A gallery wall is my favourite way to add artwork to a room! It is easy to do yourself and inexpensive, but most importantly it is personal. A good gallery wall can brighten up any room, but there are a few tricks to getting it just right!
1. Mix it up Just Enough
The trick to creating a great gallery wall is the right balance between cohesion and not being too matchy. For example if all the pictures are the same colour then mix up the frames by using different colours and shapes. If you are hanging pictures that are all very different and colourful then keep the frames neutral and similar. A great example is using kids artworks to create a gallery wall. If the kids paintings are all bright colours then using all white frames will work perfectly and make the paintings pop! To make a gallery wall cohesive it is a good idea to choose a colour or theme that runs through all the pictures. Choose one theme and hang pictures, quotes, photographs and trinkets that follow this theme.
2. Play with the Layout
Before you actually hang all the pictures on the wall don’t forget to play with the layout. Lay all the pictures on the ground and stand back to have a good look. Sometimes just swapping two frames around will make all the difference. Also leaving the pictures laid out for a couple of days before you hang them gives you a chance to really decide which combinations you prefer. Its much easier to make changes this way than after you hang all the pictures, I have made that mistake!
3.Let it Shine
When choosing a wall to hang a gallery make sure it has enough space to really let the pictures shine. A gallery wall in a big room can really give the room a cosier more personal feel. An entrance is also a great place to really let a gallery wall shine. If you are hanging a gallery with lots of colour then keep the rest of the room simple and neutral, making the gallery wall the focus.
4. Keep it at Eye Level
A gallery wall can be created in so many different spaces, whether it be above the bed or in the dinning room. When hanging the pictures though don’t forget to checking what level you are hanging them at. It easy to bunch the pictures up higher all the wall, but don’t be scared to hang the pictures at eye level or a little lower so that you can really see them when you enter the room. The gallery needs to be hung in relation to the furniture in the room to catch your eye, sometimes this means hanging them lower than you first think.
5. Think Outside the Frame
A gallery wall doesn’t just mean framing everything. There are some great ways to create a gallery using items other than pictures. Adding items like mirrors, signs, blackboards, wooden letters and other trinkets makes the wall more interesting. Personalise the wall using anything you love and any keepsakes you want to put on display. Also everything on a gallery wall doesn’t need to be in a frame, in fact kids artwork can look even better just taped up with colourful washi tape amongst other framed pictures. Just keep adding items as you find them!
Get some more gallery inspiration on our Pinterest page!
Create a beautiful gallery wall today!
(All images via pinterest)