The wall hangings that you choose to display in your home reveal a lot about the people who live there. What’s your style? What’s important to you? Where do you live or where have you traveled? Many of today’s homes feature large gallery walls that tell a story about who they are and what they like, some of which soar across the span of two stories. As a homeowner, you may find yourself staring at a blank wall behind your sofa, above your bed, or leading up your stairway and wonder how you might be able to enhance its visual appeal by curating a gallery wall like the one you see in the magazines.
Today, the Star Furniture design team can help you make your dream of putting together a professionally styled gallery wall a reality. We’re excited to share what the pros know: 3 big decorating ideas to create artful gallery walls as well as 3 tips to bring them to life in your own home.
3 Approaches to Creating Large Gallery Walls
The artwork displayed in your living spaces should elicit joy. The art wall should be made up of colors, themes, images, and items that make you (and the people who visit your home) happy. With this in mind, it’s important to make your gallery wall your own by choosing and displaying pieces that you personally appreciate. Don’t get so hung up on “following the rules” of putting together gallery walls that you fail to create an arrangement that you and your family enjoy.
With that being said, understanding the different methods of creating a gallery wall can make the process more approachable while also helping you achieve the result you have in mind. Before you start picking out pieces for your gallery wall, here’s what you need to know about the 3 most common types of gallery walls.
Coordinated Picture Gallery Walls
Whenever you think about a gallery wall, a coordinated picture gallery wall is probably the image that pops into your mind. These are a series of photographs or artwork that are usually framed in identical or strikingly similar ways. The underlying idea behind a coordinated gallery wall is to create symmetry and synergy within a space. In most cases, the frames that are used are all evenly separated, which creates an arrangement that feels orderly, sophisticated, and polished.
Taking this idea of symmetry and “sameness” to the next level, coordinated picture gallery walls often include images that are connected in some way, such as different shots from a single event, the same subject over time (think: a series of your child’s birthdays), or a specific theme. The images you display in a coordinated picture gallery wall are only part of the equation. The frames that you pair them with will also play an important role in achieving a cohesive aesthetic for your gallery wall.
Typically, frames are the same size, color, and material, depending on the style you’re going for. While full-color photographs and bright white frames would give the grouping a laid-back, welcoming vibe, black-and-white pictures that are matted and framed can create a more elegant, distinguished result.
Eclectic Gallery Walls
Perfectly coordinated gallery walls aren’t for everyone. Some homeowners like to think outside the box in terms of decorating their living spaces and our team is here for it! If you’re interested in designing a more playful, surprising display in your living room or bedroom, an eclectic gallery wall is the way to go. Like their traditional counterparts, eclectic gallery walls are constructed in a thoughtful, strategic method in order to combine visual intrigue and style. What makes them different, however, is that rather than using pictures or art that have been framed and displayed in a precise, clean manner, an assortment of varying pieces can be used.
Anything is fair game to display in an eclectic gallery way, including artwork of different sizes, mediums, and color palettes. Eclectic gallery walls can also mix things up with seemingly random subject matters and unusual items displayed in them. The charm is found in the diversity and surprise. While hanging an array of art, pictures, textiles, and mirrors together is meant to feel impromptu, pairing, arranging, and displaying each piece is actually a process that is very careful and intentional.
Later, we’ll discuss the importance of balancing your gallery wall, even when it’s not a traditional one, but this is something to keep in mind when choosing wall hangings to display together. Items don’t have to be symmetrical, but they should be complementary.
Diptychs and Triptychs
You’ve probably never heard these terms used to describe this method of arranging a gallery wall, but it’s safe to say that you’ve probably seen them displayed in magazines, corporate spaces, or maybe even your friends’ homes. They refer to a series of two (diptychs) or three (triptychs) paintings, drawings, or photographs that are hung side by side as separate panels. Along with helping dress up large wall spaces, diptychs and triptychs can effortlessly bring the symmetry, beauty, and cohesion to your home that you’d expect to find in a museum or professionally curated room.
These pieces are intended to be connected with some common theme, but they can also take on a variety of different styles, making them incredibly versatile and easy to personalize. Some examples of these styles include:
- A single image that’s split into two or three frames.
- Mirrored images that are identical or very similar but opposite.
- Two unique pictures of the same subject matter, such as the beach, flowers, or animals.
- Matching color palettes portrayed in different designs, such as circles in one frame and stripes in the other.
- The same object from different perspectives, such as a landscape from far away as well as zoomed in.
How to Bring Your Dream Gallery Wall to Life
If there’s one thing you want to avoid when putting together your ideal gallery wall, it’s starting to drill and hammer into your wall without developing a plan for what you intend to hang and where. Creating a clear idea of how you want your gallery wall to look is the best way to save yourself time, prevent silly mistakes from occurring, and ensure the end result is as stunning as you had hoped. Check out these practical tips from the trusted Star Furniture design experts to bring your dream gallery wall to life:
Step One: Make a Plan
The most important step when creating any gallery wall is to make a layout. This can be done on the floor or on the wall itself. If you’d prefer to do it on the floor, measure the space on your wall where the photographs or artwork will go, then place tape to match those measurements on the floor. Once the outline of your wall is laid out on the floor, arrange the pieces within the taped area. This step gives you the ability to visualize how the pieces will look together along with the freedom to mix things up if you’re not in love with the result.
If you’d prefer to see how the pieces would look on the wall itself, trace each wall hanging or piece of art you’re going to use on a piece of blank paper, cut it out, and mark where its hanger is located. This will help you determine how high or low you need to hang it. Then, use painter’s tape to hang each piece of paper on the gallery wall, making adjustments as you like.
Once you find a layout that you approve of, take a picture on your phone to remember where each piece should go. If you’re a perfectionist, you can take measurements so you know precisely where to hang each piece, or you can just eyeball it.
Step Two: Put It Together Like a Pro
One of the biggest perks of adding a gallery wall to your home is helping it look more stylish and put together. Of course, the way your gallery wall is arranged will determine if the room feels balanced and inviting or not. To help your gallery wall look like it was professionally curated, strive to position the largest piece at eye level. Since your eye level may be higher or lower than the average person’s, hanging it 57″ from its center to the ground is a good rule of thumb.
The placement of your furniture and the height of your ceilings will ultimately determine how high or low to hang your artwork. If your ceilings are particularly high, don’t be afraid to go big with oversized pieces that will take up more space while making a bold statement. Likewise, you may need to center your gallery wall higher than 57″ from the ground if it’s going above furniture, such as a sofa, bed, or console table.
When you’re ready to start hanging your artwork on the wall, be strategic. If you’re putting together an eclectic gallery wall, hang your biggest piece first, then add the other smaller pieces around it. Instead of placing your largest piece precisely in the center of the wall, place it in the middle of the area but still slightly off-center, so that your eye naturally travels around the entire gallery wall. Additionally, it’s a good idea to use a combination of vertical and horizontal frames to keep your gallery wall interesting and aesthetically pleasing.
Step Three: Keep Things Even and Balanced
Nothing is worse than putting in tons of time and hard work to end up with a gallery wall that looks uneven or messy. Fortunately, keeping your coordinated gallery wall even is simple. Use a ruler to measure the distance from one photograph or wall hanging and the next. Strive to keep between three and six inches between each piece. While larger pieces can be spaced further apart, be sure to keep smaller pieces closer together. Likewise, it’s important to leave plenty of room between your picture frames and the molding or trim on your walls. If your wall hangings are unusually shaped, feel free to skip this. Just remember, don’t place your artwork too close or too far apart in order to create an even gallery wall that shines.
The balance of your gallery wall is also an important factor to consider, particularly when using an assortment of pieces that have different shapes, sizes, colors, and textures. Symmetry isn’t an essential part of a beautiful gallery wall, however, balance is. If you’re curating an eclectic gallery wall, it’s best to pair large pieces of art with a group of smaller ones. You can also bring balance to your gallery wall by incorporating pieces that are elaborate and detailed with ones that are simple and understated. Finally, sprinkling a variety of colors, designs, and finishes throughout your gallery wall will ensure that your eye doesn’t gravitate to one specific area, but rather flows from one piece to the next.
Design a Gallery Wall with a Visit to Star Furniture
The walls in your home should be filled with pieces that are beautiful, personal, and cohesive. Whether you’re interested in designing living spaces that are elegant and sophisticated or casual and family-friendly, gallery walls can enhance the style and comfort of any area of your home. When it comes to finding interesting wall art that will bring your dream gallery wall to life, Star Furniture has you covered.
We’re proud to provide a large selection of pieces to meet your individual style needs and price point. If you have a specific vision in mind, you’re starting from scratch, or you’re somewhere in between, our experienced designers can make the process of creating a gallery wall as smooth and enjoyable as possible. Visit us online or stop by our showroom location to get started!
If you liked this blog, check out this one about how to decorate your living room using feng shui.