Gallery Wall Ideas To Inspire You

Gallery walls are really big these days, and with very good reason. It is the perfect way to fill up a big blank wall and a great way to mix different pieces into one well curated arrangement. It is also a perfect opportunity to use those family photos that have been sitting around in boxes for years.

There are several different ways you can arrange your art or photos into one grouping that will look cohesive, and feel like they have been collected over time.

Here are a few of my favorite gallery walls that I have put together for some of my clients

The Salon Style Gallery Wall

Salon style gallery walls are meant to make a big statement in a room, they lend energy to a space and usually tell a story about the occupants of the home. They typically consist of various pieces that don’t match, but they should have an element of consistency. Salon style gallery walls can be arranged so that you can keep adding to them later, or if you are a collector, switch out pieces on a regular basis. It is great for people like me who don’t really like to plan things out, but figure a general layout as I hang them.

Some tips

Lay them out on the floor, or sketch on paper first, but the idea of salon style gallery walls is to look like organized chaos.
Create templates using brown paper, or even newspaper to play with layouts on the wall first (I typically just wing it until I create an arrangement that I like)
Hang pieces about 2″ apart from each other more or less
Try to mix up the frames, but limit the finishes to no more than three different finishes.
The subject of each art piece can be very different, but I usually avoid mixing family photographs with art. It is not a hard and fast rule, but I prefer to keep family photos together in one gallery arrangement
A small wall will take quite a few pieces to finish; so arrange them where you can add pieces over time. The wall above took 16 pieces, but as you can see, it is a small wall
Use pieces that have special meaning to you. Now is a great time to go through those closets and attics to look for those precious family heirlooms collecting dust. re-mat and reframe whatever you need to

In the picture above, I used mostly original artwork done by my daughter, mixed in with flea market finds and prints from Minted. I do have a couple of photos mixed in, but they are not family photos

The Grid Gallery Wall

This works great with botanical prints and maps

The grid style gallery wall is a series of art pieces arranged in a grid pattern. It creates a beautiful focal point in a room. The grid works better when all the pieces are done with similar subject and similar frames. They usually work better with all the frames being the same size as well.

The Family Gallery Wall

I love when clients request family gallery walls for a wall in their home. I think it is great when all family photos are all in one place for a bigger impact. They are fun to look at and reminisce and they are great conversation starters for guests to your home.

Some Tips

If the pictures are in color, I usually keep the frames all the same color.
It is also a great idea to keep the frames the same color in general, but mix up the shapes and sizes
They can be laid out in a more organized and symmetrical fashion or more random but organized

Three Dimensional Collages

While these are not necessarily art, they are still great options for filling a large wall and add an interesting element in a room.

I typically add these 3 dimensional pieces in a room that already has art. it is just a way to mix things up and create interest in the room. They look great when they are arranged fairly close together and in a loose but organized arrangement. They are usually a matching set but I use various sizes for consistency and flow

A Functional Gallery Wall

In this office area, I created a functional gallery wall consisting of art and a cork board for leaving notes and reminders

The Leaning Gallery Wall

I like leaning art against a wall for a casual look.

The Diptych Gallery Wall

Even just two pieces can give the look of a well curated gallery wall. In this mid century living room, I added these two pencil drawings on a grasscloth wallpapered wall to make them stand out and become the focal point on that side of the room