Artwork Size Guide by Room — Match Living Room, Bedroom, Hallway with Korean Ho and cm

Found a piece you love but unsure if it'll fit? Here's a room-by-room size guide for Korean apartments, with specific measurements and tips for getting it right.

If You Don't Know the Size, You'll Regret It

Buying online and hanging at home, only to find the work "too small" or "overwhelming" — the feedback is more common than you'd expect. Size is the single most practical variable in choosing a work.

Look first at how SAF 2026's 354 works distribute by size.

Size class	Definition	Count	Share
Small	~45×45 cm or smaller	131	37%
Medium	45–70 cm range	170	48%
Large	70×70 cm and above	53	15%

Nearly half is medium. Given average Korean apartment scales, that's a natural distribution.

The Ho (號) System — Reading Size by Number

In the Korean art market, artists often talk size in ho units rather than cm. A simple reference goes a long way.

Ho	Approx. size (F type)	Fits
0 ho	18×14 cm	Shelf, desk top
4 ho	33×24 cm	Small wall, set arrangement
10 ho	53×41 cm	Bedroom, study
20 ho	73×61 cm	Bedroom, small living room
30 ho	91×65 cm	Living-room centerpiece
50 ho	117×91 cm	Spacious living room
100 ho	162×130 cm	Large spaces, cafés

Ho also splits by aspect ratio into F (figure), P (landscape), and M (marine). The same 30 ho differs in proportion between F and P.

Living Room — The Main Space Needs Presence

Korean apartment living rooms typically run 15–26 m². In this space, the work should be a focal point.

Recommended size: 50×70 cm or larger, ideally around 80×100 cm

Above a sofa, a width of 60–70% of the sofa's length reads as stable. For a 200 cm sofa, an ideal width is 120–140 cm. If a single piece is too much, a group of two or three smaller works in the same family also works.

Many hang beside a TV; in that case, choose a wall far from the TV to avoid visual competition.

Son Eunyoung, House on the Hill, 2024, Archival pigment print

Bedroom — What You See Waking and Sleeping

Smaller than the living room, closer viewing distance. Sizes 30×30 cm to 60×60 cm fit better than large works.

Above the headboard, pick a width narrower than the headboard to avoid feeling crowded. Calm, gentle palettes support sleep — but taste is personal.

Study and Studio — Personal Taste First

A study is for you, not for showing. Size matters less than content. Pick the work that inspires you while working, the one you don't tire of. Grouping several small works as a "mini-collection" suits the study well.

Kang Seoktae, Happy Tea Time, 2022, acrylic on canvas, 72.7×60 cm

Entryway and Corridor — Where Vertical Formats Shine

The entryway is the home's first impression. Area is tight, so large works don't fit — but tall, vertical formats shine on narrow walls.

Corridors are similar. Narrow walls take 30×60 cm or 40×80 cm — high-vertical-ratio works. Lining several in a row creates a "hallway gallery."

The Eye-Level Rule — Where to Center the Work

Galleries and museums follow a golden rule: center the work at 150–160 cm from the floor. Close to an adult's average eye level.

If a work is 60 cm tall, its top edge sits at 180–190 cm. Too high or too low, and your neck suffers.

Above a sofa, there's an exception. Keep 20–30 cm above the sofa's top — the wall and the work connect naturally.

Hanging Multiple Pieces — Gallery Wall Tips

Multiple pieces together — a "gallery wall" — can transform a space. A few principles.

Unify color family: even very different styles read as unified under a similar palette
Place the anchor first: the largest work at the center; the others around it
Match frames, or deliberately mix: either unify frame color, or vary them all for expression
Even spacing: 5–10 cm between works, consistent

Measuring — A Must Before You Buy

The simplest, most reliable method: tape the actual size onto the wall with masking tape or newspaper.

Cut tape to the work's dimensions in cm and stick it up. You'll immediately feel what it looks like. Surprisingly often, people discover "I could go bigger" or "this is larger than I thought" only this way.