Working in the art business has taught us one definite thing: Art can be displayed in more than one way and look phenomenal. Gallery walls are one way to display multiple pieces of art in an organized fashion. We recently put up a gallery wall in a local Columbia home of @shoplaroque and it turned out exactly how we envisioned- Organized and Stunning.
If you are new to our blog or new to the art world, you most likely haven't formulated a gallery wall before. We pulled together the best tips we have for creating the flawless gallery wall and hope to inspire you to create an art collaboration in your very own home.
1. Pick the Best Wall In Your Home (The Beginning Phase):
Do you have a blank wall in your home that could use some color? Maybe there is a wall that is the center of the guest space? Picking the right wall for a gallery collaboration is important because you don't want the gallery wall to be crowding to the space. No one likes clutter even when it is hanging on the wall. Great walls for gallery frames would be open, simple, almost described as bare.
2. Pick the Perfect Art For You (The Collection Phase):
Picking art should take time. A gallery wall shouldn't come together after a few hours of online shopping (even though it is all of our guilty pleasures), it should be a collection over time of art that you love and a very intentional process. If you see a piece you like and think about it daily for a week or so then it may be a piece for your collection.
There doesn't have to be a theme to your art, we only advise that each piece be a piece you connect with on a personal level. Have fun during the collection phase of a gallery wall. Pick art that means something to you and your family, places you have traveled, pieces that may trigger a memory. This phase could take a year or years to complete, but is well worth the patience for the most beautiful artistic layout.
3. Pulling it Together (The Collaboration Phase):
Connecting the art you have chosen to each other can be done in a few ways. Using similar frames will make the gallery wall flow. Be sure not to use the exact same frame, but color frames from the same family would easily blend the wall together well.
Another option could be to utilize the mat color and space. Matching mat space for each unique piece would bring unity to the wall that the multitude of genres lack.
While there are no rules in Gallery Wall making, finding one way to pull the wall together will give the room the extra air of beauty you are looking for.
4. Think About Placement (The Planning Phase)
Who knows where to begin in placing art in a gallery wall? There are no instruction manuals and Siri surely can't give us a play by play of directions, so we tried a few different ideas and landed with the floor strategy.
Laying each piece of art on the floor at the foot of the wall in the shape and places you want the art to be on the wall will give you a sense of what it could look like in live action. You may rearrange for a while before you find the perfect combination for the placement. Once you do, take a photo of the floor with your smart phone just in case you forget the vision in the building phase.
5. Build The Gallery Wall (The Building Phase)
Now it is time to take your floor vision and bring it to life on the wall. Measuring tape, nails, hammer, and a truck load of patience are all items needed in this phase. The best way to start this process is to go from left to right.
Start with one piece and measure from that piece to the next while nailing in the measured space to hang. Consistent space between frames usually looks great (two inches in-between frames is a good place to start). Take your time during this phase because the vision is worth it. You are almost done.
6. Sit Back and Enjoy! (The Enjoyment Phase)
You have done it! You just finished your first gallery wall and we are CERTAIN it looks phenomenal. Send us a picture and we might be able to post your beautiful work on our Instagram page! @Christenberry_Collection
