Wall notes / The home office
What art should I hang above my desk?
For a calmer office, start with a piece that gives your eye one clear place to settle. For a room that feels flat, try a landscape with warmer color and more movement. See the difference on the same wall.
Compare the two artworks01 / The comparison
Same desk. A different feel.
A / Warm and lively
Wheat Field with Cypresses
The gold field warms the wall. Curved clouds carry your eye across the frame, which gives the quiet room a little movement.
I’d hang Van Gogh
B / Composed and grounded
Paris Street; Rainy Day
The street opens up the view, and the upright lamppost gives your eye an anchor. The gray-blue tones let the desk stay visually quiet.
I’d hang CaillebotteHistorical artworks shown in the same illustrative room. Van Gogh at The Met · Caillebotte at the Art Institute of Chicago
02 / Try it at home
Size and hang art above a desk
Our pick for this room is Caillebotte. The desk already has warm wood tones. The cooler street scene brings some balance, and the vertical lamppost keeps the deep perspective from feeling busy. Choose Van Gogh if you want the artwork to bring more warmth and energy.
- Measure the outside of the frame
- Start around two-thirds of the desk’s width. A 48-inch desk gives you a starting frame width of about 32 inches, including the mat and frame.
- Check the height from your chair
- Try the bottom edge 6–8 inches above a clear desktop. If your monitor or lamp crosses that line, move the art up or off-center and check how it looks seated.
- Tape the outline before buying
- Mark the outside corners with painter’s tape and look from your chair and the doorway. If the outline crowds the desk, go smaller or shift it toward the open wall.
03 / The launch list
See the next wall.
Pick the artwork you’d hang and get the Wall & Why launch email when more room comparisons are ready.