There is nothing more beautiful than personalising your space and expressing what is uniquely yours and because of that a gallery wall is one of the most stunning ways to show your personality and your style. The right gallery wall can turn any blank wall into a conversation starter, whether that’s a collection of family photos, abstract art or vintage prints. It may sound daunting, but with some easy tricks, you really can curate a brilliant, stylish gallery wall. In this post I have outlined your guide to designing a gallery wall that is beautiful and balanced.
- Choose a Focal Point
You must have a focal point, and every great gallery wall will begin with one. It was something that was a statement piece of art, a vintage mirror, or a big framed photo that held everything above it. A central piece is great for setting the mood for the rest of the display and preventing your gallery wall from being chaotic.
Tips: Pick a piece that speaks to who you are or the feeling you want to drum up in the room — maybe bold and bright, or clean and neutral.
If you don’t have something large, then frame smaller pieces or photographs and group those to make a striking focal point.
- Mix and Match Art Styles
Gallery walls don’t have to be boring: there are a number of art styles that can fit your wall. Contemporary prints, antique portraits – the list goes on. The important thing is to make those mix and match so that they feel cohesive rather that cluttered. While it’s great to mix mediums, textures, and themes, you want to make sure do so in a balanced way.
Tips: Choose a combination of paintings, photographs, prints and sculptures for a moving exhibition.
Even if the subjects change, you’ll want to use a consistent colour palette to tie it all together. Use a few key tones of the room in your color selection.
Think about frame styles as well. Mix wood, metal, or even minimalist frames, just make sure the frames are of a similar tone and same size to keep a homely look.
- Plan the Layout
First off, you decide the layout before hanging art. A big difference to how polished and curated your gallery wall will look is a well thought out arrangement. The layout is in a bit of a flux right now and there are a number of approaches to this depending on the vibe I am going for.
Layout Options:
Grid Style: It is a symmetrical and organized way that all frames can be aligned either vertically or horizontally. This is good for a clean modern look.
Salon Style: As a more eclectic, layered arrangement, the pieces are different sizes stitched together close so that the shape is full and energetic. It works great for galleries with a collection of items (family photos, travel mementos, etc.)
Linear Layout: This requires that you line up your frames (across the rail) whether horizontally or vertically. It’s perfect for a clean and tidy design.
Organic Layout: A way of arranging pieces that isn’t so rigid, more organic and flowing. Due to this it has more of a relaxed, lived in feel that can work great for showing off tons of different styles.
Pro Tip: Paint yourself an outline on the wall for the proposed arrangement with painter’s tape before hanging anything. This speeds up visualization of the layout and also helps with spacing before committing to nails.
- Think about what size Wall you’ll need and what proportions.
The problem with creating a gallery wall is that it depends on the size of the wall. Large frames can overwhelm a small wall; while, often, a large wall needs more art to fill it. Consider how much of your room’s available real estate you want the gallery wall to use up, and how much visual weight you want it to carry.
Tips: Smaller walls can be a bit more tricky, ruling out both a sparse look and a tight grouping of small framed pieces.
For bigger walls, you can make a statement with multiple pieces arranged together or even spreading the art through out the entire wall.
- Keep Spacing Consistent
When it comes to gallery wall design, spacing is one of the most important things. Obviously, when the pieces are too far apart, it can feel disconnected, and if they’re too close together, it can get crowded, chaotic. In order to get a polished look you want to have a consistent, even gap between the frames.
Tips: Keep frames in 2–3 in. of space between them (adjust as needed depending on the artwork size / the look you want).
To make sure the frames are evenly hung, and the space is consistent across the display I use a level.
- Color and Texture Experiment
Adding personality and depth, color and texture, making your gallery wall come alive. While it’s important to stay cohesive in a theme, you shouldn’t be scared of using a variety of materials and colors that fit your style.
Ideas: Use vibrant colourful artwork mixed in amongst black and white photos to create contrast in the visual interest.
Woven textiles or framed fabric pieces will help include texture that varies in levels and warmth.
Metallic framed play or art prints with gold or silver accents will give you that fancy touch.
- Personalize with Mementos
You don’t have to make the gallery wall just for art — it can also be a place to display items that tell your story. Mementos, such as vintage postcards, concert tickets, or heir-looms can make your gallery wall that much more special.
Ideas for personalization:
Put vintage letters and post cards from travels or musical scores into frame.
To personalize the display make sure to include family photos or children’s artwork.
If you are a nature lover, you can embed pressed flowers or including miniature found objects such as shells or stones.
Conclusion
A well curated gallery wall is always an exciting way to show your style, personality and creativeness. Carefully choosing piecesof place you like like new york , planning your layout and keynote elements, whilst also keeping the spacing and proportion consistent across all the pieces will work to create an impressive art display for any room. With the classic grid or an eclectic salon style, your gallery wall will surely be an attention grabber in your home. So, go ahead start curating, and make your walls a work of art!
