Can you put cards under each one so we can refer to them by number 1 #2 #3 etc. It will make it easier.

I don't know why, but I kind of feel like the middle picture should be one of the bigger frames.

Laurie

Well....the thing I see right off about the arrangement is the un "squared off" upper side. Your arrangement will be more pleasing to the eye if the top of the group is level.
Linda C

Where is the sconce in relationship to the photo gallery arrangement? I think you might consider the sconce as another picture and arrange the pics around it allowing the sconce to be slightly higher. I think the bottom of the lowest pic should be about 42" from the floor.

Whenever I've arranged pics gallery style I just play with it on the floor until it looks right.

There might be some good arrangements at this link.

Here is a link that might be useful: hanging art gallery style

I do the same thing that Luckygal does. I play w/ them on the floor or a table top first until I find a pleasing arrangement. Once you find an arrangement that you like take a picture of it for reference. As you are hanging them don't be afraid to change the arrangement. Sometimes once it starts to go up you see things differently.

W/ the more traditional styling of your frames I wouldn't worry too much about the top being squared off. While I think that standard gallery style frames can go free form just as easily as symmetrical, I think that more traditional style frames lend themselves better to a free form style in all directions if you are using a bunch of them. Sort of loosens it up a bit.

I just put up a photo gallery in my den. I took brown paper, laid the frames on top, traced, and cut them out. Then I labeled each one and used painter's tape to tape them on the wall. This allowed me to rearrange until I was happy with the layout. Then I took off each piece of paper as I was hanging the frames.

If you are hanging the frames near the sconce, I would work around the light and add it as part of your gallery.

Thanks everyone! I've been trying to respond, but I'm having difficulty logging in to this site.

yayagal - great idea about numbering each frame. I am posting an updated photo below with the frames numbered for easy reference.

Laurie - I wouldn't mind a large picture being in the center, so to speak. I don't have a lot of room under the sconce, which is the center of the hallway, but I can fit a large frame horizontally and one small one above it without going too low on the bottom. I will try rearranging in another way to see what it looks like.

Linda C - I'm not sure if I want the top to be squared off or not. I am posting an inspiration photo below. I think what makes it work is that some, but not all, pictures reach a certain high point, and some, but not all, pictures reach a certain low point.

luckygal - Thanks for the link. I really like this image from the link you provided:

I'm wondering what makes it work so well. I notice that some frames are at a certain high point and some at a certain low point, but not all frames line up at the high and low lines.

ttodd - Thanks for your thoughts about symmetry and free form with the traditional frames. I find that I'm having a problem "letting myself go" to get the free style look! It must be the evil accountant in me being anal again!

tam184 - I will take your advice about using paper guides. I think that will help a lot.

I think I'm going to try the 3M Command Strips for this. I would rather not put that many holes in the wall. Hope they hold!

This may sound a bit odd -- but can you cut out a thin rectangle from a spare bit of paper -- to act as the "sconce" on the wall. So that we can deal the sconce into the mix ........

That inspiration photo is amazing!! As I can see it -- one of the reasons that the arrangement works so well in that photo -- is that ALL of the elements are very simple and clean-lined. And that fact that the larger mats on each of those photos seem to create a true visual break to the viewer's eye. Just a thought .....

You may need more pictures to avoid having it look wimpy on that wall. As they say on the decor shows: go big or go home. Can you fill the wall from about waist high to head-high with pictures?

I always do paper frame outlines on the wall because it makes shuffling so easy. And fractions of an inch make a difference in looks.

Have you considered changing the sconce to be a bronzy squared sconce so it blends with the pictures. Make it the hight point in the center and have a couple of pics on either side reach that height.

I love the inspiration pic!

Here is a link that might be useful: Squarish fixture for idea

teacats - I cut out a piece of paper about the size of the sconce.

I think you're right about the wide photo mats, lines, etc. from the inspiration photo. I find the clean lines too contemporary for what I'm going for, but I do like the layout in the inspiration photo.

Hmmm . . . I guess I'm looking for some "rules of thumb", and at this point, getting the layout right is harder than it looks.

I purchased a few more frames, and I'm going to mess around and see what I can come up with.

Photo showing "sconce" scale on white sheet of paper:

lazygardens - we must have posted at the same time. I do intend to cover the wall with the photos, probably waist-to-head, as you mentioned, and I picked up some more frames today. I'm sure I will continue collecting others. I am sticking with the dark brown, bronze style frames and cream colored matting when it is used.

I see what you're saying about the sconce. The hallway goes in the other direction as well, and there is another sconce of the same type down that way. I'm wondering if I can just box around the one I have with the frames somehow.

In the inspiration picture, I notice that the distances between frames differ, and they are not all lined up vertically or horizontally. I love how it looks so clean and uncluttered, yet appears relaxed in style as well.

I'm definitely not an expert in wall arrangements but I like the idea of using one of the bigger pictures as a centerpiece and using more frames. The bronze frame/ivory matting is a great combo and I love your inspiration gallery wall.

I'd like to do the same thing for my long, boring hallway so I'll be interested in seeing your final result!

Not to throw a monkey wrench into this, but I just saw this on photo gallery set up. I thought it was a neat idea. My husband wants to do this too. Our problem is deciding on which pics to choose. MAre you using current pictures or a time line approach?

Here is a link that might be useful: DIffernt Photo Gallery Set Up

juddgirl - Yes, I'm hoping this will make my drab hallway fab somehow! I will share pictures when I'm done, for sure.

legacybuilder2 - I have seen those shelves used that way, and I think I'm going to do something like that in our great room. This hallway, though, is too long to pull it off effectively. The pictures aren't doing justice for the real length of this hallway. As for the "current" vs. "time line" approaches, I think I'll go with a mixture of photos from the present and past. For example, I'd like to include a baby picture of each me and my husband. But, again, I don't want to be tied to a scheme. Whichever photos of our family are most meaningful will definitely be my choice. I have a very old photo of my great grandparents on their wedding day (turn of the century), and I'll probably use that somewhere. We adopted both of our boys, and our older boy joined our family at the age of 2, so we don't have any infant pictures of him. I wouldn't want him to feel left out in some way with a timeline method because of that, so I'm going to go with a more unstructured choice of photos.

Right now, I'm up to 17 frames, and that is only going to get me about 2/3 of the way down the hall.

So far, here's my plan:
The inspiration photo has no focal point, as the entire arrangement is the focal point. I have set the maximum height for the top of the top frames at 78", however, not all of the top frames will be placed that high. The lowest height for the bottom of the lowest frames will be 42". Not all of the low frames will be hung that low. This leaves a horizontal band of 3 feet in which to place the frames. I will have a minimum distance of an inch and a half between frames, however, there will be a randomness to the positioning. I will run the frames the entire length of the hallway.

I plan to use color and sepia prints, and I hope that works.

Will keep you all posted . . .

I think what makes the long wall with b&w photos look so good is the consistency of frame color and mat color and photo colors. Any two will do the trick. 3 is better.

One thing I've always tried to do in my wall gallery is make sure that each frame is aligned on at least one side to another frame, preferably two sides. My gallery is going up a stairway so it is challenging, but not one frame stands alone. They are all connected by an imaginary straight line to one or two neighboring frames.

The inspiration photo didn't do that at all, but it still works because there is so much overall connections.

Jan has done the alignments in her prototype layouts, but its not quite working for me, so I must be forgetting something about that plan.

I think I need #8 and #3 to be on the same plane.

Be careful about putting the smaller photos/frames at the top -- you don't want them to get lost, and you don't want people to have to strain to see them.

Well, I just sat with paper and tried to do a layout and I apparantly have a problem with symmetry, lol. I think I'd have to buy more frames. This is why I'm doing photo ledges. :)

I was thinking keep the sconce in the middle of the arrangement and start with the two largest pics side by side below that.

I know buying frames and mat boards can get expensive. I just paid a small fortune for 2 16 x 20 mats that I had customized to fit a few pictures.

Too late for me, but I recently found this website where I could have had the same mattes cut in any size for a fraction of the cost. They also have custom frames made to order. It may be less expensive and a more cohesive look?

Here is a link that might be useful: Custom Frames and Mat Boards

I forgot to mention that I found the framing site via a BHG article featuring a blogger"s home that included a wonderful gallery wall. Here's a link to the photo wall pic.

I love the thin frames and thick mat boards. I think the gold and ivory tones keep it from looking too contemporary.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gallery wall

wendy - Great points. Since the original layouts posted above, I've been trying different things with a lot more frames. I'm getting the hang of it, I think. I won't be sticking with anything like the original layouts I posted.

pammy - I will watch the height placement of the smaller frames.

shee - I know what you mean about the symmetry thing. I did purchase many more frames, so that is helping, but I actually need more yet! Well, this little project has turned into a bigger project.

juddgirl - Thanks for the links. Some of the frames came with matting already, which is nice, and I got a lot of the frames at 50% off (after Christmas sales). So, right now I have 17 frames, some matted, and I've spent less than $200.

While I agree that having identical frames and matting makes it easier to pull everything together, I'm attracted to the more casual look of a variety of frame styles. I am sticking to the same color for them, though. I know I'm making it harder in doing it this way, but I'll figure it out somehow.

I haven't read all the comments but I would put 3,6 & 8 on the diag, then 4,6 and the sconce on the other diag (its almost there), then move some of the smaller ones around to creat more of a shape - whether its a square, oval or rectangle. Not exact but just somewhere fairly close for a neat look. I did an antique mirrors arrangement over my bed and used small pictures as well to fill in the blanks.

Well, it's getting better. Here is a picture with more frames:

The perspective of the photo creates a visual illusion, as though the frames the furthest away are so much smaller than the others - they're not, of course. The carpet color is also off - it looks pinker in the photo than in real life.

I'm liking the arrangement much better now with the extra frames. I'm up to 20 now - yikes!

I didn't stack as many frames as in the inspiration photo, as our upstairs ceilings are only 8'. I think the inspiration photo ceiling height is higher.

Looks like it's coming together nicely. I like the last layout and like the mix of different style frames.

Do you have photos picked out for these yet? That could be another tricky part. You really like the vertical picture but the one you want to put it in is horizontal... :) It'll be worth it once it's all done.

Thanks, shee!

I do not have specific photos chosen yet, but I have many, many from which to choose. Most of the recent ones are horizontal, so I have most of the frames in that direction.

It is a bigger ordeal to figure this all out than I thought it would be - as usual! But, I know it will be great when it's done.

I've been following your thread about your bedding, and I know that while it's a challenge right now that it will look great when it's done. Hang in there, and don't give up!

Just came across a blogger's website that has a tutorial about her gallery wall and how to measure where the nails go that hang the frames. She didn't want to put too many holes in the wall and came up with a great solution.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gallery Wall Tutorial