Art & Decor Trends

8 Elements of a Great Gallery Wall

Sometimes we find ourselves with a space that we don’t know immediately what to do with. Perhaps it is the landing of a staircase or the far end of a formal dining room. It might be above the breakfast nook in the kitchen, or the length of hallway. These blank spaces can often be filled with a design element call a gallery wall. This is where pieces of art are combined to make collection that is meant to be viewed as one singular creation. Designing one for your own home can be both simple and fun. These are the elements to consider when planning a gallery wall.

Audience

The first thing to consider when planning your gallery is to think about who your audience is going to be. Is this for the fun and energetic kids in the play room or for your sophisticated dinner guests in the dining room? Knowing who might be the ones viewing the pieces will help you determine what to hang and how to hang for the most optimal audience enjoyment. Things like age, personality and relationship to you will be the best indicators of what your viewers would most like to see in a given space.

 Theme

The best way to make sure that all the pieces in a gallery wall have cohesion is to pick a theme for the wall.  What do you want people to think or feel then they look at the gallery wall you created? It could be as easy as the idea of family or as complex as the struggles in Mother Nature. Perhaps you would like to showcase a particular style of art or a specific artist. Colors, shapes, or even the kind of subject can be considered a theme. Choose to match your décor or contrast it if you like. A gallery wall of rustic country framed art would add warmth to a contemporary designed room.  We have some lovely framed mirrors that would add a bit of charm to such a design in our mirror gallery.

Location

The choice of what room you are placing the gallery wall in can also affect your choice of design.  Is this going to be a private space, that only close friends and family are going to see, or is it going to be in a public room where everyone can view it? You will want to consider the size and shape of the room as well, since you will want the gallery wall to work proportionally in the space. Consider the other art or accents in the room to make sure nothing will clash with the new art.

Placement

One of the most important elements when designing a gallery wall is the placement of the pieces in relationship to the others. Do you want something uniform and sleek, or something more free form and organic? Sometimes it is difficult to image what the overall affect will look like while you are hanging them, so we suggest cutting out paper templates to tape to the wall when choosing a layout. This allows you to see the finished design while still allowing you to move pieces if needed. We have gone ahead and included some suggestions for possible layouts you might like.

Pieces

It is important to choose what type of art you would like to use for the gallery wall, because there is a lot of selection.  There could be photographs, paintings, or even sculpted wall hanging to choose from.  Perhaps you would like it to show the growth and development of your family through professionally matted home photos. The miniatures of classic works that we offer can give a sophisticated taste of well-known artists to a room. You might even want to combine mediums, offer photos and paintings in a common theme.

Color

Another decision that needs to be made is the choice of colors you want to represent on the wall. The wall behind the pieces might influence that. You probably don’t want them to match, because that wouldn’t attract the eye, but perhaps an accent color?  A stark black and white collection can be both elegant and simple, while an assortment of bright colors adds energy to the room.

Frames

The frame s on the art should be as carefully considered as the art is. Do you want the symmetry of them all matching or do you prefer the eclectic look of diversity in them? Even if you do decide to choose different frames for each piece, we recommend at least aligning in them in a way that creates harmony. Perhaps similar colors or design shapes to make them look like they all belong together.

Variety

Last piece of advice is, don’t be afraid to take a chance. Experiment with different sizes, colors or mediums when you can. If most of your art is more classical, perhaps a few miniature prints in simple frames could help invigorate the space. Use small pieces around a large piece to create a focal point.  Combine photos with sculpture to give the collection depth. This is meant to make a statement, so don’t hesitate to make it loud.

Here at OverstockArt.com, we strive to offer enough options to give you the choices to help create something like this in your own home. We have an assortment of paintings and prints, as well as mirrors to choose from. There are enough choices in frames to find just the right one for each piece. The sizes we offer range from the extra-large, to our delightful miniatures that mix and match well together. Our helpful design experts can always help you design a gallery wall to impress all of you friends and family, so don’t hesitate to contact us.