Gallery art walls are becoming increasingly popular. With a few carefully selected prints and photographs, the right arrangement can overhaul an interior and breathe new life into barren spaces. If you’re dealing with a larger space, a curated gallery wall can provide a fabulous focal point.
A curated art wall is also the perfect way of sharing your passions and interests. The good news is that gallery art walls can be put together easily and inexpensively. While you can play around with different prints and experiment with frame designs, the real skill lies in the arrangement.
Our guide is on hand to provide you with all the pointers you need for perfecting a gallery art wall at home.
1. Start Building a Collection
Before you can play around with arrangements for a gallery wall, you’ll need a good variety of posters, prints, and images to mount. Do you have archive boxes filled with vintage photographs and family snaps at home?
Now’s the time to start sorting through them. Have you accumulated a pile of posters and prints from thrift store shopping sprees? Delve into your archives to see how much material you’ve got to work with. If pickings are slim, you can always head online for new imagery and artwork.
2. Decide on a Theme for Your Gallery Art Wall
If you have plenty of pieces at your disposal, you can now start deciding on a theme. If you’re planning a gallery art wall for a family living space, treasured memories make a great starting point. Look for photographs of wedding days, birthday parties, or seasonal get-togethers.
Some people prefer to use color to guide them. An assortment of contemporary artworks can turn a muted white wall into something truly special. Looking to achieve something more elegant? Art deco prints work beautifully with herringbone flooring.
3. How Many Prints Do You Want To Use?
Before you start reaching for a hammer or mounting materials, think about scale. If you prefer order and clean lines, keep it simple with an even-numbered assortment of frames.
If you prefer a free and easy approach, you can be a little more relaxed when it comes to the scope of your collection.
4. Measure Twice, Mount Once
This ties into the previous point. Once you’ve decided on the prints you want to use, lay them out on the floor to see how everything will look when grouped. You’ll need to ensure you have sufficient wall space to accommodate all your pieces.
If things look a little sparse, think about adding one or two extra prints. Is your arrangement overwhelming to look at? Don’t be afraid to remove one or two prints that don’t inspire you.
5. Don’t Skimp on Frames
Once you’ve settled on a layout, you can start investing in framing materials. Some people prefer to keep things streamlined with matching frame sizes and identical colors. If you prefer simpler aesthetic, inexpensive black frames with white picture mounts are the way to go.
However, don’t be afraid of contrast. Gold and copper pair perfectly with black. If you’re after something more organic, stick to natural wooden frames. If budget isn’t an issue, frames are an investment worth spending a little more on. According to a recent survey by MoneyWise, homeowners spent more than $3,300 on home improvements and design trends in 2021 alone.
6. Find a Layout That Works For You
Once you’ve framed all your images, you may need to make some minor adjustments to the layout. With final dimensions now available, you can make paper cutouts that can be temporarily mounted on the wall with masking tape. Keep making changes to your gallery wall layout until it hits all the right notes.
7. Installation Made Simple
You’re almost ready to put your plans into practice. If you own your home, you can use picture hooks or nails to mount your frames. If you live in rented accommodation, you may want to consider using temporary mounting strips that can be removed. These are also a good idea if you want to minimize damage and don’t want to be messing around with minor repairs.
Whatever mounting option you go for, check your measurements before fixing anything into place. A spirit level is also a must when hanging your pieces.
8. Sit Back and Admire Your Gallery Wall
Now the hard work is done, you can kick back and marvel at your newly mounted masterpiece. Remember, if you’ve followed all the advice outlined above, you can play around with layouts as much as you want.
There’s Always Room for a Refresh
A gallery art wall makes a fine focal point in any room. However, it’s not a permanent installation. You can change prints as regularly as you like. Is your living room crying out for a pop of color?
Ditch the black frames and monochrome prints and swap them out for fiery abstract imagery instead.
Eager to add some seasonal flourish to your home? A short-term switch to festive prints is an easy way to transform your home for the holidays.