Looking for a fun way to display your family photos? Gallery walls are a simple way to create visual interest in your home, regardless of how much space you have. It’s the perfect way to make a design statement and a natural conversation starter.
To help you get started, we put together a few tips for designing and creating a gallery wall that fits your personality and décor style.
Plan ahead for your wall gallery.
Before you start hanging things on the wall, take all the pieces you want to include and lay them out on the floor. Try a few different arrangements and determine what would look best on your wall. Maybe you prefer an asymmetrical organization, or maybe you’d like all your frames lined up neatly. The great thing about a gallery wall is that there’s no wrong way to do it, so choose whatever style works best for you! To help you decide, snap photos of each configuration and consider your options before hanging everything up.
Choose a theme—or go wild.
Consider color palettes and art styles if you want a theme for your gallery wall. You can even go more abstract, choosing to display all your travel photos or those family photos you never got around to hanging. Plus, a family gallery wall can be more than images—look for quotes or art that fit with your family’s shared interests. You can even frame and display some of your children’s art projects on your gallery wall.
If you aren’t interested in choosing a theme, select pieces that speak to you. Find different textures, frames, and maybe even some 3-D pieces to add visual interest. This more organic style is great if you want to add to your gallery wall over time whenever you find more pieces you love.
Think beyond the living room wall.
Most often, gallery walls are above a living room sofa or organized across a wide wall, but that doesn’t have to be the case. A gallery wall is a great way to beautify the space around your television, staircase, or even your toilet. Don’t limit yourself to just the main rooms in your house. A small gallery wall can brighten up a neglected or less lovely space.
Look for places in your home that look a little barren, like the space between a bookshelf and the ceiling or a long hallway. While you could opt for just two or three framed pieces on these walls, consider expanding to a gallery wall. It’s a great way to display all those family photos and to brighten up those small spaces.
No space? No problem!
If you live in a small apartment or home, you can still have a gallery wall, even if you don’t have any large open wall space. Look for narrow pieces of wall or corners that could use a little brightening. You can even switch it up and create a vertical gallery wall, which is a great way to add interest to a small space in your home. A floor-to-ceiling gallery wall can make your room appear larger by creating the effect of a higher ceiling.
Your gallery wall doesn’t have to be confined to a single wall either. Maybe you have a small corner in your kitchen or dining area that looks a little bare. Wrap a gallery wall around the corner, covering both walls and adding dimension and interest to this small area.
Look for additional places to add depth.
If you don’t have enough wall space to display all the family photos or art you’d like, look for places like shelves or coffee and end tables where you can show off your photos in portfolio boxes or standing frames. If you create a gallery wall above a bookshelf or cabinet, you can even set some portfolio boxes or objets d'art on top of the shelf to add visual interest and depth to your décor.
No matter how you design your gallery wall, there’s always space to display your family photos and favorite art pieces in your home. Creating a fun and fashionable gallery wall takes a little thought and creativity.
At G Photography by G, our luxury portrait session experience includes designing your wall gallery. We not only measure your walls but also deliver and install your wall art. To start the process, book your complimentary photo consultation today: schedule a consult.
About Gwendolyn R. Houston-Jack
Gwendolyn R. Houston-Jack, affectionately known as "G", is a Certified Professional Black woman photographer and family portrait artist who consistently delivers photo session joy. As a lifelong storyteller, her style of photography aligns with her message of family, self-love, inclusion, and defining beauty for oneself. G curates and decorates homes with wall art and heirloom albums and serves Arlington, TX, including the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex area and Houston.