A blank wall in your home is a world of opportunity just waiting to be filled. Deciding how exactly to fill that space is the tricky part. Might we suggest a gallery wall. No matter which room in your house you’re looking to spruce up, a gallery wall will do the trick. From bedrooms to dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens, and even bathrooms, a gallery wall is a stellar way to instantly add character. This bit of decor always hits a charming home run.
One thing we love about a gallery wall is that there are virtually no rules. If you’re displaying more than a couple bits of wall decor in a cluster together, then you’ve already met the minimum quota. From there, the decorating potential is near limitless. Cater your gallery wall to your space and personality by choosing what decor you plan to hang and arranging it accordingly. The most abstract of gallery walls may be art of mixed subjects and mediums displayed in mismatched frames in a seemingly random yet artful composition. A more orderly gallery wall might be a single, coordinated style of art displayed in a neat, linear fashion. Another gallery wall may mix family photos with gorgeous paintings and have sculptural art thrown in there to boot. There’s no rulebook in the gallery wall game, but some guidance can be helpful. Here’s our favorite gallery wall ideas to inspire your blank wall upgrade.
Pair With Shiplap
Like gallery walls, shiplap has boomed into popularity over the last few years. We’ve found that paired together, the two make for a stunning display. Arranging a gallery wall on top of shiplap guarantees that interesting shapes will emerge from the art intersecting with the paneling.
Go Whimsical
Create a fun and funky display with fantasy-inspired art. Bright colors and eccentric subjects can create whimsy, but also be balanced out by more serious or moody motifs depending on the overall effect you seek.
Hang Plates
Ditch the art completely and take this opportunity to show off some of your prized china. Decorate your wall with spare dishes or dinnerware that’s just too precious to eat off of. Here’s how.
Climb The Stairs
Take cues from the space when arranging your art. Gallery walls look especially darling when slanted to suit a staircase. This way, those climbing to the next level can do so with a view.
Consider Cluttercore
With a cluttercore philosophy, more is more. Take a maximalist approach and fill the space with as much as you can that suits your fancy.
Focus On Single Subject
Cater your gallery wall to match your interests by choosing a subject to span across all the art. This bird lover’s gallery is lovely as can be and adds a hefty dose of personality.
Create A Display
Rather than installing frames with a nail into the wall, take a hanging approach and let your art dangle at different, intentional heights. A hanging strategy like this one can be renter-friendly with the help of peel-and-stick hooks.
Round A Corner
Don’t let the wall ending deter your gallery. Cut corners and create continuity by making your gallery wall from two connected gallery walls.
Frame Family Photos
Having family photos around turns a house into a home by instilling the personality of those who live there. Surround yourself with such tender moments in a stylish way by organizing them into a stunning gallery.
Form A Grid
Rather than an assortment of art hung in no particular order, create an orderly figuration. A grid arrangement like this one is clean and sophisticated while still enabling you to show off as much art as you please.
Form A Chain
Work in additional interest with small but meaningful details. The elegant rod and chains connecting these portraits take the whole look to the next level.
Make It Personal
Start your gallery wall by hanging art and photographs with sentimental value then add to it with meaningful pieces you pick up over the years. A gallery wall doesn’t have to be a one and done.
Work A Blank Space
Play with the white space of your gallery wall composition by placing some pieces closer to others. It’s much easier to hang this way and the effect will be interesting on the eyes.
Get A Little Matchy
Install a series of matching pieces for a more coordinated look. These ones all feature the same subject and style though vary slightly for a compelling overall display.
Use Fun Frames
In addition to the subject and style of the art, get creative with a variety of frames. Mix and match some classic, simple frames with more decorate, ornamental ones.
Fit The Space
Arrange your artwork in a way that’s complementary to your space. Even though there’s no laws in the gallery wall playbook, the intention is to accentuate and flatter your home so taking cues from the architecture is always a good rule of thumb. Consider paneling, molding, and any other structures as guidelines for your art aligning.
Mix And Match
From photos to illustrations, clocks to frames, and round pieces to angular ones, use a variety of shapes, colors, and features in your gallery wall. Put together, it’s sure to unite gorgeously.
Frame To Frame
Position frames close together, or even touching, to create the illusion of one, large piece of art. In reality, you’ve got a stunning gallery wall you’ll love.
Create A Nook
Small spaces can have gallery walls too. Add different sized art to fit any given wall, instantly adding character to even your most compact nooks and crannies.
Go Monotone
For a more cohesive gallery wall, stick to a strict color scheme when choosing your art. Don’t just pull a color out of a hat, though. Take care that your chosen color works with the overall palette of the room.
Lean On The Landscapes
Landscapes are always a beautiful choice for artwork. Choose a mountain view, sandy beach, rolling plain, or sweeping cityscape depending on what kind of scenery brings you joy.
Highlight Vintage
This attractive gallery wall includes old-timey mementos that make it more sentimental. Here, you can see old postcards and vintage memorabilia framed among larger pieces of art.
Sneak In A TV
This strategy works especially well if you have a Frame TV. One of those will be able to blend into the gallery wall and can add to the art display with the screen saver of your choosing.
Be A Little Different
Rather than numerous prints of the same exact piece of art, hang a set that includes slight variation from piece to piece. This way, your gallery wall will be complementary and cohesive without being stagnant.
Mix With Other Art In The Room
Although it’s sure to be dazzling, your gallery wall needs not be the only piece of art in the room. Include works of similar styles on other walls to complete the look.
Get In Formation
Choose an arrangement for your gallery wall that is more connected than a scattered display but less rigid than a grid. This stunning diamond shape plays with frames of different dimensions.
Match Frames
Matching frames across the wall are a way to tie all the art together. Using this approach, art with different subject or mediums suddenly become cohesive. Take this opportunity also, to match with other materials in the room. For example, if you want wooden frames, match the stain color to other wood tones in the space.
Opt For Black And White
If when gathering family photos to create a gallery wall you feel like all of the contrasting colors are just too chaotic for you, a black and white filter is an easy fix. Printing all of your photos in grayscale makes them instantly more cohesive and upscale.
Work The Bathroom
There’s no limitations about where gallery walls can be hung stylishly. We even adore them in the bathroom.
Make A Statement
Hang a gallery to light up a brightly painted statement wall. This addition will help the wall make even more of an impression in the room.
Be Whimsical
Create a gallery wall as a fashionable way to exhibit artwork for your tots. A display like this one in a children’s bedroom or playroom can include cheerful pieces and inspiring quotes, in addition to their best original Crayon art.
Show Off Antiques
We love having antiques in our homes, and the walls are no exception. Hang an assortment of heirlooms or antiques to bring character and charm to the whole room.
Don’t Forget Over The Sofa
When in doubt, above the couch is a stellar spot for a gallery wall. Use this location to show off your favorite decor rather than just a single stand-alone piece.
Be Bright And Colorful
Embrace color in your gallery wall and don’t stop at just one hue. Choose a bold palette like pastels or primary colors so that each piece of art is playfully bright yet they all work together.
Set A Focal Point
Organize your gallery wall around one main piece meant to catch the eye. Here, coordinated art frames an oppulant mirror.
Choose Panels
Rather than a wide-reaching display, create a gallery panel out of just a few pieces of art. You can even have multiple art columns throughout the room.
Take Cues From The Coast
Dustin peck photography; Design by Anne Pearson Design
No matter your proximity to the beach, decor with costal inspiration like seashells or nautical motifs will always be lovely. Here, coastal imagery is mixed with abstract art in neutral, earthy color schemes.
Celebrate Symmetry
Arrange your gallery to be a mirror image of itself—either in art or in formation. While asymmetry can be interesting, symmetry will always be pleasing for the eyes.
Give It A Shelf Life
Instead of hanging your art, let it rest on a shelf. We love this method because there’s no need to bother with a level tool!
Show Off A Collection
If you have a collection that you’re proud of, a gallery wall is an ideal way to show it off. Rather than keeping their oyster plates stowed away, this homeowner turned their collection into wall art.
Combine Materials
Don’t stop at framed art. Think outside the box and hang other attractive bits of decor too. This will enhance the overall display by incorporating texture and new, intriguing shapes.
Make It Tiny
A gallery wall does not need to be the centerpiece of your decorations. Instead of taking up the whole room, a gallery wall can be just as lovely as a minuscule display. It’s the details that really make a space, after all.
Match Metals
HECTOR MANUEL SANCHEZ STYLING BY: HOLLY SMITH
When choosing frames for your gallery art, we love taking inspiration from other metallics in the room like hardware. By matching your metals, you’re tying in multiple elements of the space.
Be Reflective
We can’t get enough of this exhibit wall made with mirrors. Skip traditional art altogether and hang a selection of mirrors for a gorgeous gallery.
Play With Size
Use pieces big and small for a dynamic, catered display. Be sure to plan out your arrangement with these assorted-sized pieces of art before fastening them to the wall.
Remember Anything Can Be Art
Take a cue from Erin and Ben Napier and swap out traditional, framed art for a unique set of whatever you please. Here, the gallery wall delivers big on texture while forgoing the expected route.
Remind Yourself Of Travels
Decorate your home with reminders of your happy places or souvenirs from travels. A gallery wall is an ideal spot to display these meaningful landscapes or bits of memorabilia.
Dress Up A Dark Wall
In addition to dressing up plain, white spaces, a gallery can be just as good-looking on a darkly painted wall. The trick here is choosing art in colors that will complement the shade of paint.
Mix Media
The beauty of a gallery wall is often in its disorder. There’s no rule against mixing photographs with paintings, with illustrations, and with sculptural art. In fact, it’s encouraged.
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