A Gallery Wall for Every Personality
Eclectic, ambitious, inspired, dreamer? Which art-wall type are you?
It seems like a lot of designers have rules about how to create a good gallery wall. Some will even come to your house and consult on which pieces to hang in what composition. Retailers will sell you frame kits to create your own gallery wall at home.
I believe the more organically created a gallery wall is, the more I want to look at it. Instead of rules, let's look at many different ways to go about arranging your small art in gallery-like configurations.
I believe the more organically created a gallery wall is, the more I want to look at it. Instead of rules, let's look at many different ways to go about arranging your small art in gallery-like configurations.
Eclectic. When I think of most gallery walls, I think of an eclectic mix of modern art, old photographs, small prints and random items. Our personalities are so multi-faceted that the gallery wall becomes a reflection of everything we like and want to share with our visitors. Anything and everything can make the cut in a colorful and mixed collection of interesting images and objects.
Split personality. Not content with one gallery wall? Two smaller groupings of eclectic finds does the trick, too.
Ambitious. A good gallery wall should be able to grow and grow without anyone being able to tell where it started. If you are keen on starting one, make sure you picked a large wall so you aren't limited in your search for small and beautiful framed images.
Inspired. Gallery walls do inspire. You can start one above a desk/work area and center it around a framed memo board. The memo board becomes a constantly changing mini-gallery that fits in with the larger composition.
Dreamer. A gallery wall looks great above a sofa. The horizontal furniture piece begs for large horizontal art above. A gallery wall allows you to create a large display out of smaller images for a fraction of the cost of one giant and expensive piece. Note the clean horizontal edge along the bottom that unifies and contains the collection.
Sailor. Themed walls can be appropriate in certain contexts. A nautical inspired art wall in a beach house incorporates found objects such as oars and decorative fish hangings in a blue and white color scheme.
Ballerina. Speaking of color schemes, sticking to one color can look very nice. A delicate pink is found in each image in this girl's room gallery wall.
Lover. Do you have one shape you just love that you keep seeing again and again? A circle? A leaf? A rainbow or a heart? Think about how arranging images of one shape can look together.
Proud mama. I remember constantly asking my mom to frame every single one of my childhood paintings that I brought home for her. There was no way she could have indulged me, and not all of my paintings were THAT good, but a mom can certainly pick one wall for displaying only children's artwork. It will make them feel like a million bucks.
Fan. You can devote a gallery wall to mostly one favorite artist, art movement or style.
Serious art buyer. It turns out you actually do have one large-format piece of art to display above your sofa, but you still yearn for a gallery wall for some of your smaller images. Here is a nice example of how that can be achieved with a balanced and symmetrical arrangement.
Architect. Achieve a controlled look with two horizontal rows of identically sized frames. This approach is less organic and more architecturally minded.
Commitment-phobe. I have always liked picture rails as a way of displaying a collections of small images or photos. You get the effect of the gallery wall without committing to one composition and many nail holes. You can easily rotate images by swapping out the frames only.
Nester. A combination of picture rails, mirrors, and typography make for a nice arrangement that feels very personal to this family.
More: How to Hang a Collection
Tour an Art Lover's Inviting Abode
20 Creative Alternatives to Fine Art
Browse photos of family photo displays
More: How to Hang a Collection
Tour an Art Lover's Inviting Abode
20 Creative Alternatives to Fine Art
Browse photos of family photo displays