What Size Notice Board Do I Need? A Room-by-Room Guide
Choosing a notice board is not only about finding a colour you love. It also needs to sit comfortably within the room, provide enough space for the things you want to keep visible and feel properly balanced with the furniture around it.
A board that is too small can become crowded very quickly. One that is too large may overwhelm a narrow wall or compact desk.
This guide will help you compare our two fabric notice board sizes, decide between portrait and landscape and measure your wall before ordering.
Our Notice Board Sizes
Our handmade fabric notice boards are available in two practical sizes:
Large 48 × 40 cm
A compact and versatile size for personal notes, photographs, appointments and smaller spaces.
This size works particularly well:
- Above a compact desk or dressing table
- On a narrow hallway wall
- Beside a wardrobe or tall cupboard
- In a bedroom or child’s room
- As an individual notice board in a shared home office
- Where you want useful organisation without creating a dominant feature
X Large 60 × 48 cm
A more generous size for shared reminders, family information, invitations, photographs and paperwork that needs to remain visible.
This size works particularly well:
- Above a kitchen worktop
- Over a hallway console or bench
- In a family organisation area
- Above a wider home-office desk
- In a craft room or creative workspace
- Where the notice board needs to become a more substantial part of the room
Both sizes can be hung in either portrait or landscape orientation, allowing you to adapt the board to the wall and furniture beneath it.
Should I Choose the Smaller or Larger Notice Board?
Begin by thinking about what you realistically want the board to hold.
If it will be used for a few photographs, personal reminders and appointments, the smaller 40 × 48 cm notice board may provide all the space you need.
If several people will use it, or you want somewhere for school information, invitations, schedules and everyday paperwork, the larger 48 × 60 cm board will give everything a little more breathing room.
It is also worth considering the visual role the board will play.
The smaller size can sit quietly within a room, providing a useful place for the things that matter without becoming a strong focal point.
The larger board has more presence. It can help anchor a desk, console or section of worktop and become part of the way the whole room looks and functions.
When the 48 × 40 cm Notice Board Works Best
The smaller notice board is a good choice when the board is intended primarily for one person or needs to fit into a limited area.
It provides a useful home for the small pieces of paper that otherwise gather on a desk or worktop: an appointment card, a photograph, a reminder, a quotation or a note you do not want to lose.
It is also particularly helpful when you want to introduce some organisation without making the room feel overly practical. The fabric and ribbon bring softness, while the more compact proportions allow the board to sit comfortably alongside artwork, shelving or existing furniture.
In a bedroom, it can become a personal display for photographs, tickets and meaningful notes. In a small home office, it keeps current information visible without taking over the wall.
For more ideas, explore our Bedroom Notice Board Ideas or see How to Create a Calm Home Workspace.
When the 60 × 48 cm Notice Board Works Best
The larger notice board is better suited to a shared space or a busier household.
It provides more room for family information without requiring every card and reminder to be grouped too closely together. This can help the board remain calm and readable even when it is used regularly.
Above a hallway console, it can hold the information needed as people leave the house. In a kitchen, it can provide one visible place for invitations, shopping reminders, meal ideas and school dates. In a home office or craft room, it offers more space for plans, inspiration and current projects.
The larger size can also feel more visually balanced above substantial pieces of furniture. If you are placing a notice board above a wide desk, bench or worktop, the additional width often helps the board feel connected to what sits beneath it.
You may find our Kitchen Notice Board Ideas for Busy Homes and Hallway Notice Board Ideas for Organised Homes helpful when deciding where your board will work hardest.
Portrait or Landscape?
Both notice board sizes can be displayed in either portrait or landscape orientation.
Choose portrait when:
- The available wall is tall and narrow
- The board will sit beside a cupboard or wardrobe
- You are filling a smaller section of wall
- You naturally want information to run from top to bottom
Choose landscape when:
- The board will hang above a desk, console or worktop
- You have more wall width than height
- Several people will need to reach and use it
- You want the board to relate visually to a wider piece of furniture
There is no right or wrong orientation. The most suitable choice is the one that works with the shape of your wall and makes the board comfortable to use.
How to Measure Your Wall Before Ordering
You do not need specialist equipment to see how each notice board size will look.
Use low-tack masking tape to mark the dimensions on your wall:
- Decide where you would naturally stand when using the board.
- Measure and mark either 48 × 40 cm or 60 × 40 cm.
- Try the outline in both portrait and landscape.
- Step back and look at it from the doorway as well as from directly in front.
- Check that doors, cupboards and shelves can still open comfortably.
- Allow enough clear space around the board to slide cards beneath the ribbons.
- Consider whether the outline feels balanced with the furniture below it.
Leave the tape in place for a few hours if you are unsure. Seeing the outline during normal use of the room often makes the decision much easier.
Choosing a Notice Board for Each Room
Kitchen
A larger notice board generally works well in a family kitchen, particularly when it will hold shared reminders and information.
If the board is intended only for a shopping list, a few recipes and personal notes, the smaller size may be sufficient. Consider the width of the worktop or piece of furniture beneath it rather than choosing based solely on the overall size of the kitchen.
Hallway
Hallways often contain narrower areas of available wall, making portrait orientation especially useful.
The smaller board may suit a compact entrance, while the larger size can work beautifully above a console or built-in bench where it becomes part of a complete family organisation area.
Home Office
For a laptop desk or occasional workspace, the smaller size provides useful organisation without making the desk area feel crowded.
Choose the larger board when you work from home regularly, share the workspace or need room for plans, project notes and inspiration.
Bedroom
A bedroom notice board tends to be more personal than administrative. The smaller size is usually sufficient for photographs, cards, quotations and individual reminders.
The larger size may be more appropriate in a teenager’s room, above a substantial desk or where the board will be used for both study and personal display.
Craft Room
In a craft room, the amount of material you want to keep visible is usually the deciding factor.
A larger notice board allows more room for colour references, fabric samples, project notes and inspiration. It can also work alongside a pegboard: the pegboard holds tools and supplies, while the notice board keeps paper, ideas and visual references in view.
Read more about using a notice board and pegboard together.
Leave a Little Space Around Your Notice Board
Whichever size you choose, avoid squeezing the notice board tightly between shelves, cupboards or pictures.
A little clear wall around the edges helps the board feel deliberate rather than fitted into whatever space happened to remain. It also makes it easier to add and remove cards from beneath the ribbons.
The board does not need to fill the entire wall. It simply needs to feel connected to the furniture and useful within the room.
Still Unsure Which Size to Choose?
Choose the 48 × 40 cm notice board if you want a compact, personal place for photographs, appointments and a carefully edited collection of reminders.
Choose the 60 × 48 cm notice board if the board will be shared, used frequently or needs to hold more family information while remaining easy to read.
Both sizes are handmade in the United Kingdom, finished with durable grosgrain ribbon and supplied ready to hang. Your chosen cards, photographs and notes slide securely beneath the ribbons, so no pins are needed.
Browse Handmade Fabric Notice Boards
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best notice board size for a kitchen?
For a family kitchen or shared organisation area, the larger 48 × 60 cm notice board will usually provide the most useful display space. A smaller 40 × 48 cm board may be sufficient for a few personal reminders, recipes or shopping notes.
What size notice board should I put above a desk?
The 48 × 40 cm size works well above a compact desk. The 48 × 60 cm size is better suited to a wider desk, shared workspace or somewhere used for regular planning.
Always measure the available wall and compare the board with the width of the furniture below it before ordering.
Can the notice boards be hung in portrait or landscape?
Yes. Both sizes can be hung in either portrait or landscape orientation, allowing you to choose the arrangement that best fits your wall.
Which notice board is best for a hallway?
For a narrow section of hallway wall, consider the 40 × 48 cm board in portrait orientation. Above a wider console table or hallway bench, the 48 × 60 cm size may feel better balanced and provide more room for shared household information.
How do I know whether a notice board will look too small?
Mark the dimensions on your wall with low-tack masking tape. View the outline from different parts of the room and compare it with the furniture beneath it. If the outline appears lost above a wide piece of furniture, the larger board is likely to feel more balanced.
How much room should I leave around a notice board?
There is no fixed rule, but leave enough clear wall to make the board easy to use and visually comfortable. Make sure nearby doors and cupboards can open and that you can reach the ribbons without obstruction.
