5 Ways To Master the Art of Gallery Walls

 

Gallery walls became a popular interior trend in recent years, making numerous appearances on Instagram and Pinterest. However, they’re now a staple feature suitable for any home aesthetic due to the endless possibilities of designs. 

 

While there aren’t necessarily any hard-fast rules with assembling a gallery wall, failing to plan beforehand can generate cluttered and disordered results. Creating the effortlessly chic effect is actually quite time-consuming. Conducting the required preparation will ensure you’re filled with pride whenever looking at the completed display – rather than a pang of regret. 

 

To produce an impressive gallery wall that enhances your home’s appearance, read on for five essential factors you should consider. 

 

Where in your home should you fit the display? 

 

Before you buy artwork for your gallery wall, choose where to place it and measure the space to understand how many pieces you need. 

 

Popular placements include:

 

• Above the sofa or TV in living rooms.
• Above the bed in bedrooms.
• Inclined across a stairway.

 

However, gallery walls can essentially go anywhere with available space, depending on how focal you want it to appear. A family room that’s frequently occupied will get the most use out of the feature, rather than in a dining room that you only use when guests are round. However, placing a gallery wall in an entertainment area can help create a lively and fun vibe. 

 

 

What style of art do you want? 

 

If you don’t already have an abundance of artwork stored away, you’ll need to go on the hunt for pieces to build your collection. Art shopping is the fun stage, but it can also take a while, as you don’t want to just choose art for the sake of filling an empty space. Take your time.

 

Before diving in, consider what type of art you want. There are various art mediums to choose from, including digital prints, line drawings, and scenic paintings. You can create an eclectic display by incorporating multiple art forms. For a cleaner and more uniform design, purchase artwork from the same collection. 

 

Do you want to follow a colour scheme or theme to match the room’s interior? Alternatively, do you want to wait until you gravitate towards artwork? You don’t always need a theme, but it can make it easier to form the collection if you don’t have experience choosing artwork. 

 

How can you find unique art?

 

Knowing where to look for your artwork can often be the hardest and longest part of the process due to the unlimited choices. If you’re hoping to form a distinctive display, avoid shopping at retail giants and instead peruse work from independent artists.

 

Using social media hashtags (e.g., #independentartistsmarket) can help you find talented up-and-coming artists. Online marketplaces have extensive amounts of characteristic artwork, but this can make it overwhelming to peruse.

 

The online art gallery Bleur Art offers diverse and original art for sale from emerging artists who pour their personal stories into their work. It’s also easy to explore the range of artwork and find a piece that meets your gallery wall vision. 

 

 

Do you need to frame the art? 

 

Many art buyers often leave framing as an afterthought, but it should be as much a priority as the art itself. An unattractive frame can steal the focus from the art – for all the wrong reasons.

The colour and style of the frame can complement or clash with the art to make it pop. Such as, framing art that has hints of gold with a vintage gold frame and pairing a neutral image with a clean-lined black frame will both look striking. Although, don’t feel restrained by using the same frame style, as you can mix and match if preferred. 

 

As well as enhancing the visual, framing also protects the art from light and humidity to prevent fading and mould build-up. 

 

However, not all artwork requires framing, such as fabric wall hangings or ceramic art. 

 

How do you curate the display?

Now that you’ve got all your art, it’s time to assemble the layout. Experimenting with different designs before fixing the frames to the wall will ensure you’re happy with the outcome. You may have a manicured grid in mind but then prefer a scattered and asymmetrical layout when arranging.

 

To avoid making mistakes with your gallery wall, follow the below steps:

 

• Measure the chosen wall area.
• Mark wall dimensions on the floor.
• Place frames on the confined floor area and experiment with the design.
• Take a picture of your final layout for reference.
• Measure your frames accurately.
• Create paper mock-ups of frames and stick them on the wall.
• Make pencil markings on the wall for where to hammer the nail.
• Use a stud finder to check for wires behind the wall before hammering.
• Make sure lines are straight with a spirit level.
• Then hammer the nails and hang the frames.

 

If you don’t want to commit to drilling or hammering into your walls, you could use command strips or lean the artwork on shelves instead.

 

Gallery walls are often more challenging to produce than many expect, and arranging the display can feel like a puzzle you need to solve. However, it’s a great way to bring personality into a bare room without undergoing a redesign. You can also easily swap out the artwork to create a whole new aesthetic in the area.