One design trend that seems to always be in style is the good ol’ fashioned gallery wall. But… how do you even go about making a gallery wall? If you aren’t necessarily “design savvy”, then making your own gallery wall can be a bit tricky and scary!
We wanted to make it easy for anyone to create their own gallery wall that will bring your character and personality to life. Follow along with 3 easy steps on how to make a gallery wall, and then get inspiration from walls our designers have done in recent showhomes in our gallery wall round up!
But First .. Why Make a Gallery Wall at All?
Gallery Walls have so many great benefits to achieve an easy, low maintenance statement in your home!
- They are super easy to switch up! Change out the artwork or decor pieces with the Seasons, design trends or even new family members!
- It’s a great way to transform bland, large walls in almost any room of your home
- Creates a focal point and a conversation piece
- Allows you to bring character and personality into the room
- They can be placed almost anywhere in your home – stairwells, nooks, bedrooms and living spaces. Even half bathrooms!
Step 1: Decision Time
Before you even get started on hanging things, come up with a plan. Think of these 3 things:
What do you want to display?
Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box either! Some great ideas are pictures, decor items, wall planters, clocks, mirrors, etc. If you find yourself stuck, try wandering around your house and finding forgotten pieces of art or decor tucked away. Sometimes we have everything we need already, we just didn’t have the courage (or time!) to display it!
Designer Tip! If you need a few filler pieces, hit up an antique mall! You can always find unique one of a kind items for a great price!
What color palette and style are you going for?
This can be a crucial step in even determining what items you want to display. If your color palette is more modern, you may want to keep it simple with all framed pieces in a monochromatic color. But if you have more earthy tones in the space, perhaps you want to incorporate natural wood pieces, along with wall planters to create more depth. Whatever you choose, just remember to keep it consistent!
Where is the gallery wall going?
Deciding where you want the gallery wall to be can help you decide what items you want to be on display too, and what color palette you want. It may seem an obvious step but be sure to figure it out before you start picking out colors!
Step 2: Lay it Out
Once you have decided what will be going on your gallery wall, you need to plan the space out!
A great tip from our designers is masking tape!
Find a large space on the floor and tape out the same size dimensions as your future gallery wall will be. So if you have a 4′ x 4′ space to work with on the wall, then tape the same size box on the floor. That way you can place all of your chosen items into the area, and move about as required until you get the perfect look!
Things to consider when placing your items:
- Start by placing the largest items, then the second largest, and so on. It will be easier to fill in the gaps with the smaller pieces at the end
- Keep 2 – 3″ between all of your pieces
- Be aware of what’s below the gallery wall in case you need to plan around anything
- Balance your items. You don’t want one side with all black & white art, and the other with colored photos. Try to intertwine them
- Mix vertical and horizontal photos for some extra dimension
- If you want more of a clean look to your gallery wall, try aligning the bottom edge of the lower pieces, and then build up from there. This will keep a clean line, and help stabilize the space.
- If you want a more eclectic look though, have fun with it! Randomly place pieces and just keep at it until you feel satisfied with the look!
Step 3: Grab the Hammer!
Once you are satisfied with the look and feel of the gallery wall on the floor, you can get the nails & hammer and get to hanging!
Pay close attention to how each item needs to be hung before you start making holes. Some frames are side hung, and some are not.
The most important thing to remember when hanging a gallery wall though is … if you make a mistake just cover it up with another piece!
