5 Tips For a Great Gallery Wall

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Gallery Walls can be a great way to add dimension to blank spaces – especially in rental homes where we’re often stuck dealing with plain walls and lack of architectural interest. Here are my tips for creating a gallery wall that feels fresh, full of character and never cluttered.

1 | Fewer, Bigger Things

The “fewer, bigger things” mantra is a favorite of mine. All of my favorite interior designs have one thing in common, the designers chose to use only a handful of large scale items to fill a space, thus doubling the visual impact and reducing clutter. You can almost always go bigger than you think. So my approach to a gallery wall is the same. I love using over-sized pieces in a gallery because they create tons of impact without the clutter. The largest piece on this wall is 36″ x 36″ and I covered the entire space in only 8 pieces. 

2 | Give it some soul

I totally understand the urge to run out to the hobby store and buy a bunch of cutesy objects to fill space but my favorite galleries have a bit of soul to them. Set the foundation with family keepsakes, old photos, art that really speaks to you – or even a favorite instrument! Don’t have your own keepsakes? Etsy is a great source for inexpensive flea market finds that still feel unique. 

3 | Grid vs. Free Form

There are infinite ways to hang a gallery wall but if I had to pick two main categories it would be grid vs. freeform.

A grid pattern means you hang identically sized pieces in rows and columns of the same width and height. Grids are symmetrical and symmetry is naturally calming. Thus, grid layouts works well in places like the bedroom where you want to keep things feeling peaceful. 

Additionally, when things are symmetrical, the eye isn’t naturally drawn to any individual object in particular. Instead, the gallery wall is almost viewed as one cohesive piece of art. This makes grid gallery walls great for a series of similar objects or images (i.e. a series of black and whites from the same event or maps of cities you’ve lived in) because the viewer will still get a sense of the overall theme without forcing their eye to see the details.

Free form layouts have a bit more flow to them and can be hung in a way that allows the eye to travel around and take in each individual piece. These are great if you have lots of unique and meaningful items that you really want the viewers to notice. 

(Tip: In asymmetrical hangings, the channels that run between each piece should be roughly the same width to keep things feeling cohesive.)

4 | Stay Balanced

Another way to reduce visual clutter is to make sure you’re keeping things balanced. First, consider the “weight” of your objects. Spread out your bigger, bulkier objects so that they are evenly spaced around the wall.

On this wall, I have my largest piece (the 36″x36″) on the left and my bulkiest piece (the guitar) opposite of it on the other side of the wall. (Hint: heavier/larger objects generally work better toward the bottom of the gallery.)

Second, if you’re using various frame finishes or materials, alternate them throughout. Much like the gallery wall below, I stuck to only three different frame colors and varied them to keep things feeling balanced. (Also, notice how they use the window as part of the gallery. This is a creative way to balance out an asymmetrical space.

5 | Choose Your Common Colors

If you look closely, you’ll notice that most of my pieces share two common colors: green and orange. Each piece might have a different shade or be in a totally different genre of art, but having some common colors makes them look like they were meant to be together. Choosing common colors really gives you a ton of freedom to mix styles and mediums.

Ready to make your own? I’ve linked all of my gallery wall pieces below to help you get started. Hover over the photo and click the “+” for info.

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