Creating a Gallery Wall

Getting Started on Creating Your Gallery Wall

Do you want to create a gallery wall in your home?? Does this task feel overwhelming?? No clue where to start or what to use? I've got you! Let me break down the how to for you and help you get your gallery wall up and showcasing in no time.

What is a Gallery Wall?

Ok, so first off - what is a gallery wall?????? You must have a pretty good idea if you are reading this blog, but let's go through it. A gallery wall is when you have a blank wall in your home or business and you fill it with a collection of artwork or items that can be hung. Alright - let's detail that out a little better, shall we?

Tip #1 - Creating a Gallery Wall -Figuring out the size and location of where you are displaying.

So you know you want a gallery wall somewhere in your home or business; and why wouldn't you? They are fun, interesting, a great way to display things, can be a conversation piece, bring personality to a space, bring color, texture, or interest to a plain wall, and are unique to your space! Begin with figuring out where you want it to go. Sometimes this is obvious - like when you have a huge blank wall in your entryway or dining room. Other times, you might not have a large space to work with or you may need to change out a wall where you only have one piece of art. Both areas are fine and can be used.

Ideas for gallery wall locations:

• Entry way wall

• Dining Room wall

• Stair wall

• Over the bed in any bedroom

• Across from the toilet in your guest bathroom

• A guest room wall

• A hallway

• A unique space in your home - den, library, study, sitting room, etc.

• In a waiting area in your business

This one shows a great example of full wall, top to bottom, all black and white, all the same frame, very uniform spacing. This styling comes off pretty formal and is very striking with the black wall behind the pictures. (HGTV.com)

This is a fun example of over a piece of furniture. Notice how it extends out past the size of the furniture. The items are totally random. Sizes, frames, colors, some items are 3 dimensional, some look modern, some old fashioned. But it's a lot of fun and is interesting. (realsimple.com)

This example is stunning. Besides the artwork all just being beautiful photography, the scale of the photographs make it really stand out. Go big or go home on this one! (maryschannen.com)

Some locations that might not work or be best:

• The kitchen - the kitchen is pretty busy already with wall cabinets, doorways, appliances, etc.; but if you have a very large kitchen and a decent size blank wall to work with - this is a maybe.

• The living room - again, the living room is pretty busy - a television, maybe a fireplace, doorways, windows . . . usually in a room like the living room you want to draw the eye to one focal point, with a minor secondary if necessary (like a fireplace focal wall and then the television is on another wall, but less focused on). The living room could work, but it is very dependent on the size of the room and the other items in the room.

• A really small bathroom - having a ton of items on one wall in a really small space can make it feel like the room is crowded and uncomfortable. If you want to do this space, keep it more simple and see notes about scale.

Tip #2 - Creating a Gallery Wall - Scale

• If you have an entirely blank wall with no furniture on it - this is pretty much free reign. It can fill the wall, be more streamlined, go up high, come down low. The only parameters here are that the scale is correct. If it's a large wall - more is better. Fill the space with your items or it will look unfinished.

• If you are working with furniture below your gallery wall - side table, bed, crib, bench, etc., the key here is to go slightly larger than your furniture piece, or just at the same size (but I like to go a little beyond).

• Mix the size of the items you are displaying if you want more of a collage look or keep them all the same size if you are looking for a more streamlined look.

• A good idea is to get some large sheets of paper or a drop cloth in the size of the space you want to hang. Lay this out on the floor and then start arranging your items on it. Take a photo of it once you are happy and then start arranging them on the wall. If you used paper, you can trace where all your items are and then tape the paper to the wall and hammer right through it and tear the paper away. Voila!

Here the artwork is tiny, but they've added a lot of images. This fills the space well. It's also very neat and organized. Great for showing off special moments in the family.

This idea is great if you live in an apartment, don't like to put lots of holes in the walls, like to change things up, or just really like that casual leaning look. You could even intersperse some objects with the photos. (amazon.com)

Tip #3 - Creating a Gallery Wall - What to hang

Anything - Ha! - obviously not quite anything, but you get the idea. Here is the part where you can have fun with it.

• Try hanging a collection of items - do you have a favorite hat collection? Go for it! Maybe you really love black and white photography? Hang it up. Sometimes having a collection or theme of items makes it easier and more cohesive. All florals, vacation pictures, landscape photos of the beach, etc.

• Going without a theme - maybe you don't have a real collection or maybe you don't want just one "thing" hanging on your wall - feel free to mix it up. Choose a 3-5 color scheme and find items in those colors that speak to you. They don't have to a rhyme or reason for why you hang them together.

• Can I use different frames? Of course you can! Again, this goes back to how you want it to look - clean and formal? - go with one color frame and maybe one or two styles. Eclectic and fun? - mix gold, black, wood, gilded, plain - really no rules here.

• Does this have to be only pictures or artwork? NOPE. Mix in fun things with texture, shapes, 3-dimensional; to make your gallery wall more interesting.

• Hanging personal items - photos of your family, concert tickets, your wedding vows, a piece of fabric that is sentimental, are all ways to add interest and create a special place in your home.

• But . . . you don't have to hang personal items either. You can purchase all of your artwork and hang that up.

• Remember your home is YOUR home, not someone else's. Their gallery wall will look entirely different than yours and that is ok. Both are correct.

I love how this one is displayed in a corner!! How fun is that?? A very cool way to showcase the split butterfly. They've used multiple sizes and frames, but stayed consistent with it all being black and white. (found on Pinterest, not sourced)

Using large scale matching frames in all the same color palette and content, gives this gallery wall a very cohesive, formal and traditional look. (GotTheme - etsy.com)

The styling of this one is just so unique. Hanging them all from a rod and going vertical! I love it! So many different textures, shapes, items - it all works though. And notice the blank frame!!! You can always fill it later.

Final Thoughts on Creating Your Gallery Wall

• Make sure you have the proper tools and hanging items to hang what you are hanging. Check weights and make sure that you secure the items to the wall properly. The last thing you want is for things to fall down and break.

• You can use blank frames or "filler" pictures until you are ready to fill them. Sometimes you just have to start and not have your full collection ready. That's ok. Just hang what you have and fill the frames later. Starting is better than waiting and waiting to have it all just perfect. Once you've started, you'll feel inspired to keep going.

• Have fun with it and be creative! Once it's done, you'll wonder why you waited so long.