The short answer: a textured picture is chosen for how it will look in your light, not only for its colour. Hang it on a neutral wall, where it catches side and raking light from a window or a wall light, with the centre about 145-155 cm from the floor. Over a sofa, leave it about 15 to 25 cm above the back. That way the shadows draw out the folds and the picture changes through the day.
Texture lives with light
A flat picture is looked at. A textured one is read: its folds, waves and bands create shadows that move. Interior designer Zaida Muñoz said it when talking about colour in Nuevo Estilo: “Colour is never static: it lives and changes with the light”. The same goes for texture, and more visibly.
What makes the most difference is the direction of the light. Raking light is light that enters almost parallel to the wall, from one side: a side window, a wall light or a spotlight aimed at an angle. It draws each fold with a soft shadow. Light that arrives from the front, by contrast, flattens the texture and the picture looks smooth. If you want to plan the lighting of the whole living room, we explain it in how to light a living room with warm light.
The wall: neutral, with space
The texture already brings depth, so it does not need to compete with the wall. Neutral tones (ivory, beige, sand, off-white) let the texture take centre stage. A heavily patterned or intensely coloured wall takes away from its readability. Leave air around it too: a textured picture needs a clear margin so its shadows can be seen.
Five textured pictures from the shop
| Picture | Format | Texture and material | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marfil Wall Art | Set of two 60 × 60 cm squares | 3D ivory texture: folds and waves of canvas | Bedrooms, hallways or above a console |
| Caliza Wall Art | Large-format pair (size: see product page) | Beige, sand and ivory; layers of textured canvas and a light wood frame | Living rooms, bedrooms and entrance halls |
| Serena Wall Art | Large format, two models sold individually (size: see product page) | Raised white bands on a beige background, canvas with a wooden frame | Over a sofa or a chest of drawers; both together, a wide wall |
| Ash Wall Art | Large format (size: see product page) | Jute and cotton in neutral tones, with weaves and geometric shapes; black mango wood frame | Living rooms, entrance halls or large spaces |
| Arena Wall Art | Pair (size: see product page) | Hand-painted on canvas, with white texture and glints in a sand tone | Made to order: arrival expected on 30 December 2026 |
About the Arena Wall Art, bear in mind that it is made to order. You can reserve it now and it ships in 10 to 15 days from its arrival. If you need to hang it before Christmas, look at Marfil or Caliza instead.
Where and at what height to hang it
As a guide, the centre of the picture goes at about 145-155 cm from the floor, at the eye level of a person standing. If you hang over a sofa or a chest of drawers, lower the group: about 15 to 25 cm above the back or the piece of furniture, so they read together. With a pair, leave a small gap between the two pictures, of about 5 to 10 cm, so they look like a single set. And always look at where the picture is seen from: if the window is to one side, hang it on the wall perpendicular to it, not opposite.
An example
A living room with ivory walls, a window on the left and a linen sofa. On the wall perpendicular to the window, over the sofa, the pair of Caliza Wall Art, about 20 cm from the back. By day, the side light marks out the layers of canvas; in the evening, a warm wall light draws them again. In the hallway, over a console, the set of Marfil Wall Art, 60 × 60 cm each, centred at about 150 cm from the floor.
Limits
With light from the front, or in a room with no windows on one side, the texture is less visible; in that case, choose a picture with more volume or add a side wall light. The height figures are a guide: adjust to your ceiling and your furniture. And if you are not sure of the measurements, ask us before buying, because some product pages do not include them.
Next step
See the pictures in Decor or, if you would like us to choose and place the pictures for your living room with its light and its measurements, write to our interior design studio.
Frequently asked questions
How do you hang textured pictures?
On a neutral wall, with side, raking light, and with the centre about 145-155 cm from the floor. Over a sofa, about 15 to 25 cm above the back.
What are pictures with relief and texture?
Pictures whose surface has volume: folds of canvas, bands of paint or weaves of jute and cotton. Light draws them with shadows that change.
Which textured pictures suit a living room?
Those in neutral tones and large format, such as Caliza, Serena or Ash, over the sofa or a chest of drawers. See their product pages for the size.
Is the texture visible with light from the front?
Barely: frontal light flattens the texture. With side, raking light, from a window or a wall light, the texture stands out.
Related questions
By Zaida Muñoz, interior designer at Zach & Decor · Updated on 16/10/2026