A gallery wall is a great way to bring style, character and personality into a room - and the beauty is that you can create one anywhere!
If you're thinking that you need a large space for a gallery wall, then think again! The little gallery wall I've created here measures just 2.5m by 1.5m - so it's a perfect addition for an apartment or small home and instantly adds interest and style - without taking up any valuable floor space.
Decide on a Style
As you can see my little gallery wall is an informal style, with a theme of prints that are mainly monochrome (with some soft pinks and greenery). I've mixed up the themes and chosen a selection of figures, landscapes, graphics and botanicals. My frames are mainly black with a couple of gold thrown in so it's not too uniform. In fact my gallery wall is pretty much a reflection of the rest of my interior decor!
Experiment with types of wall art - whether that's monochrome colours, bright and colourful, your favourite family photos, or a mix of everything. If you want to use art or photographs that don't co-ordinate, don't worry! A simple trick of using the same frames will bring it all together.
Go Traditional
When most of us think of a gallery wall we think of a wall of memories of happy events, photographs, pictures and even items such as mirrors. Items that have been collected organically over time....something that is personal and meaningful. Although at the end of the day it's completely up to you what you incorporate. It takes time to create the eclectic look required for a traditional style gallery wall. Patience is definitely needed!
An excellent example of a traditional gallery wall is this collection from Amy from 'Harrison Nate and Me'
As you can see Amy has incorporated items other than just prints and photographs, such as mirrors and wire art.
I asked Amy for a top tip she used when creating her traditional gallery wall, “Shop around and get your frames from lots of different places to mix it up a bit. Mine are from charity shops, Ikea, eBay, Next, The Range etc. Some are black metal for example, some are coloured wood, and some are ornate gold etc. I think it gives more interest to the gallery wall”.
Formal / Grid Style
Although my gallery wall is cohesive, it’s not a structured, neat style – but I do love a more formal gallery wall too! Formal / Grid style gallery walls lend themselves to a theme, such as the same colour, the same event (i.e. a wedding theme) or family photographs. A lovely example of a formal style is this beauty from Laura over at The Indigo House with her collection of family photographs.
Laura gave me a great tip for creating a gallery wall “When I plan a gallery wall I’ll look at the space that I’m wanting to fill and then always start from the middle and work outwards, I’ll also consider what furniture might sit under the frames and use this to help find the centre starting point.”
Picture Ledge
Looking for something different I’m a big fan of a picture ledge and have them in the bedroom too. The beauty of a picture ledge gallery is that the art just sits on the ledge and leans against the wall - no nails involved! This makes it so easy to move the art about and bring new pieces into the scheme. A faffers paradise! Although why not integrate both? You can create a gallery of art incorporating a picture shelf and a few images hung the traditional way, which creates a great unique display.
The Staircase
I couldn’t talk about gallery walls without touching on a staircase gallery – and the secret to hanging art here is balance!
So, where do you start?
To kick things off, start with the pictures. You can create your gallery wall the traditional way; using a collection of your own photos and art and buy frames to fit, or you can buy curated gallery wall art that comes ready framed for you to simply hang on the wall! With different wall size options and categories such as floral, fashion, nature and many more…. it couldn’t be simpler!
Plan the layout
So, you’ve decided where you want to create your gallery wall and you’ve got your artwork, now you just need to get it up on the wall!
A key rule to ensure balance is to start in the middle with a key piece and work outwards from there. For my wall, I measured the wall space and laid the art on the floor in a replica space of the same measurements, I used sticky tape to mark it out on the floor. I even took photos of my layout and swapped it around until I was happy. Another option is to trace out a template for each frame and stick on the wall using tape. You can then hang the frames directly onto the templates and remove afterwards.
Ready to hang?
Once you’ve got the layout of your masterpiece, it’s now time to get them on the wall. You’ll need a tape measure, nails or picture hooks, and a hammer. For heavier frames you’ll need a drill, screws, and wall plugs. Oh, and don’t forget a pencil and a spirit level to ensure your pictures are straight. Simply, mark the top of the frames (in the middle) with the pencil, making a note how far down the picture the nail would need to go, and then use your tools and hammer and get your wall art up….and then all that’s left to do is step back and admire the result!
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