Nothing brings a custom home design together like artwork. Often a room doesn’t feel complete until there is something on the walls. These days many people are adding gallery walls to their homes. Gallery walls are a collection of artwork and photographs hung together. There are many styles and types of gallery walls, but they’re not as easy to do as it sounds. It’s not uncommon for people to struggle to get it to look right, so here are some tips for creating a gorgeous gallery wall in your custom home!

 

Pick a Theme

In order for a gallery wall to look good, the items on the wall need to go together in some way. That’s why it’s important that you pick a theme ahead of time. The theme is simply a way of ensuring all the items in the gallery wall go together. It can be as simple as using the same size or color of frames. Or it could be having all the items being on the same subject matter or in the same color. The goal of picking a gallery wall theme is having everything flow together as if they belong on to be hung in the same space.

 

Plan Before Hanging

This is by far the best tip for planning a gallery wall. Cut out pieces of paper in the sizes of your artwork. Use these to help you plan where to hang items before nailing holes into the wall. That way you can move items around without causing more damage, and it takes less time.

 

Select Items Beforehand

A common mistake people make it not having artwork or photographs selected before hanging items on the wall. It’s hard to plan where to place items if you don’t already have them picked out! When selecting what to include in the gallery wall remember to think about the theme.

 

Think About Scale

Scale is really important to a successful gallery wall. One of the most common mistakes people make is hanging too many smaller items together. This creates a cluttered look rather than a curated one. Larger items have a bigger impact, and it will prevent you from crowing the space. If you have smaller items or photos you want to include, either spread them out amongst larger items or mat them in larger frames to scale them up. It’s also important to keep in mind the size of the wall you’re using. A bigger wall requires bigger photographs!

 

Look at Different Layouts

There are tons of different layouts and designs you can do with a gallery wall. The style and vibe you’re trying to create will help determine which one works best. For example, a modern home would benefit from a simple straight pattern, while an eclectic home could do a more staggered design. Luckily there are lots of layout ideas online these days to help you out, so be sure to check them out!

 

Choose the Wall Carefully

Not all walls were made to be gallery walls. Picking the right spot for your gallery wall is important. So how can you tell if a wall is a good one to use? It should be large enough to hold all your items, not be in a tight space where people may knock items off the walls, and not compete with any other focal points such as fireplaces. Some of the most common areas for gallery walls are behind the sofa, going up a staircase, in an entry wall, or in a dining room.

 

If you want more custom home design tips, contact us today!