Planning to hang your own gallery wall? Don't stress! Gallery walls are a brilliant way to tell a story and add a personal touch to your home. But combining a wide array of different pieces can be intimidating as you try to fit everything together cohesively. Luckily, creating your own gallery wall is easier than it seems. We've got tips and tricks to help you craft your perfectly imperfect gallery.
STEP 1: FIND YOUR STYLE
Before you begin preparing your wall gallery, you should know what kind of style you want and the space you want to fill. Are you a fan of a grid gallery, random gallery, boxed grouping or symmetrical grouping? Matching or varied? Anything's possible!
Once you've decided on the format of your wall gallery, decide which art you'd like to display. Remember, gallery walls are all about balance and finding the right amount of art, framing and space. Consider including a variety of pieces like portraits, drawings, fine art, 3D pieces, clocks, mirrors and more.
STEP 2: LAY EVERYTHING OUT After you've picked out your pieces, consider all your frames carefully to ensure they all come together in perfect harmony. If all your photos have the same color hues, mix it up with different sizes and frame colors. If your pieces vary in color and size, hang them in matching frames to keep them cohesive. Plan your entire arrangement by laying all your pieces on the floor. Start with a large centerpiece, and then begin building out the rest of your design. This will help you visualize how your arrangement will look and give you the opportunity to discover all the different possibilities. Tip: Snap photos of different arrangements so you can look back and pick the one you like best.
STEP 3: CREATE TEMPLATES
After you've decided on your arrangement, trace each frame onto tissue paper and then cut them to size. Tape each template onto the wall in your desired spot to help you plan your gallery without leaving behind unwelcome nail holes.
Begin by planning for the center of your gallery to hang approximately 57 inches above the floor, standard eye height. Keep your frames two to three inches apart throughout your entire gallery to ensure an even distribution. If you're hanging your gallery above furniture, plan for your lowest frame to be five to eight inches above the top of the piece. Once your frame templates are up, you can visualize what the gallery will look like and adjust accordingly.
STEP 4: HANG YOUR GALLERY Using your tissue paper templates as a guide, mark where the nail placement should be before you start hammering. Then, you can hammer the nail into the paper and pull it out to mark your wall for each frame, making the hanging process easy. After you've marked where each frame will live, hang everything up and watch your gallery come to life! Once you're done, sit back, relax and enjoy - your gallery wall is done! Remember, gallery walls are meant to keep growing. Continue to build your masterpiece with new pieces that inspire you.