What Size Should Nursery Wall Art Be?

Print size is the single most common thing people get wrong, and it is almost always the same mistake: going too small. Here is how to choose with confidence.

The two-thirds rule

Art hung above furniture should span roughly two-thirds of that furniture's width. A 120 cm dresser wants about 80 cm of art. One large print, or three smaller ones with their gaps included.

This one rule solves most sizing questions. When something looks "off" on a wall, undersized art is usually why.

What the common sizes actually look like

8×10 inch (20×25 cm), modest. Right for a narrow wall, a shelf, or as one of three in a group. On its own above a dresser it will look lost.

A4 (21×30 cm), the size most home printers and frame shops default to. Slightly taller and narrower than 8×10. Good for a group.

16×20 inch (40×50 cm), a proper statement piece. This is the size to choose for a single print above a cot or dresser, and the one most people wish they had chosen.

A word about ratios

Every Little Poppin print is 4:5. That ratio prints exactly at 8×10 and 16×20 inches with nothing cropped.

A4 is slightly narrower than 4:5, so printing to A4 leaves a thin margin at the top and bottom. Which usually looks intentional inside a frame with a mat. If you want an exact fit with no margin, choose 8×10 or 16×20.

Quick picks

Single print above a cot or dresser: 16×20 inch.

Three-print gallery wall: 8×10 inch each, 5–8 cm apart.

Shelf or narrow wall: 8×10 inch, or A4 in a frame with a mat.

Above a bed in a older child's room: 16×20 inch, or two side by side.

Every design comes as one file that prints at 8×10, A4 and 16×20. So you can decide the size after you see the wall.

Browse the prints

Common questions

What size print is best above a cot?

A single 16×20 inch print, or three 8×10 inch prints hung as a group. Aim for the arrangement to span about two-thirds the width of the furniture below it. And hang it on an adjacent wall rather than directly over where the baby sleeps.

Will a 4:5 print fit an A4 frame?

Almost. A4 is slightly narrower than 4:5, so you will get a thin margin at the top and bottom. Inside a frame with a mat this reads as deliberate. For an exact fit choose 8×10 or 16×20 inches.

Is 8×10 too small for nursery wall art?

On its own above furniture, usually yes. As one of a group of three it works well. If you are hanging a single print, 16×20 is the safer choice.