HOME DECOR: CREATING GALLERY WALLS FOR ART & PHOTOS

I have a long blank wall along the hallway at the top of my stairs

visible from the living room below

For some time now, I have been planning to do a family photo gallery there.

I thought I'd share some tips, tricks and ideas

on making beautiful and striking gallery walls or shelves

Shelves are a perfect place to display photos

they allow you to bring in other items of interest

layer for dimension

mix and match

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a wall, on the other hand, is a little more difficult to keep interesting

there is only one dimension

the images have to stand out

it needs to pull together as one whole piece

this wall works for a couple of reasons:

1. the frames and mats are identical

2. the images are black and white and of the same value (intensity)

here's a good example of symmetrical design

it looks nice, orderly and balanced

it all works together as one large piece of wall art

bear in mind for this type of grouping the matting needs to be the same

and the photos should be similar - all black and white, or sepia would work well

a larger frame is needed to accomodate the mat and still keep the image large enough to be seen

these Ikat frames from Ikea are inexpensive and classic

the frames on these pictures are minimal and unimportant

the matting and sepia images and how tightly they are placed together is important

see how it works as one large piece of art over the bed

although the frames are the same size on this installation

the images are not - but the frames and mats are all the same color 

so it still works together

I loved how this gallery migrates to other walls in this example, yet still feels pulled together because all the images are the same size, and all of the mats and frames are identical

narrow gold frames

wide white matting

similar images

fills the wall

perfect

another example of inexpensive Ikea frames with similar images and matting - looking soft and wonderful on this bedroom wall, and below in this stairwell

although I love the look of a symmetrical gallery

my personal style is more 'unbalanced' (I know I left myself WIDE open on that one)

these frames are in multiple sizes,

but once again, the images are all of the same value and the frames are of the same material

and the theme of the images is a unifying factor in this gallery

as is the fact that the images are all black and white or a similar intensity

these same-sized white frames placed with no wall space between them

create one big bright piece of art

it is important to keep your images larger with small frames such as this

this mix of photos and artwork may have no common ground

but the frames and spacing still make it all work together

there is nothing worse than framing a photo with images too small to see easily

enlarge and crop your photos - make sure they are striking images and not just sentimental

keep the sentimental photos in your album, put the beautiful ones on display

Spacing is critical when hanging artwork or photos.  Here is a great example of making random look right.  They pulled this together by using the same narrow black frame for each piece and using white backgrounds, or white matting. 

that odd shaped, seldom used stairway wall can be an amazing place for a gallery. 

spacing is critical. 

the white matting helps keep this from being too heavy, and the brown/sepia tones of the images all work together. 

notice that there are no 'heavy' frames mixed into this. 

it helps to keep you focused on the wall as a whole and not on any one particular piece.

this is a beautiful mixing of light toned frames, in a balanced arrangement

white, silver and light toned wood all work together, because they match the surrounding decor and they are all similar in style and matting

when creating a gallery, remember to fill the wall space

leave enough room so that it doesn't appear crowded

keep your spacing around the frames consistent

the theme of this gallery is its unifying factor

the images of shore birds with the same background value

and thin dark frames keep this collection looking great

even though the arrangement is more random

designer Vincente Wolf created this wall (apologize for poor quality) with architectural fragments

completely random

but still works together because of similarities in values and theme

it is similar to both wall color and furnishings

it adds texture and interest to the room without distracting from the overall design

I thought this was a nice stairway gallery 

works because of the unified frame color

 and they did a pretty good job in spacing

this adorable wall is unified by the color scheme

inspired by this frame

which was also used on the wall

small photos often get lost on a large wall

but these work together as one larger piece

the ribbon unites and ties them together

(great idea for a wedding, by the way)

from martha stewart, this wall is unified by black and white images and similar frames

but also by a theme - the ancestral chart (can be downloaded from marthastewart.com) historical photos make this a meaningful collection

the larger piece in the middle works as a great focal point

from 'cut once measure twice' blog, this is a well spaced wall. 

the pictures all have similar frames and the other objects work well  because of  the color scheme. 

the shelf and stars add dimension

i love this wall

it is completely filled with art in a completely random yet amazing way

i think it works because of the white backgrounds

and because the frames are narrow and not too dark

the dark furniture, by contrast, stands out

ledges or shelves are another way to create a gallery wall

the shelves allow layering which creates depth

here is a monochromatic example

and one by Pottery Barn, unified by the same style frames

and this is gorgeous - that's all I have to say

a collection of artifacts or small items can become a unified collage inside a larger frame

and would otherwise have been lost on this wall

TIPS FOR CREATING A GALLERY WALL

Here are my tips on the very best way to plan your wall.

1.  Trace around each frame on kraft paper (or the back of a roll of wrapping paper) and cut them out. 

2.  Label each cutout, so you know which frame it refers to.

3.  Lay your framed photos/art out on the floor. 

4.  Move things around until you have a pleasing arrangement.  (Remember spacing around your frames)

 

5. Remember to fill up the space, but don't crowd it.

6. Take into consideration any furniture on the wall.

7. Don't hang it too high - pefect hanging height is eye level - or about 5'3", and in a gallery that is around the middle of your grouping.

8.  Hang your cutouts on the wall in the same pattern you have created on the floor - measuring to find the center of your gallery - use painters tape for easy removal (I use a laser level to keep them straight)

9.  Step back and take a look and adjust if necessary

10.  Mark each cutout with the place to put the picture hanger

11.  Without removing the cutout, nail the hanger in place

12.  Remove the cutout, and hang the pictures, one at a time

If you are hanging over sofa, sideboard or bed, the furniture and art should read as one whole.  That means, don't leave too much space between the furniture and the gallery or it will look detached and odd

The bad and the ugly

I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings or point fingers

just please be careful and avoid:

disregarding the furniture

this gallery looks good on its own, but it's placement over the bed is awkward

it drops below the headboard and obscures the pictures

this gallery is awkwardly high, leaving too much wall at the bottom

great job with the unified white frames,

but they are too closely spaced and would have looked much better

if the line at the bottom was straight

 and they were planned to create more of a straight line at the top

this otherwise great idea, just looks messy

an interesting collection that needed more planning

to keep it from looking a little sloppy

completely random and unbalanced

this could look sooo much better

I love this idea, and hate the arrangement

it looks smashed together and crowded

a little space and placement planning could have produced an adorable little gallery

the spacing isn't bad on this

but the artwork doesn't work together

if the matting was uniform on each piece it would work as a whole

BACK TO THE GOOD

Love this waincote with the ledge

the bottom row of  photos sits on the ledge

with the top row hanging on the wall

this wall of botanicals look terrific together

kids rooms are so fun

their walls should be, too

I love incorporating words and letters into a grouping

this person did everything right

unified frames and up-close images you don't have to get up close to see

vinyl lettering can bring any word or meaningful message to a personalized wall

 (I have a source for custom work at a great price, talk to me)

I like this wall, but would narrow the spacing a little

great example of vinyl in a grouping

and I love this vinyl treatment that makes this narrow and forgotten wall

a delightful art piece

A while ago I had a sign made with vinyl lettering

it was very plain, just a painted board

but it was sentimental

I wanted to use it in the photo gallery I'm planning - so I had it framed

just got it back

and LOVE it

I can't wait to use it as the center piece of my wall

I have been playing around with converting my images to this sepia tone, as well

putting one in a frame should help me decide whether I like this or black and white

I find that black and white or sepia images work best for me on a wall.  I can focus on the image more without the distraction of color, and often unwanted background images are less visable when the color is removed.  I love images of family - I'm not a great photographer, but I am a great cropper

I can make an ordinary photo look amazing with a little photoshop help

SO TELL ME, DO YOU HAVE A GALLERY WALL OR  ARE YOU PLANNING ON PUTTING ONE TOGETHER?  AND DID ANY OF THESE PHOTOS HELP?  I'M DEFINITELY EXCITED TO PUT MINE TOGETHER - I'LL KEEP YOU POSTED ON HOW IT TURNS OUT

Best wishes,

Claudine