Tapestry hangings have been displayed as decoration on interior walls for thousands of years. In fact, there is evidence of tapestry weavings from as early as the Ancient Egyptian period around 5000 years ago.
Today, tapestries remain popular in boho and shabby chic style interiors, adding texture and color to the walls in an alternative way to regular wall art. Here we look at the different sizes of tapestry available, and which sizes of tapestry work best over a sofa or bed.
Which Tapestry Size is Best?
The best size of tapestry for your home will depend on where you want to display it. Tapestries can be hung on any interior wall, but most people choose to display their tapestry in a prime position where it can be fully appreciated, such as over a sofa in the living room or over the head of a bed in the bedroom.
If you have a smaller tapestry to display you could hang it on a smaller wall, such as in the hallway, just avoid hanging your tapestry in a humid environment such as a bathroom, because the extra moisture in the air could damage the weaving over a long period of time.
Tapestry over the bed
If you want to display a tapestry over the head of your bed, the size of the bed is going to need to be factored in. The tapestry can be equal in size to the width of your bed, or it can be larger than the width of your bed. A tapestry that is slightly smaller than the width of your bed can work, but it should not be significantly smaller because it will look out of proportion with the bed and with the room as a whole.
Twin bed tapestry
A twin-size bed is 38 inches in width, which means the ideal tapestry size to hang over this type of bed will be 36 inches wide by 18 inches high. You could also get away with a slightly smaller tapestry measuring 26 inches wide.
Full bed tapestry
A full size bed has a width measurement of 53 inches. If you want your tapestry to be displayed over the head of the bed then a tapestry which measures 60 inches in width will be ideal. Standard tapestries come in dimensions of 60 inches by 40 inches, and 60 inches by 51 inches.
Queen bed tapestry
A queen bed has a width measurement of 60 inches. You can pair this with a tapestry measuring 60 inches by 51 inches for a sleek look that will appear as though the tapestry was custom-made to suit the size of the bed. Larger tapestries measuring 72 inches in width or 80 inches in width would also work well if you want the tapestry to be the dominant feature in the bedroom.
King bed tapestry
A king bed has a width of 72 inches. You can hang a tapestry with an equal 72 inch width measurement above a king bed for a symmetrical look, or opt for a slightly smaller tapestry measuring 60 inches in width if you don’t want it to overwhelm the space. If you want the tapestry to be the focal feature in the room, you could choose a slightly larger size of 80 inches in width with a height of 68 inches.
Tapestry over the sofa
Sofas can vary enormously in size depending on the type and style of sofa you have. Here we look at the average size of 2-seater and 3-seater sofas and explain which tapestry sizes will work best with these sofas.
2 seater sofa
An average 2 seater sofa will measure in the region of 70 inches wide. If you want to make the sofa appear smaller, a tapestry with a width of 72 inches will be appropriate. If you would prefer to make the sofa appear larger and more dominant, then a tapestry of 60 inches in width would be preferable.
3 seater sofa
A typical 3-seater sofa will measure around 100 inches in width. Tapestries are available in width measurements of 104 inches, though this size will be overwhelming in most spaces. If the room isn’t large enough to warrant a tapestry of this size, you can instead opt for an 80-inch or 60-inch width tapestry and position it over the top of the central part of the sofa.
Standard Tapestry Dimensions
Extra small tapestry
A standard extra small tapestry will measure 26 inches wide and 18 inches high. This is a nice size tapestry to display in an entryway, in a dining room, or over the top of a twin bed.
Small tapestry
A small tapestry will usually come in a width measurement of 36 inches, with a height measurement of 26 inches. You can also find small tapestries with a slightly larger width measurement of 40 inches and the same height measurement of 26 inches. This type of tapestry can work well over twin beds or full-size beds.
Medium tapestry
A medium-sized tapestry will measure approximately 60 inches in width by 40 inches in width. A slightly larger tapestry is also considered a medium size among tapestries, which is 60 inches in width by 51 inches in height. This is a significant size of tapestry that will work well as a focal feature in bedrooms or living rooms.
Large tapestry
Large tapestries can range in size, but on average you can expect to find tapestries in large sizes of 72 inches by 48 inches and 80 inches by 68 inches. This size of tapestry will require a large wall to hang on, ideally with at least 2 feet of clear wall space around each edge.
Extra large tapestry
An extra-large standard size of tapestry is 104 inches in width and 88 inches in height. This size of tapestry is big enough to cover an entire wall, so be sure to measure properly before investing in a tapestry of this size. The standard ceiling height is 96 inches, so at 88 inches in height, there would only be 8 inches of total space around the top and bottom of the tapestry on a standard-sized wall.
