Creating a Gallery Wall
Have you considered creating a gallery wall in your home, but aren’t sure where to begin? This post is for you!
Or, taking a few steps back, maybe you have never considered this before or don’t even know what I mean by a gallery wall. This is for you too!
To begin, a gallery wall is essentially a wall-sized art collage…or a collection of framed photos and/or artworks that are arranged in some way (orderly or randomly) on a wall to make some sort of statement.
So, now that we’ve got the ‘what’ taken care of, let’s proceed with the why, or why not.
Why are gallery walls great?
This is a great use of a big wall and can be created with smaller, inexpensive, and found pieces, including thrift store art.
A gallery wall shows your personality, tells a story, and can evolve over time (with you).
I get so many compliments on our bird wall. This is my go-to spot to sit for Zoom calls when I work from home, so polished!
When a gallery wall might not be the right choice
Depending on your home, I wouldn’t do more than, maybe, two gallery walls in your home. Beyond that it will get too busy. We have two and only one is really a statement wall. The other is a hallway lined with family photos, which isn’t an aesthetic choice but a warmth/home/values choice. I have heard people say that gallery walls look cluttered (compared to a single statement piece), and I think this can be true, but I think one well-placed gallery wall in a home usually does not overwhelm. If you are worried, pick a room without a lot of other stuff happening. Ours is in the dining room, which has minimal furniture and other ‘stuff’ and is well-lit.
A gallery wall also involves a lot of nail holes or picture-hanging stickies. This might not seem worth the hassle, especially if you aren’t staying in a long-term space or are really anxious about it being straight and even (the hanging process can be stressful).
So what to do with a big focal wall if a gallery wall isn’t for you? Enter The Statement Piece. In the art world this is what we call a big ole painting.
This option is certainly easier to hang –though, be sure you have the right weight hook for a big painting, especially if it’s framed. A statement piece can also tell a story or give visitors to your home a glimpse at your personality of inner world. Statement art can be really pricey, if you’re going original, but there are many artists out there selling large prints. For the price of many small pieces, even found or DIY, including frames, a large print might be more affordable than a gallery wall. If you do go this route, please, support a real artist rather than getting a statement print from Home Goods or Target. I promise, there is more to your story than having the same art as thousands of other people. This is a home, remember, not an Airbnb. I do recognize that large work is costly, though, even for prints, which brings us back to the Gallery Wall!
Creating a gallery wall that tells your story
How to hang it well: wing it (if you’re a wildcard), meticulously plan it (if you seek control of outcomes), or a bit of both, if you’re like me. I arrange the pieces on the floor to get an idea of placement. There are different approaches from very uniform to very eclectic. I fall somewhere in the middle. I would say it is wise to have some parameters or theme, but that can vary.
Theme: Think about something that is meaningful or says something about you. Also consider the types of art you already own and whether any of it fits into a loose theme. Your theme needn’t be very tight, or even tangible. It can just be a feeling.
Example: BIRDS! My partner and I are birders, this choice tells a clear story about us that our friends and family understand. Some of the art is our own or from our own travels/experiences. Some is just birds we appreciate by other artists (prints). These pieces were collected over years and have meaning to us. So, is there a theme you already have a lot of art on because it is a natural interest?
The newest addition to our bird wall is a photo from our wedding in the woods of my husband and I looking up with our binoculars. I had it printed to be placed exactly in this spot so it appears we are looking up at the bird on the wall. See, weird = personal story.
Possible parameters: Same or similar frames. Ours vary but are all darker in colour. A white or gold frame is not going to look right here. Some people stick to one size and a more uniform or symmetrical layout. Mine is varied, but I try to keep the distancing between pieces similar (but also don’t measure much when hanging so it is what it is). Maybe you have parameters around colors you include. Ours unintentionally has several pieces with bright red. I’ve distributed them throughout the space and I think it creates a unifying effect; not every piece has to have red but enough do that it feels cohesive. Maybe you don’t need any parameters, that decision also helps tell your story!
Don’t forget to consider texture/contrast/difference. While having some loose theme and parameters is helpful, as in art and life, differences are important! Difference is what draws us in. Depending on what you are going for, an eclectic mix of things can add some interest. All similar sizes or types of work can be boring and not really draw in the viewer. Think about introducing some differences in: frames, framed prints vs. originals, sizes, art styles, colour, quirkiness (we have kid art next to famous artists), white space, you can even add 3-dimensional pieces. Anything that can be hung can go on a gallery wall!
Pinterest is a great source of inspiration for gallery walls. As you can see, possiblities range from uniform to extremely funky and can include a wide range of artworks.
A gallery wall can (and should?) be a living changing thing! You can move pieces around. You can add pieces over time. We have added pieces to ours and switched out pieces. This contributes to the story you are telling. We are all changing all the time!
I hope this sparked some ideas for you or helped make this feel more doable. I’d love to see your gallery walls*! And if you’re looking for more art to add to a gallery wall, I’ve got a few brand-new abstract pieces for sale in my web shop as well as a variety of small landscapes which are great options in a gallery, depending on your theme. If a gallery wall sounds like altogether too much work, check out this abstract statement piece or this wall-filling meadow landscape. And if nothing available is jumping out at you, sign up for my newsletter below to be the first to know when new art becomes available.
*Bonus, if you have a gallery wall with any of my work in it, I would love to see it, and share it with permission. :)
