8 Expert Tips On How To Choose A Wall Clock

When we decorate our homes, the first thing most people do is fill them up with furniture and matching accessories. Walls often take the back seat, but the thing is, our walls cover more surface area which means that we need to pay as much or if not more attention to them.

A carefully chosen wall decor can easily turn into a focal point and transform your home from typical to outstanding in a heartbeat. Since walls take up large spaces, we often find it hard to fill them up. Luckily, there is such a huge range of options on our hands now and in this post, we will be taking a closer look at wall clocks and learning how to choose a wall clock like a pro.

Here’s what we will cover:

Digital or Analogue Clocks?

Before you even start selecting the type and location to place your clock, you are faced with the choice of digital clocks or analogue clocks.

Digital clocks represent the advancement of technology. They are precise in keeping time and many of them come with additional functions such as telling the temperature or even forecast the weather. What they lack in beauty, they make up with their fancy features and quietness. Wanna tell the time in the dark? Digital clocks are backlit so you can always read them easily no matter the time of the day.

Analogue clocks are traditional and certainly more romantic than digital clocks. The design styles seem almost infinite and they are the best choices for decorative purposes. They range from vintage styles to modern sleek designs which mean there is always one for any kind of home. An analogue clock can easily become a focal point in any room depending on the size and style you choose.

How big should a wall clock be?

You have probably seen a thousand different clocks in your life unknowingly, but one thing for sure is that they come in so many different sizes! How big should a wall clock be then?

A wall clock can measure from 8 inches to over 36 inches in diameter. The most common size you will see is 12 inches. You can typically find wall clocks in four sizes, small, medium, large, and oversized. In most stores, you will find that small clocks measures around 8 to 9 inches, medium clocks will measure around 12-24 inches, and you will find that large clocks are between 24-36 inches. Oversized wall clocks are over 36 inches in diameter.

As a general guide, smaller rooms will have smaller-sized clocks, and increase as the room size gets larger.

Another consideration will be the purpose of the clock. For example, if you are looking for a discreet wall accent, a smaller clock would be suitable. On the other hand, you will want a fairly large clock if you intend to display it as a centerpiece.

It is also common for homeowners to create a gallery wall with clocks as part of the decor. Instead of the typical wall art and photo frames display, wall clocks break the mold by adding a moving and functional piece. In such a situation, do not use more than 1 wall decor that takes up the majority of the space as it becomes very confusing as to which is the highlight.

Lastly, you shouldn’t forget about how the clock will be used. If it is going to be used often to tell time rather than an accent piece, you will need to factor in how far you will be reading it from and choose a size that makes it legible.

How to choose the right wall clock style?

It’s very tempting to buy home or wall decor on a whim. I get it. There are so many pretty things vying for our attention that we sometimes can’t help but buy them first. The problem is, not every purchase decision is good for our interior design unless we put some thought into them.

You can’t go out and get that beautiful rustic farmhouse clock and plop it up in your modern contemporary home, can you? It’s going to stick out like an eyesore.

That brings us to a few key pointers we have to bear in mind when choosing a wall clock style:

Wall color – Is your room painted? Or does it have wallpaper? These are factors that will affect the choice of wall clocks. The key here is to choose colors that can blend it and mix well with each other. You may want to check out this useful tool that can give you a visual understanding of colors.

Color theme of your room – The room you are decorating could have specific hues in place, and you definitely do not want to mess that up by adding a clock that creates a jarring contrast. It does not mean that you need a pink clock in a pink dominant room, but rather to use colors that match well.

Overal decor – Needless to say, each kind of interior design has decor pieces that go well with each other as they follow a certain design principle. It’s quite unlikely for you to find a cuckoo clock in a nautical themed home. I think you get the point.

Here are my suggestions for some common interior design themes:

Scandinavian homes – use natural-looking material like wood, with clean and simple lines. Monochromatic shades of white, grey, and brown will match up very well. Here’s one that takes on a slightly bold yet simplistic design:

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Mid-century modern homes – this style features vintage and contemporary elements, so if you find one element to be stronger than the other, you know which to use to balance it out. I would go for clocks with Roman numerals or experiment with bolder designs such as starburst clocks. Here is one that I really adore:

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Industrial homes – This theme calls for the use of metal as the main material, and black will typically take center stage here. When choosing a wall clock for this home, go for a large metallic clock that will heighten the style of the home. I frequently see frameless designs that are really unique too. Check out this wrought iron clock with a pulley. It’s stunning!

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Where will you be placing the wall clock?

Determining the location of your wall clock is an important step as it speaks to how well people can view it. I see lots of people mounting their wall clock as high as possible, and while I think I understand why, it does not work well from an aesthetic point of view.

You should try to have your clocks situated around the eye level so that it is easy to spot and tell time. If you wish to place it higher, be sure to leave at least 9 inches of space from the top of the clock to the ceiling.

The other factor you need to bear in mind is the visual space afforded. Are there other decor pieces in the area? They could be hanging on the wall or standing on the floor below the clock. It’s important not to have too many things so that they don’t look cluttered. I never have more than two-thirds of a wall cover. In fact, I would say that is the limit and I usually keep things to be less than 50% of the surface area.

What material are wall clocks made of and how to use them?

Plastic

Plastic is a really cheap material, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it is used in clocks pretty often. The thing about plastic is that it might cheapen the look of a clock, but if it’s used in the background, it would be ok to use them. The good thing about plastic is that they are often easy to turn into several colors and patterns. You do have to take note that this material does not last as long as some other materials such as metal or wood though.

Metal

The use of metal clocks in industrial and modern homes is very common, where they offer a refined and sleek look. Metals can be polished to achieve a certain shine and make them look glamorous. When using this kind of clocks, you have to pay attention to the way it is mounted as they tend to be much heavier than regular clocks.

Wood

My personal favorite. Wooden wall clocks are widely used in all kinds of homes as they exude warmth and their natural earthy tones are easy to pair with. Most commonly, you will find them in farmhouse decor, but frankly, they tend to do well in many other homes too.

Which room will you be mounting a wall clock in?

When choosing a wall clock for your home, it’s good to think about which room it’s going into.

Dolling up your kids’ room? Opt for something that is brighter and has a fun design. These clocks add a lot more colors and boost the energy levels in the room. Some clocks have an educational element in them too, perfect for teaching the little ones how to tell time!

With a gym, you could be thinking along similar lines where a large bright clock can really crank up the energy here.

With our living rooms, we typically choose to have a large oversized clock for above the mantel or as part of a gallery wall. Entryways can be a good spot to place a clock, but we usually do not do that as the angle of telling the time means it’s used a lot less than we like.

In the kitchen, I say let your creativity run wild! People suggest using a smaller clock as an accent piece, but I say what’s the point! The kitchen is highly personal for lots of us home cooks, so why not personalize it?

Kitchen clocks come in quirky and fun designs such as chefs, pots and pans, or cutlery. You can even have your own custom-made kitchen clock designed for you too. How cool is that!

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What are the different types of wall clocks?

To give you an idea of what’s available out there, you might want to check out the following list. You have probably heard of most, but this could be a timely reminder of something you used to love but have forgotten in recent times. Or they could simply serve as inspiration for what you could get next.

Does your wall have windows?

Before we conclude, there is another area that needs to be covered too. If the wall you are decorating on has windows, your approach might have to be altered.

The thing about having windows on the wall is that the windows themselves break up the amount of space and almost seem to create a separate wall.

If you have a large window, you might want to omit hanging any sort of wall decor here since they can become lost in all that’s going on. I would opt to decorate an adjacent wall instead where it will get all the natural light shining on it.

If there is a space between two windows, you can consider hanging a small clock or a small piece of wall art down the middle, creating a sort of partition effect.

In conclusion: How to choose the right wall clock?

Now that you have the knowledge, it’s time to get out there and find the best wall clock for your home!

As always, I would recommend that you browse our other articles about wall clocks, or you might be keen to look at wall mirrors as a decor piece instead.

We have lots of ideas in store for you and hope that they can guide you along it making your home the most beautiful home for you!

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Emma Taylor
Emma Taylor

Emma Taylor is the Chief Editor at Wallccessories and writes regularly about topics surrounding home decor. Her family has moved several times over the years due to her husband's job requirements, and thanks to that, she has had many opportunities to dabble in designing and decorating real cozy homes.