Flower Love
When someone talks about a gallery wall, they are referring to an area that shows a displayed collection of objects, photographs, or even both.
There are a few wall décor ideas out there, including planning and design tips that can help you decorate a gallery wall so that virtually every room in your home looks modern.
PLANNING YOUR GALLERY WALL
If you want to decorate walls really well enough with pictures and other objects, it takes a lot of planning to get them just right. The first step is to find a wall that really needs the biggest upgrade. In general, these walls should be large and bare where more traditional art normally wouldn’t fit.
You may also want to consider a wall that you would notice first when entering a room. The next step would be to think about the particular style you would like your wall to be designed in, whether you want to use black and white objects or colorful objects, as well as a symmetrical or a free flowing style.
The final step in the planning process is to determine exactly how much wall space you want to use. This is one thing that will help you determine exactly how many items you can and / or should hang on the wall.
DISCOVER WHAT YOUR INSPIRATION IS
Bring the wonderful charm and inspiration of an art gallery into your own home with just a few selected pieces. Consider installing pre-assembled moldings and casually leaning photo frames against the wall. If you want to take a different route, you can add different accent pieces too.
The most important thing to remember is that you really don’t need an extravagant wall space to display your pieces. For example, you can mix and match photo frames of different shapes and sizes on a shelf to get a real sense of perspective and depth. For a more organic, “mix and match” look, allow the photo frames to overlap.
Tell the world your story
Group different pieces and / or prints together as accents to create a visual narrative for anyone who visits your home to see them. For example, the curved lines of any graphic prints you have can be rendered in a sculptural variety thanks to a vase or lamp.
Do you have photos from one of your favorite vacations? Combine them with other different memorabilia from the same vacation. You can also offset different ledges to make sure you have enough space for different photo frame heights, and hang different types of decor above your work area to liven up the area.
SELECTING THE COLLECTION FOR YOUR WALL GALLERY
Now that you’ve chosen your design style and the space you’ll be working with, it’s time to determine exactly what you’re going to hang. Consider one of two different approaches:
There are many different gallery wall ideas to choose from. Some of the basic ones are:
- Vinyl album cover
- Wicker baskets
- Blank photo frames on a colored wall contrasting them
- Patterned fabric
- Framed wallpaper
- Mirrors of various shapes and sizes
There are also others that are more unique, such as the following:
- A mixture of art, photos and other items
- Line a staircase to breathe life into an adjacent wall
- Use a single color in each photo frame to associate them with the wall they are hanging on
- Use a similar photo frame of different sizes, including photos of similar colors
- Using different pieces by the same artist
- Build your gallery wall around a single theme
- Consider adding a monogram to your family photo galleries
- Consider doing it yourself watercolors instead of investing in potentially expensive prints
- Use kid art to fill in the wall space
- Install an edge and layer up all of the photo frames and other accessories
- Consider the use of wall clocks
- Have family portraits printed on canvas instead of framing them
- Use some well-lit artwork
- Use decorative pieces from your local thrift store
- Arrange all black and white photos more symmetrically
- Use any type of large item as the main center piece of your gallery wall
Don’t be afraid to change things up and rearrange things if you want
If you choose to use moldings as part of your gallery wall design, you’ll never have to worry about drilling new holes every time you want to make changes to your work. All you have to do is rearrange and swap things out, and you can do this as many times as you want or want.
HOW EXACTLY DO YOU HANG A GALLERY WALL?
The first thing to do before hanging anything is to make your design exactly how you want it to look on the wall itself. There are three ways you can do this:
On the ground
A painter’s tape or masking tape is ideal here. Mark an area on the floor about the size of the area on the wall you will be working with. Next, take all of your pieces and start arranging them until you are satisfied with how you want everything to look.
When you are happy with the results, take a photo and write down any spacing between elements. Finally, start by hanging the items on the wall one at a time, taking these amounts of space into account.
On the wall
Start by sketching the shape of each object that you will hang on a piece of paper and cutting it out. Then label these shapes before sticking them to the wall until you are satisfied with the arrangement you made. Finally, hang the actual piece where the corresponding paper form is.
A wall gallery kit
There are companies that offer wall gallery kits to help homeowners create their own wall galleries. These kits contain layouts and templates that make work a lot easier. All you have to do is put your favorite pictures in the appropriate frame, hang the template on the wall, and then hang the actual object.
Perhaps the best thing about decorating gallery walls is that it is viewed as one of the best ways to create a collection of different items. Getting your creative juices flowing can help you create a space that is unique to your own style.