Gallery walls are a fabulous bit of glamour that will enable you to display so many things you love in a small space, creating both visual interest and, also, a more personal connection to your home. A really well-orchestrated gallery wall is a total game-changer for a home. That said, a gallery wall that is not really thought- through will make a room feel scattered and dispersed rather than engaging and delightful. Today lets look at a few tricks to creating gallery walls that will really raise your home’s wow-factor!
Create rhythm on your walls with shapes and sizes in a theme. Here, manifold versions of gold frames create a very cool rhythm without being too match-y in color, shape or style. I love how small frames cleverly fill holes, how some large frames gleam while others are burnished…Its all-round brilliant. Note: theoretically, these should be hung straight, not all crooked, but you get the picture!
You are not limited to eye-level when making your gallery wall statements. Not every house is suited to this really cool, floor-to-ceiling art-hanging, but if you have a lot to hang and no kids or pets that can access this stuff by the floor, this is a design trick that can make your whole home shift in perspective. Check out the image above to see one trick to this– try to keep the lowest line across the wall level, so that all frames at the bottom touch that line, and build upward, guided by your instincts!
You can mix a mirror into a gallery wall (proceed with deliberate intention- mirrors are very powerful in feng shui!) to create fresh space. Mirrors should ALWAYS be at eye level and should not chop off anyone’s head with their reflection.
I included this beautiful layout as an example of what to do…and what not to do… where frames are concerned. Blank frames that are empty on the wall: not cool in my book. Emptiness is generally not a great symbol to display!!! That said, the mix of neutral colors here is absolutely stunning!
If you feat the gallery wall and want to start on an easy gradient, shelves are a great way to begin. Note: *Do not install shelves yourself unless you are at a professional level of skill- you do not want these toppling on anyone, ever. That said, a few well-installed shelves out of a high-traffic area with grooves to hold frames…. really stellar!
Images that you hang are another topic and theme that add character to the wall you create, so choose wisely. I have seen family photos look brilliant, abstract or found-art mixed into the hangings, themes based on color… themes based on era… Take the artistic liberty to brand the space with everything that you love, that you also want to engage with daily, and you will feel the empowering effects!
xoxo Dana
Can one use mirrored frames? I really like the thought of using them as a gallery wall just on one wall.
Hi Amy, beware the too many mirrors. its a lot of energy. it looks cool in a picture, and its aesthetically an awesome idea, but to live with, i am not sure it will be exciting. i have a video on you tube about mirrors that explains a bit more & you can decide from there!!! xx