Step 1: Find Inspiration

Start by gathering inspiration. Browse online platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, and design blogs for gallery wall ideas that resonate with your style. Pay attention to the overall aesthetic, the types of art used, and the spacing between pieces. Look for common themes or elements that you can incorporate into your own design.

For example, the gallery wall in Jenny Komenda’s living room (from Little Green Notebook) is a great example of a non-“matchy-matchy” style, with a table underneath for added interest. This inspired us to consider incorporating furniture into the gallery wall design.

The photo from Design Love Fest perfectly captured the look and feel we were aiming for, as my friend’s art collection primarily consisted of painted landscapes and portraits. Use these inspirations as a starting point, but don’t be afraid to adapt them to your own unique style and collection.

Step 2: Gather Your Art and Collectibles

Bring together all the art, pictures, and collectibles you might want to include in your gallery wall. Don’t overthink this step – just gather everything from boxes and storage. The goal is to have a wide selection to choose from during the arrangement process.

In the example photo, you can see the initial collection laid out in my friend’s living room. While not everything made it onto the final wall, it was essential to evaluate all the pieces together. This initial assessment helps you get a sense of the overall style and potential themes within your collection.

Step 3: Find a Cohesive Element

This is where the magic happens! Lay out all your pieces on the floor in a gallery wall style arrangement. Don’t worry about perfection at this stage; just arrange them loosely, starting with the largest or most significant piece as your anchor. This visual exercise will help you identify common threads that tie your collection together.

As you arrange the pieces, look for cohesive elements such as color palettes, themes, frame types, textures, or art styles. It might seem overwhelming at first, but laying everything out on the floor will significantly improve your visualization. In my friend’s case, we quickly discovered a nature theme, stemming from her grandfather’s nature-inspired paintings and her husband’s upbringing on a farm. This theme became the guiding principle for the entire gallery wall.

Not every piece needs to directly relate to the nature theme, but any non-nature artwork or object should complement the color palette and overall aesthetic. We realized that mass-produced art didn’t fit the detailed and colorful style of her grandfather’s paintings.

While family photos can sometimes work in a gallery wall, my friend decided to display them elsewhere. Ultimately, there are no hard rules – the key is to experiment and discover what works best for your personal taste and collection. Laying everything out allows you to make informed decisions and establish your own guidelines. I’ve consistently seen indecisive homeowners become confident in their choices after going through this process.

Step 4: Create a Template (Optional)

Once you’re satisfied with the floor arrangement, consider creating a template using paper cutouts the same size and shape as your frames. Tape these templates to the wall to visualize the layout before committing to hanging anything. This step is particularly helpful for larger or more complex gallery walls.

However, a template isn’t always necessary. If you can identify the central pieces of your gallery and get them on the wall, the remaining pieces often fall into place more organically. For this particular gallery wall, we decided that the three larger paintings would serve as the central anchors.

Step 5: Hang Your Art!

It’s finally time to bring your vision to life! My top tip is to avoid using nails initially, or at least as much as possible. I rely on Command Strips for all items under 16 lbs. If a piece exceeds this weight, I create a template and use nails or hooks with wall anchors.

In my friend’s case, none of the artwork exceeded 16 lbs, so we primarily used Command Strips. This made the process incredibly easy and allowed for adjustments without damaging the walls.

Once the entire gallery wall is in place, I lightly mark the frame positions with a pencil, remove the frames, install nails if needed, and re-hang the frames.

Tip: To extend the lifespan of my Command Strips, I cut them in half for smaller frames, ensuring the pull-down tab remains attached to the wall.

Step 6: Anchor the Space with Key Pieces

For a non-symmetrical gallery wall, start by hanging the pieces that will anchor the entire space. These are typically the largest or most visually striking items.

When art or photos have matching frames or are the same size, symmetrical and centered gallery walls often work best. However, for an eclectic gallery wall, embrace the quirks and asymmetry! These pieces weren’t created to be displayed together, so there’s no need to adhere to strict rules of symmetry.

While it’s logical to center the largest piece on the wall at eye level, I added movement to this gallery wall by hanging the largest piece slightly lower and off-center. Once that piece was in place, the other pieces naturally fell into position.

Tip: Draw inspiration from design photos to guide your placement decisions. Don’t hesitate to leverage the expertise of talented designers!

Step 7: Add the Remaining Pieces and Fine-Tune

This step benefits greatly from having two sets of eyes. One person holds the art in place while the other offers feedback and makes adjustments. Switch roles to ensure both perspectives are considered. This collaborative approach helps create a more organic and visually balanced wall.

Once you’ve found the perfect spot for each item, mark the top of the frame with a pencil and apply Command Strips to the back. Before removing the backing from the Command Strips, reposition the frame on the wall and use your level to ensure it’s straight. Once aligned, lightly trace the top corners of the frame with a pencil. Remove the backing, align the frame with your pencil marks, and adhere it to the wall.

Step 8: Fill in the Gaps and Add Finishing Touches

In our case, we realized we didn’t have enough art to fill both sides of the fireplace completely. My friend plans to add longer benches or lower console tables and incorporate art around them. In the meantime, we added a bench, a plant, and a leaning chalkboard to fill in the gaps and create a more complete look.

The leaning chalkboard is a temporary solution, but it adds a touch of character and serves as a placeholder until my friend finds something taller to hang on the wall.

My friend is looking for something to hang under the ‘D’ to fill in a narrow space. Not having enough art is a common challenge when creating a gallery wall. However, don’t let it stop you from starting with the treasures you already have! With patience, you’ll build a collection of meaningful pieces that you truly love.