To get the proportions right with a round wall clock in a bedroom, size it to the furniture beneath rather than to the wall as a whole. Above a bed, a clock roughly a third to a half of the headboard’s width usually looks balanced. Above a chest of drawers or dressing table, aim for around half to two thirds of the furniture’s width. Leave 20 to 30 centimetres between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the clock, and keep a clear margin from the ceiling, corners and windows.
Our collection of round wall clocks UK sale includes slim metal, wood and minimalist designs from compact sizes to large statement pieces, so you can choose a diameter that suits your room. Here is how to work out what that diameter should be.
Bedrooms are usually furnished with a small number of large pieces: a bed, a wardrobe, perhaps a chest of drawers or dressing table and a pair of bedside cabinets. Because those pieces are big, any object on the wall is read in relation to them. A clock that is too small for the bed beneath it looks lost. One that is too large makes the wall feel heavy and the room feel smaller.
Bedrooms are also places for rest. A well proportioned room feels settled and calm, while one where objects seem out of scale can feel subtly uneasy, even if you cannot quite say why. Getting the proportions right is one of the simplest ways to make a bedroom feel restful.
A round clock above a bed should relate to the width of the headboard. For a double bed of around 135 centimetres, a clock of 45 to 65 centimetres is usually a comfortable size. For a king size bed of around 150 centimetres, 50 to 75 centimetres tends to work. For a super king, you can go up to 80 or 90 centimetres. Centre the clock on the bed and leave a gap of 20 to 30 centimetres above the headboard.
A chest of drawers is narrower than a bed, so the clock should relate more closely to its width. Aim for a clock that is around half to two thirds the width of the chest. A chest 80 centimetres wide suits a clock of 40 to 55 centimetres.
Dressing tables often have a mirror, which complicates things. If the mirror is attached or large, hang the clock to one side rather than above it. If the dressing table has no mirror, the same half to two thirds guideline applies.
If the clock hangs on a wall with no furniture beneath it, think about the wall area instead. A clock should sit comfortably within the wall, with generous space around it. On a typical bedroom wall, 40 to 60 centimetres often works well. Centre it at roughly eye level for a standing adult, or slightly lower if it is mainly viewed from the bed.
A bedroom rarely works in isolation from the rest of the house. Our modern living room furniture UK includes mirrors, ornaments and occasional pieces in finishes that also suit bedrooms, and repeating materials between rooms helps a home feel joined up. Our modern bedroom furniture UK sale offers beds, wardrobes, chests and dressing tables in many sizes and finishes, and knowing the exact dimensions of your furniture makes it much easier to choose the right clock.
Measure the width of the furniture the clock will sit above, and the height from the top of that furniture to the ceiling. These two measurements will guide almost every decision about size and position.
Many UK bedrooms are compact, especially second and third bedrooms in terraced and semi detached homes. In a small room, the instinct is often to choose a very small clock. But a tiny clock can look fussy and make the room feel cluttered. A medium sized clock, around 30 to 45 centimetres, with a slim frame and a light dial often looks better than a very small one.
Choose a slim profile that sits close to the wall, so it does not intrude into a narrow space. A light or neutral finish will feel less heavy than a dark, solid design.
A round clock centred above a bed is visually supported by the bedside cabinets and lamps on either side. Together, they form a balanced composition: the clock at the top, a lamp on each side and the bed as the base. Our modern bedside cabinets UK include wooden, high gloss, metal and mirrored designs in a range of heights, which affect how the whole arrangement reads.
The height of the lamps should relate to the clock. If the lamps are tall, a slightly larger clock prevents the arrangement from looking top light. If the lamps are short, a smaller clock may feel better balanced. Our guide to bedside table measurements for UK bedrooms explains the heights and widths that work alongside different beds, which helps when planning a balanced wall.
Loft bedrooms often have sloping ceilings, dormer windows and limited vertical wall space. Clocks need to fit within the available wall, with a comfortable margin from the slope. As a guide, leave at least 20 centimetres between the clock and the point where the wall meets the sloping ceiling.
The gable end wall is often the best spot in a loft room, as it usually offers the most vertical space. If the bed sits under a slope, consider placing the clock on a facing wall instead of above the headboard.
Period bedrooms in Victorian and Edwardian houses often have ceilings well above modern heights. In these rooms, a standard sized clock can look small. You can size up, but avoid hanging the clock too high in an attempt to fill the wall. It should still relate to the furniture beneath it, so keep the gap above the headboard or chest at around 20 to 30 centimetres and choose a larger diameter instead.
Two clocks with the same diameter can look quite different in size. A clock with a thick, dark frame reads as larger and heavier than one with a thin metal rim. A clock with a pale dial that blends with the wall can look smaller than its measurements suggest.
If you are between sizes, consider the frame. A slim frame allows you to choose a larger diameter without the clock feeling heavy. A thick frame may mean you should size down slightly.
The most reliable way to check proportion is to see it on the wall. Cut a circle of paper or card to the diameter you are considering and tape it in place. Look at it from the doorway, from the bed and from across the room. Leave it for a day or two. You will quickly see whether it feels right, too small or too large.
Large mirrors and tall wardrobes are strong visual elements. Avoid hanging a clock where it will be reflected in a mirrored wardrobe, which doubles it and adds visual clutter. If you have a large mirror on one wall, place the clock on a different wall so each has its own space.
Tall wardrobes can dominate a wall. A clock on the opposite wall helps balance the room, giving the eye something to rest on at a similar height.
Getting the proportions right with a round wall clock in a bedroom comes down to a few simple relationships. Size the clock to the furniture below, leave a consistent gap above it, keep a margin from ceilings and corners, and test the size before you buy. With those principles in place, a round clock will help the bedroom feel calm, balanced and complete.
You can explore our wider range of clocks and bedroom furniture at Furniture in Fashion, with free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.
For a standard double bed of around 135 centimetres, a round clock of 45 to 65 centimetres in diameter usually looks balanced.
Leave around 20 to 30 centimetres between the top of the headboard and the bottom of the clock so they feel connected.
A medium clock with a slim frame and light dial often works better than a very small one. Choose a slim profile so it does not intrude into the room.
Tape a paper circle of the same diameter to the wall and look at it from the bed and the doorway for a day or two before buying.
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