Tapestries : What is the Best Size for Your Wall?
You have just set out on your search for some tapestries to fill your walls. You have a wide variety of spaces in your home, and you are not sure which to tackle first. Perhaps you should fill the smaller spaces (you think that would be easier) and then take a look at those big walls?
The best approach is to tackle the big walls first. Smaller spaces can be resolved with paintings, sconces, decorative elements and of course wall tapestries, but it best to deal with the largest walls first.
Many people approach a large wall with the same pre-conceived idea that a wall tapestry should be the same size as a large painting, placed 10 inches above the sofa and smack dab in the middle. Our programming is to think large paintings = same size wall hanging tapestry. But in fact it is the opposite. A wall hanging the same size as a painting will look odd on a large wall. The reason for this, is, tapestries were created not to replace paintings, but to fill entire walls, much like a wall mural. In Europe from the 11th – 15th century medieval tapestries were created for castle walls providing both warm and decoration. During the 16th – 19th century large tapestries were used mostly as backdrop to the furniture, carpets, drapes and other accessories. Furniture, plants, fire screens etc were placed in front of tapestry wall hangings that were woven to fit the specific wall, and covered the height of floor to ceiling, and the full width of the wall.
Today, unless we are having a custom tapestry woven specifically for our wall, we have to choose from stock items with sizes that set by the weavers and looms. So the rule of thumb is to choose a wall tapestry that occupies 75-100% of the wall. Go bigger than you think you need. You can never have a hanging tapestry that is too large. It should go beyond the width of a sofa, or dining table, or run as much of an entry space as possible. This way, large tapestries will integrate the room, blending the furniture, accessories, carpets, drapes and tapestries as one cohesive whole. The wall hanging should drop behind furniture, creating an integration of the two. You can even have a large cabinet, armoire or entertainment center biting well into the tapestry wall hanging.
If you pick a woven tapestry that is more like an oversize painting, it will look more like a painting than a wall tapestry. Light hits paintings differently – because they are a flat shiny surface, light bounces off the painting, and hence the wall around it (which is also a flat hard surface) integrates painting and wall. They look good together. A wall hanging tapestry on the other hand, is a woven product, and light is absorbed, rather than reflected. The stark contrast between the hard surface of the wall and the tapestry wall hanging will dwarf the woven tapestry, making it look more like a postage stamp on a large wall. It will always look like a woven painting - neither fish, nor fowl.
The next question is: how many tapestries in a home are too many? The answer to this question is – it depends on the size of your home. A large home can handle multiple tapestries throughout, and in fact is generally a good idea. Large tapestries not only fill large wall space, but they have an acoustic sound absorbing quality, so you will instantly notice a reduction in hard echo sounds in your home. You can even have several in one room, provided they are visually compatible together, and match the color scheme of the room. Tapestries also go nicely with paintings next to them, perhaps to fill the leftover vertical wall space, or with a large plant or lighting fixture biting into the wall hanging.
Once you have accomplished resolving those large wall spaces, you can turn your attention to the smaller or vertical spaces, and then the decision whether you place a smaller hand woven tapestry or a small painting becomes obvious as you stand back and take in the visual effect of the large tapestries with all the furnishings.
The best approach is to tackle the big walls first. Smaller spaces can be resolved with paintings, sconces, decorative elements and of course wall tapestries, but it best to deal with the largest walls first.
Many people approach a large wall with the same pre-conceived idea that a wall tapestry should be the same size as a large painting, placed 10 inches above the sofa and smack dab in the middle. Our programming is to think large paintings = same size wall hanging tapestry. But in fact it is the opposite. A wall hanging the same size as a painting will look odd on a large wall. The reason for this, is, tapestries were created not to replace paintings, but to fill entire walls, much like a wall mural. In Europe from the 11th – 15th century medieval tapestries were created for castle walls providing both warm and decoration. During the 16th – 19th century large tapestries were used mostly as backdrop to the furniture, carpets, drapes and other accessories. Furniture, plants, fire screens etc were placed in front of tapestry wall hangings that were woven to fit the specific wall, and covered the height of floor to ceiling, and the full width of the wall.
Today, unless we are having a custom tapestry woven specifically for our wall, we have to choose from stock items with sizes that set by the weavers and looms. So the rule of thumb is to choose a wall tapestry that occupies 75-100% of the wall. Go bigger than you think you need. You can never have a hanging tapestry that is too large. It should go beyond the width of a sofa, or dining table, or run as much of an entry space as possible. This way, large tapestries will integrate the room, blending the furniture, accessories, carpets, drapes and tapestries as one cohesive whole. The wall hanging should drop behind furniture, creating an integration of the two. You can even have a large cabinet, armoire or entertainment center biting well into the tapestry wall hanging.
If you pick a woven tapestry that is more like an oversize painting, it will look more like a painting than a wall tapestry. Light hits paintings differently – because they are a flat shiny surface, light bounces off the painting, and hence the wall around it (which is also a flat hard surface) integrates painting and wall. They look good together. A wall hanging tapestry on the other hand, is a woven product, and light is absorbed, rather than reflected. The stark contrast between the hard surface of the wall and the tapestry wall hanging will dwarf the woven tapestry, making it look more like a postage stamp on a large wall. It will always look like a woven painting - neither fish, nor fowl.
The next question is: how many tapestries in a home are too many? The answer to this question is – it depends on the size of your home. A large home can handle multiple tapestries throughout, and in fact is generally a good idea. Large tapestries not only fill large wall space, but they have an acoustic sound absorbing quality, so you will instantly notice a reduction in hard echo sounds in your home. You can even have several in one room, provided they are visually compatible together, and match the color scheme of the room. Tapestries also go nicely with paintings next to them, perhaps to fill the leftover vertical wall space, or with a large plant or lighting fixture biting into the wall hanging.
Once you have accomplished resolving those large wall spaces, you can turn your attention to the smaller or vertical spaces, and then the decision whether you place a smaller hand woven tapestry or a small painting becomes obvious as you stand back and take in the visual effect of the large tapestries with all the furnishings.
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