Pro Tips for Creating a Killer Gallery Wall
Who doesn't love a good gallery wall? They can be the prefect way to add a bold statement to your decor and showcase your best art or memories. But gallery walls can also be quite tricky to get right and if they're done wrong, every little imperfection will stand out like a sore thumb.
To help you nail your gallery wall to perfection, we've put together loads of inspiration and the best tips and tricks for getting it right the first time without hot tears of frustration and numerous wall patches.
Decide which type of gallery wall to display
The point of any gallery wall is for it to feel special and collected. The flexibility with how you can arrange it is amazing, but there's really only two types: Grid AKA Linear Groupings and Salon Groupings. Here's the breakdown of each.
Grid AKA Linear Grouping
If you want to go with the grid or linear option you'll likely want to get frames that are roughly the same size, but you can also mix it up with frames of different sizes and colours but assemble them so they create an asymmetrical perimeter.
This option is great for more formal areas like the dining room, but don't feel too boxed in by its, well um, boxiness. The options are endless from mixing the types of items you choose to display to the colours of your matt boards and frames.
Another great grid possibility is the Insta-wall option. With its perfect squares, the Insta-wall packs a lot of punch when it comes to understated impact and it's pretty easy to execute. The best part is, you can print the gallery you've already curated on Instagram, and you can swap out the photos in your home to reflect your top nine photos on the platform, whenever you're in need of a refresh.
Salon Grouping
The salon grouping option is definitely more relaxed and can give off a cool bohemian vibe. But planning for this grouping is just as important as the grid option. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so you should hang art in places where you love it most and where you'll see it the best.
Don't feel like you need a massive blank space to pull this off either, you can make a big impact with a tiny vignette.
The most important element of the salon wall is that you respect each individual piece. Every work of art should have a frame that plays well with it.
Remember, opposites attract. Just as when you want to apply a granny-style upholstery to a piece of furniture, it will work best on something that is modern with clean lines. Try mixing kids artwork with higher end pieces and photographs with abstract and landscape paintings.
With all of that being said, my preference for any gallery wall is to have at least some cohesion. With the Salon Grouping, I like to keep the spacing between each frame consistent and maintain a cohesion around the perimeter.
An easy recipe for a good salon wall is one extra large piece, two large pieces, two medium pieces and three small pieces. Of course, this is just one way to execute the look. For bonus points, add in sculptural elements.
Practice makes perfect
So you've decided which style of gallery wall you want to design, now you have to plan where each piece will go.
To start you'll want to measure the space on the wall that you want your gallery to hang. Next you'll want to clear an equivalent amount of space on the floor so you can spread out the frames and rearrange them until they are right.
Next, cut newspaper to the size of each frame. You'll want to measure the distance from the top of the frame to the hook where it will hang once it is mounted and mark the newspaper with an "X". You'll need to know where to hammer in the nail once you've perfected your arrangement.
Using a level and painter's tape, stick your newspaper "frames" to the wall in the order you've laid out on the floor. When you're completely satisfied with the arrangement, start hammering in your nails on the "X" you've marked off. One by one, tear your newspaper off and replace with its corresponding frame.
If you don't have space to spread out, or the layout you're after is overly complicated, consider hiring a professional to help you. Designers use 3D modelling software to perfect this look. This is something I did for a remote client recently when she needed to visualise a few different gallery wall integration options for her Samsung Frame television in a small apartment.
To complete the look of any gallery wall, I like to leave a piece or two of unmounted works leaning against the wall so the space doesn't feel too buttoned up or staged, but instead, a bit in transition and full of life. Because after all, the whole point of a gallery wall is to showcase all the art and memories that give you life.
Tell me what you think? Will you be adding a gallery wall to your abode? If so, will you go for the more tailored grid style or the more relaxed salon style? Please share in the comments!
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