Although there’s been talk in the interiors world about the gallery wall being a thing of the past (please nooooo!!) creating a space in your home to showcase meaningful photographs, favourite prints and pieces of artwork you’ve picked up along the way, is one of the easiest ways to put your stamp on a room.
Today we wanted to show you how to create a gallery wall, share examples of our favourite results, and help you not make some of the common mistakes people often make. Although the results can look amazing, it only takes one picture hung incorrectly to visually throw the whole thing off.
INSPIRATION
Step one is to gather inspiration. Are you looking to create a colourful statement with a mix of prints, photos and artwork? Or are you perhaps looking for a subtler option with black and white photography in white frames? Here are some great framed ideas you could consider:
- Travel photography
- Figure drawings
- Abstract artwork
- Watercolours
- Landscape and seascape photography
- Pressed flowers and leaves
- Black and white photography
- Framed magazine covers
- Vintage film posters
- Children’s artwork
Pinterest is a great place to start when it comes to looking for gallery wall ideas, and below we’ve share some of our favourite examples to kick-start your creativity!
GALLERY WALL ALTERNATIVES
Creating an eye-catching wall display doesn’t always have to rely on photographs or artwork. If you’re going for something a little less symmetrical, why not consider adding one or two of the following:
- Clocks
- Stags head
- Juju hats
- Mirrors
- Weaving
- Rugs
- Plates
- Straw hats
- Baskets
- Macrame
- Chopping boards
- Framed fabrics
- Framed artefacts such as shells and coral
LAYOUT
Step two is to lay your pieces on the floor so you’re able to work out how you want them to look, swapping and changing until you get something that visually works. A tip is to make sure all your prints and photographs are already framed when you do this so you’re able to see the overall size of the gallery wall. At this point, once you’re happy, snap a picture on your phone so you can remember exactly how you wanted it to look. To help you, we’ve designed four grid ideas to get you started.
TEMPLATE
Step three is to take some brown parcel paper or parchment paper and drawn around each framed print, making a paper copy of your gallery wall. This allows you to hang each paper template up with masking tape to create a stencil for you to then hammer in nails and make sure everything is straight. You’re able to see if the composition is right, if the size is correct, and if it sits well with the furniture already in the space. This might seem like slightly more effort than normal, but trust us, once you come to hanging the frames – the hardest bit – you’ll be thankful you did this step.
HANG
Step four is to take a hammer and nail into the centre of each template, minding of electrical wires behind the walls that you might not be aware off. This way, once each nail is in, you can rip off the paper template and hang the picture easily, without having to measure or take a pencil to mark the wall.
There you have it, you can sit back and enjoy your handy work. To finish we wanted to pull together some of favourite ever gallery walls – because, let’s face it, you can never have too many beautiful interiors to swoon over.
If you’re in the market for prints to create a gallery wall with, or even to brighten up your existing one, make sure you check out our Art Print collection right here: https://hunterandcostore.com/collections/art-prints!