Sizing a Ramon Casas Print for a Small Bedroom
A compact bedroom punishes guesswork. Here is how to measure, what dimensions suit Casas' portraits and interiors, and when a small print beats a large one.
For most small bedrooms, a Ramon Casas print between 40x50 cm and 60x80 cm works best. Above a bed, aim for a print spanning roughly two thirds of the mattress width, about 90 to 100 cm for a double. On narrow walls, a vertical portrait format at 50x70 cm or smaller fills the space without crowding it.
Start With the Wall, Not the Print
The mistake most people make is choosing a picture first and finding a wall for it later. Reverse the order. Measure the wall you actually intend to use, then subtract. A print should occupy between half and two thirds of the wall's width, with clear space on either side. In a bedroom where the bed dominates, treat the headboard as the frame and hang above it.
Practically, a double bed is about 140 cm wide, so a print between 90 and 100 cm wide sits comfortably above it. A single bed calls for something closer to 60 cm. Leave 15 to 25 cm between the headboard and the bottom of the frame. Any higher and the print floats; any lower and it competes with pillows.
Match the Format to the Work
Ramon Casas painted a great deal in portrait orientation. His figures, society women and self portraits are vertical compositions, and they suit a small bedroom unusually well. A tall wall beside a wardrobe or door takes a 50x70 cm vertical print neatly, adding presence without eating floor or sight lines. Horizontal scenes of cafés and boulevards need more width to breathe.
List of practical pairings:
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Why Bigger Often Fails in Small Rooms
The fear is that a small print will underwhelm. In practice the opposite problem is more common. A print wider than the bed below it looks unstable, and anything past 100 cm on a bedroom wall tends to feel like a public lobby. Casas' palette, often soft greys, blacks and flesh tones, reads best at a distance where the eye can take the whole figure in at once.
There is also a cost argument. Larger editions cost more, and in a room viewed from two metres away the extra size buys little. A well placed 50x70 cm print with proper matting reads larger than its measurements suggest. Spend the difference on framing rather than square centimetres, and the room will look the better for it.
In a small bedroom, the wall sets the budget for size before taste gets a vote.
| Placement | Recommended size | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Above a double bed | 90x60 cm horizontal | Roughly two thirds of mattress width, balanced against pillows |
| Above a single bed | 60x40 cm horizontal | Proportional without overwhelming a narrow bed |
| Side wall or alcove | 50x70 cm vertical | Suits Casas' portrait compositions and tight walls |
| Dressing table or desk | 30x40 cm or smaller | Intimate scale for close viewing |
Suggested print sizes by bedroom placement
Key takeaways
- Measure the wall first and let the print fill half to two thirds of its width.
- Above a double bed, a 90 to 100 cm wide print is the ceiling for most small rooms.
- Vertical Casas portraits suit narrow bedroom walls better than his horizontal café scenes.
- Below 100 cm, better framing beats a bigger print in both effect and cost.
Related questions
How high should I hang a print above a bed?
Leave 15 to 25 cm between the headboard and the bottom of the frame. In rooms where you sit up in bed, eye level while seated is a fair guide. A print hung much higher than that reads as if it belongs to the wall rather than the bed, which weakens the composition.
Is canvas or paper better for a small bedroom print?
Canvas sits flush against the wall and needs no glass, so it suits tight spaces and avoids reflections from bedside lamps. Paper under glass gives finer detail and works well for Casas' tonal drawing, but glare can be an issue near a window. Choose based on where the light falls.
Can I hang two smaller prints instead of one large one?
Yes, and a pair of smaller works often suits a bedroom better. Keep the combined width within the same two thirds rule, and align the frames along a single centre line. Two vertical prints, side by side, echo the portrait format Casas favoured and fill a wall above a double bed evenly.
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