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5 Tips for Creating the Perfect Gallery Wall

Gallery Wall

Creating a gallery wall in your home can be a daunting task! I would know – I’ve made a few of them now! So I’m sharing some tips that will help make the process a LOT smoother! Come learn from my mistakes :) Here are my 5 tips for creating the Perfect Gallery Wall in your home!

Give it time – Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are gallery walls! lol. Does that analogy fit? Give yourself time to determine what you like. I pinned images I loved on my Gallery Wall Ideas Pinterest board, I admired the gallery walls in my friends’ homes and magazines. I started to see patterns in what I liked – I hated perfect symmetry, I loved multiple colours, I loved the combination of images and text. Go pin like crazy and find what you love! Then give yourself time to collect the frames you like, the objects you need, etc., etc. The day dreaming can be fun – enjoy it!

 

Personalize it – If you’re like me, once this gallery wall is up, it’s going to stay up for a looooong time. That’s why you want each piece to be something that is beautiful or meaningful to you. Don’t put a photo, print or object up on the wall that you don’t love. Find those pieces that are personal. I shared tips the other day on identifying personalized pieces, and creating DIY personalized artwork.

5 Tips for Creating the Perfect Gallery Wall

Add some visual interest – This is easier said then done. I know!!! If I hadn’t trolled Pinterest for ideas, my gallery wall would have been a mishmash of random family photos. Instead, I started to recognize things that I liked. Visual interest looks different for everyone. Maybe you are hanging objects on the wall, using funky frames, or hanging empty frames. Maybe you are adding mirrors, or customizable work. Maybe you are slanting your photo wall to draw the eye up. Take some time to chose elements that will have  family saying, “I should’ve done that!”

Do a floor layout first – This may be the most important tip of all! Get out a blanket or a carpet about the size of your wall and start arranging your photos. Arrange, rearrange and rearrange some more. I usually get second opinions from the husband (although his opinion on these things is usually wrong… haha), friends and  family. Then use painters tape to mock up what the frames will look like on the wall. Once you find a layout you like, nail it up!

daughter helping

Don’t overthink it – This, I find, is everyone’s downfall… the overthinking. The thought of getting a perfect gallery wall up, can paralyze us from starting in the first place. Your spaces don’t have to be measured exactly. Your lines don’t have to be perfect. Each and every gallery wall is uniquely designed, uniquely spaced, and uniquely hung – that’s what makes them so lovable! Don’t overthink it – just start gathering things you love!

I’ve done a ton of DIY artwork, like this Gold Heart Art. DIY artwork is the perfect way to add visual interest AND to personalize your space!

Gold Heart Art

Signature 2 200x100

AJ @ Aspen Jay

Monday 7th of March 2016

Nice tips Lindi!

I am one that waits until everything is perfect before I commit to putting it on the wall. But I like your analogy of "Rome wasn't built in a day" :) so sometimes you just have to wing it and the ideas will come while doing it! Your gallery wall turned out simply lovely! Your own DIY pieces added so much (thanks for sharing on the tutorials on them)!

Thanks for sharing and for partying with us at #TALENTEDTuesday.

Cheers, AJ

Jessy @ The Life Jolie

Wednesday 2nd of March 2016

Awesome tips- I'm in the process of building a small gallery wall for our new daughter's nursery and it's harder than I thought! Thanks for sharing!

Michelle

Tuesday 1st of March 2016

Fantastic DIY art in your gallery! Love it.

Julie

Friday 26th of February 2016

I started a gallery wall in our kitchen when we moved in and just popped up what we had, I've been adding to it as I go but now I'm nearly there with it and the last few things just don't fit very well. Your planning idea is much more sensible. I fear I may have to take it all down and start again (hoping to cover all the holes I've made in the wall of course!)