Creating Your Own Wall Galleries
I get it - wall galleries are tough. Pinterest makes you feel inferior, with all types of fancy organized wall decor mixed with photos of loved ones and you have no idea where to start…I’m gonna show you a few I have in my own house, with info on how I created them, as well as pre-measured galleries for the blank walls you have no idea what to do with!
This is my living room wall, just above the couch…here’s how I did it:
If you’re working with existing photos, map it out on the floor first, and if you have two of something, anchor the gallery with it!
So, when I started this gallery, I had been collecting these photos for some time - frames and all. I had also purchased the two anchor pieces just because I liked them and they were about $5 a piece. If you have decor like this that you have two of, it makes it an easy way to “anchor” the gallery on either side.
Notice that I didn’t keep all the photos in line on the top and bottom or either side, just organized them so spacing between and above/below was relatively close, and fit them within that space.
Also, I started with the largest pieces toward the middle and built out from there.
Once I mapped these out on my floor to where I like them, I started hanging from the biggest middle piece out, making sure the anchor pieces were level with each other. Now I love this spot and will occasionally change out photos in the frames.
Want a gallery on your stairway? Stair-step the photos, just like the level of stairs!
Once Again, I’m dealing with Varying Sizes of Frames/Prints on the Stairway…the Secret is to Stairstep the level of Photos too!
So, for this wall (please ignore the kid and dog marks lol), I still had a boho’s dream of varying sizes and frames, but made it work by stair-stepping the levels of photos as you go up the stairs. I also mapped these out on the floor first, and had different columns of photos (sizes didn’t really matter, just the level). My kids actually knocked down a 5x7 I had at the bottom of the second column from the right a few days ago, but it works without it too, so I haven’t been very motivated to change it out.
Moral of the story: work with your space and what you have, play with spacing and follow the path of the stairs!
Here’s another tip: the optimal viewing distance of a photo is three times the diagonal measurement, so smaller prints will work better on stairways and narrow hallways. Save your bigger prints for the larger walls that viewers can stand back from to enjoy them!
If you’d like more ideas on designing your stairway and sprucing it up, check out this article at Redfin!
If you prefer a more hard-and-fast rule, go with larger prints/frames/canvases and remember to hang at or slightly above eye level. Hanging in groups of three’s works well, too!
If you need a simpler pattern, go with three of anything that’s the same, and hang at eye level!
So, this is in my kitchen. Yes, I’m the crazy lady who has orange walls and turquoise everything:) Here I hung three 11x14s of my kids at eye level, but above where my table chairs hit the wall…then a large family photo in the middle above and flanked it with a pair of utensil decor that works with the room. I change these out every year or two.
Here’s another example of a group of “three’s” that will work almost anywhere!
If you’re lucky enough to be working with a totally blank space with no backlog of photos, here’s a couple of examples you might be able to use:
All of these options are great if you’re dealing with a large blank wall and need to order from scratch - I’m also happy to design these for my clients, and can create mockups of what they will look like in your space! If you have any questions, reach out and I’ll help as best I can!
Till next time
Jamie