3 Ideas for Your Most Stunning Gallery Wall
Creative twists bring this timeless display technique home
By Laura Carson Miller
The gallery wall is seemingly everywhere and can look so different depending on elements used and the actual wall space it graces.
Let’s start with a few core points then move on to 3 specific ideas to make your gallery wall uniquely yours.
~When hanging the individual pieces for your gallery wall, workroom the inside out.
~Don’t get overwhelmed as a gallery wall be as DIY or not, as you wish!
You can purchase gallery wall sets of prints on sites including Etsy and frame sets via Pottery Barn. Artfully Walls and similar sites sell complete framed sets in various themes, taking any guess work out of exactly what to frame or the right frame to use.
If you want to make a lot of decisions and put it all together yourself, fabulous. If this stuff is not your thing and you want to direct your creative juices toward anything but decorating, you have unlimited choices when purchasing a set of framed art ready to hang.
~Be open minded about how you’ll display your framed art. A wall gallery displayed on floating shelves or hanging from invisible display wires in the ceiling (please get the proper contractor for this particular execution!) can set your room apart. Placing your gallery wall pieces in a corner of the room is a great way to cozy up a space.
~All the ideas below work equally well with the more DIY method or the already ready already option.
Let’s dive in…
Create a Focal Point in the Center
Use a different color or texture frame as a focal point. If you have mostly colorful art place a cream, black or white piece in the center. When neutral colors dominate use a pop of color in the center of your gallery wall such as a bright cobalt blue or rich fuchsia. If you have the personality for it, and especially if you don’t, why not do something completely crazy and off beat in the center of your gallery wall that no one would expect and that will bright delight and whimsy to every day as you gaze at it from your favorite spot?
Incorporate Mirrors or Sconces
Try using frames in the same size and color and disrupt the unity with a trio of sconces or a trio of mirrors in a larger or smaller size. Did you know a group of odd numbers is actually more pleasing to the eye?
Embrace Shape Shifting
An inventive way to keep your gallery wall fresh is to use the wonderful hooks that are easily removable and do no harm to your walls. I know I mention these a lot but they are one of those game changing inventions that make decorating so much easier and we should take full advantage! These hooks allow you to easily create new shapes for your gallery wall – a cross design, a star or an oblong shape – any time the mood strikes you. You can also swap out art or mirrors (link to other blog post) from other rooms to inject new interest into your gallery wall design.
While the gallery wall display technique has been around for a long time there are many ways to put your own fresh and modern spin on this style. Be it fashion or design photographs, your children’s art work or framed mementos you’ve collected over the years, I hope these ideas help you create a gallery wall you can’t get enough of! Email me or tag me in Instagram photos of your gallery wall so I can appreciate your creative talents!
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