A Simple Guide to Gallery Walls

No matter the size, color, or style of your home, a gallery wall is a simple way to amp up a space and bring it to the next level. They can fill a large, blank wall to make a home feel more personal, or work in a small room to add interest and depth without taking up valuable floor space. From colorful salon style galleries to modern design with straight rows and columns, there’s truly a gallery wall that’s right for every home. That being said, they can be intimidating to take on for some. Artwork can get expensive fast, and finding coordinating pieces may seem difficult. That’s why this simple guide is going to give you all the tips and tricks you need to know to put together the perfect gallery wall.

A gallery wall doesn’t have to just be images

In fact, they often come out better if they aren’t. When you start collecting pieces for your gallery, keep an open mind. Baskets and trays, bits of fabric, children’s drawings or personal mementos – anything that could be hung on a wall is fair game. Take a look at your local thrift stores and yard sales. It’ll save you money and thrifted finds are often the most interesting.

Choose a theme

Gallery walls need some sort of thread to tie pieces together. This could be a color scheme, the framing, or a more general feel – for instance, you could do a beach or botanical themed gallery wall. A common tactic is incorporating a pop of color that appears in multiple pieces. Using frames of all one color is also a simple way to make the collection feel intentional, especially if you’re incorporating a lot of colors and styles in the artwork itself.

Framing

Frames and matting can be especially tricky to figure out, but using a variety of frames will further add to the unique style of your gallery wall. For a more eclectic look, try mixing thrifted frames with new ones, perhaps with pops of color. Some artwork may already come framed, so be sure to think about how you will incorporate those pieces early on.

Adding depth

Depth will create further visual interest for your gallery wall. Plants, shallow shelves, and sculptural pieces are all great options. Even hanging items like a hat, camera, or small ukulele can add a really personal touch.

Plan ahead for your layout

You definitely don’t want to start hammering until you have a pretty good idea of how all your pieces are going to fit together. Depending on what suits your needs, you could use tape to outline where you want everything to fit, lay out all your pieces on the floor (making sure you’ve marked out how big the wall is in comparison), or sketch out some layout ideas if you haven’t made all of your purchases quite yet. Oftentimes, gallery walls use one large piece as an anchor for everything else, and it’s definitely a tried and true tactic that we recommend. Don’t be afraid of white space and giving everything some room to breathe. Rearrange and take pictures, and only start hanging once you feel really confident in your layout.

Hanging

Once you’ve collected all your pieces and decided on a layout, now is the time to pull out a measuring tape and level. Patience is key when it comes to a gallery wall, and making sure everything is hung straight after you’ve spent all this time collecting and planning is the last small step that will make all your hard work worth it.

Lastly, don’t feel intimidated or get overwhelmed when it comes to your gallery wall. The beauty of them is that they’re all unique and a little different, so you really can’t go wrong. Take your time and get excited about how beautiful it will turn out in the end.