If you have a long stretch of wall in your home, a gallery wall can be a wonderful way to display your favorite images. Laying out your gallery wall can be challenging if you don’t know where to start. Consider the tips below to create your design before you hang the first image.
If you love to travel and take photos, you may already have several images that you want to put to work. You can also use ●photos of your children and pets ●pictures of wild animals, birds, or plants ●black and white images
If the detail on the images and the colors are varied, you can unify them by using matching frames and mats. Try to vary the images as you put them up; avoid placing highly detailed images side by side.
Another option is to use one large image to fill a wall. If you have a table behind your sofa, you can actually lean wall art for living room use to avoid hanging a photo up too high.
Many times, a large image can be a wonderful way to add color to a white-walled apartment. If your apartment is white and your sofa is tan, a large red piece of wall art can really energize your space.
Use Uniform Frames
If your budget is tight, a gallery wall can still be created. For example, you may have a disparate collection of frames loaded with photos of loved ones. Take the frames apart and purchase a can of spray paint; paint all the frames the same color. Spray paint can spatter when you first hit the button. Lay your frames out on cardboard or a drop cloth and start your spray in the center of the frame, then lightly coat the frame with a steady spray of paint.
Should you have photos that are quite dated and a bit humorous, use a more whimsical color. For example, if you have images from the era of orange shag carpeting, use burnt orange to paint your frames. Group black and white photos in one space and color images on the other side of the hallway. Do be aware that flat or matte paint will be easier to make consistent.
Select One Color Mat
If you enjoy a wide array of frame colors, use a uniform mat color A simple way to create a uniform look is to use floating frames. A floating frame sandwiches your image between two layers of glass. The wall color serves as your mat. Such a gallery wall would work wonderfully on an accent wall.
If your budget is tight, you can create and paint your own mats. You can cut your mat from a heavy pressboard and ●spray paint it in light layers ●cover it with fabric ●lightly roller it with a sample color from the hardware store
When panting or using a spray adhesive on heavy cardboard, do your best to leave the mat alone until it’s completely dried. Your mat may curl for a time, but if you are using a frame that has glass, you can press the mat flat with the glass and frame backing.
Choose Your Pattern
A gridded pattern can be fairly easy to lay out as long as you have consistently sized frames. To come up with a grid that works, choose a top line for your grid and measure the space you want to fill. Divide that width by the width of each frame and determine the gaps between frames by that distance. Build your grid from the top down.
If you want different-sized frames, you will want to build your grid from the middle of your display. Create your center line of images with frames of a similar size, then add images above and below. Try to stay consistent in your spacing between images.
Your gallery wall can be created with small images or one or two large images. If consistency is important to you, find a unifying factor that works with your color preferences and current decor. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to enjoy an interesting and enjoyable gallery wall!
