GALLERY WALLS
Show who you are and what you love
Gallery walls are a fun way to fill a large expanse of wall without having to pick just one thing to feature.
Choose pieces that reflect the things you love most from vacations to pets. There is no right way to curate one, but these are some tips to get you started.
Choose the Location
Pick a wall, nook, or space above furniture
Choose a Palette
A color, material, shapes, or texture.
Choose Your Story
Start with something meaningful like Vacations, hobbies, hometowns, pets, wedding day, etc.
Frame & Hang
your Gallery
Use nails, command strips, or shelving to display
GALLERY WALL TIPS:
Start with the largest pieces you want to feature and work though filling in with smaller pieces.
Add a shelf you can trade out seasonal or other small décor.
Have one frame for a seasonal piece to keep mixing it up through the year.
Update a family photo every year.
Other items to include: vacation postcards, vacation photos, family portraits, keepsake or heirloom knickknacks, heirloom picture frames, the possibilities are endless.
GALLERY WALL LAYOUTS:
Classic
Matching frames of a single color in different sizes clustered to mix and match but align.
Museum
A museum-type layout with clean and simple matching frames and oversized mats.
Reflect
Align frames of the same color around a single horizontal spine through the entire gallery.
Ledge
A grouping of various sizes and possibly colors aligned on a long shelf.
CONTENT IDEAS:
Collections
playbills, favorite photos, poloroids, keychains, clocks, concert tickets
Events
wedding day, new baby, places you’ve lived, family photos, graduations
Bucket List
national parks, vacation destinations, activities (surfing, sky diving, sailing)
Themes
items of a color, the beach, pets, motivational sayings, hometown swag
WAYS TO HANG
Drywall
For lightweight frames use command hooks so you can move the pieces around as your style changes.
For heavier pieces, use a drywall screw anchor or find a stud for your nail.
Laying Out
Hang the center point of a Frame or a Gallery Arrangement at about 60" above the floor.
Frames should be spaced about 3" apart.
Use kraft paper or newspaper to make templates of each frame and mark where the nail/hanger is.
Tape the templates up and mark the
Brick
Masonry screws and nails are able to fasten into the mortar between the bricks but may cause damage.
Try brick a "brick clamp" that clamps down on the face of the brick without causing any damage
Measure Twice
Always mark the location of nail holes before you actually hammer in the nail.
Take a step back and look at what you marked. The naked eye sees levelness and alignment pretty well.
Lay out the frames on the floor before you try doing it on the wall.