up front so that everyone is happy!

Did you miss my post about mistakes in hanging wall art? You might find it interesting…