Tips for Designing a Gallery Wall

One can never undermine the power of a well-designed gallery wall. A great gallery wall creates a statement – it gives a personality to your home. With a keen eye and at least an ounce of artistry, you can put different elements together to perfect your interior.

If you have been designing your own home for a while now, you will know that creating your gallery wall goes beyond just hanging a few frames of abstract art. It requires patience, effort, and, most of the time, good instinct. Luckily for beginners, we have prepared some tips on successfully putting up your very own art wall. Let’s get to them one by one.

TIP #1 PLANNING IS EVERYTHING

The most sensible thing to bear in mind at the very beginning of a project like this is to come up with a rough draft of what you want or expect to see after. The same is true in the making of your gallery wall. First, consider the overall area of your wall. Next, decide where you opt to place your elements later – will they cover just a portion of your wall? Then, think about the number of stuff you want to put on your gallery and their sizes and shapes. Finally, you may want to draw a layout on a piece of paper to help you visualize it effectively. Planning is essential in every project as it enables you to avoid unnecessary mistakes along the way. After all, you want your wall to look holy, not holey!

eight frames symmetrical aligned on the wall

TIP #2 DECIDE ON A THEME OR ‘VIBE’

Choosing the elements that you want to be there on your gallery wall can be exhausting at the very least – there is a wide range of options from which to choose. However, let your interest and personality be your guide, and you’ll be another step nearer to achieving your goal. It is always optimal to stick to a particular theme and ‘vibe’ in setting up your gallery wall as it is more pleasing to see physically and psychologically.

TIP #3 BE COHESIVE

Your gallery wall can also be a form of artful communication and expression; hence, it would be better to do it with cohesion. Being cohesive in creating your gallery wall means that there should be a sense of ‘oneness’ within the elements – they should feel connected and interrelated. To achieve this, you may stick with a color palette that not only matches your wall but also pleases you, above all. In addition, you can be cohesive in terms of the type of art you want to display and the frame types and sizes. This way, your gallery wall won’t look cluttered and out-of-sync.

two frames hung on the wall

TIP #4 THE BIGGEST PIECE, IS YOUR CORE PIECE

Designing pros would always suggest starting with the biggest piece and let it lead the way – it makes your job a lot easier. Choose the largest frame you have and place it either on one of the four corners or off-center – then work around it with the much smaller ones. Think of your core piece as the starting point of your onlooker’s eyes as they travel through the different elements on your wall. 

wall frames 

TIP #5 PLAY WITH THE ELEMENTS

Your gallery wall can use a great deal of mix-and-matching. Don’t be afraid to play with the artistic features of your stuff, such as color, contrast, lines, sizes, and shapes. Your gallery wall need not be all frames and all squares. Make use of other unconventional strategies if it means improving the aesthetics of your wall. For example, you may rotate the frames diagonally. You may create some patterns when placing your art; you can also mix verticals and horizontals. You may throw in circles amidst rectangles. There are numerous ways to play with these elements, and all you got to do is trust your guts.

TIP #6 PERSONALIZE IT

You will know precisely when a gallery wall is personalized. You can see it in the concept, in style, in the idea that is in the art. The house’s gallery wall reveals the personality of those who dwell in it. When creating your gallery wall, you might also want to incorporate your personal touch – something that shows about you. It may be in the form of color, a concept, memorabilia, personal items – whatever it is that best represents you. It doesn’t matter whether you live single or are a new parent – designing one’s home is for everyone, and your gallery wall is your statement.