Hang A Chic Gallery Wall with These Modern Design Tips

Personalize your home with a chic gallery wall that expresses your own personal style. A unique gallery wall is all in the placement. Most gallery wall ideas focus on grouping colors or sticking to one art form. This is a great starting point, but there are other fun, elegant ideas that can help you go further. Play with proportion, showcase what you love, and even try taking this trend outdoors with the help of us at Pottery Barn.

STATEMENT ART

Command attention with a single piece of statement art and smaller pieces grouped around it. A painting or photograph of cinematic proportions over a sofa or dining table makes a huge impact as a centerpiece. Depending on how you’ve arranged your furniture, you can customize how you frame your centerpiece with other artwork. If you have side tables around your sofa, leave a nice margin around the centerpiece and cluster smaller works of art over each of the tables. You could also display a row of artwork, each in the same size frame, under the centerpiece for a carousel effect.

MUSEUM STYLE 

Museums often hang artwork so that its center is at 57” high. This is an average height for people’s eyes and makes it easier for you and your guests to view your art. Don’t be afraid to hang your art in a row, just like a museum. Your collection will still look like it’s part of your home with the right lighting. Museums use track lights or spot lights, but you can use pendants in between pieces for a chic gallery wall that invites reflection and conversation.

COLLECTIONS

Get custom gallery wall ideas from your passions or collections. Been scouring flea markets for wall clocks? Inherited boxes of antique hand tools from a relative? Start by mapping your layout on the floor. Place your beloved objects in the order you think looks best, snap a photo when you’re done, and then hang pieces one by one. You’ll skip unneeded holes as you adjust your treasures and see the big picture as you hang.

PHOTOGRAPHY

You also might be wondering how to create a gallery wall of family snaps and vacation photos. Keep the look visionary by treating your photos as one collection regardless of when and where they were taken. Maybe you know how to increase the saturation in editing software, so that every photo has a bright, surreal quality. A simple sepia filter can add a vintage vibe or match a neutral color story in your rooms. Curated decor, like candles, vases or plants, ensures photo displays are refined and flow with the rest of your home.

OMBRÉ

If you love color, try an ombré effect.  Find frames that you can paint yourself from a craft store and treat them with shades of your favorite hue. This display transforms your wall in to a social-media grid. Start with the lightest shades up top and go darker on the way down. This look is ideal for rooms with lots of natural light. Try it in the bath if you have skylights or a kitchen with big, sunny windows.

GALLERY RAILS 

For a gallery look, have some fun with rails and rods. This style offers depth and even a little movement to your gallery wall. Suspend framed artwork from chains that dangle slightly away from the wall. You’ll need frames that have triangle hangers or D-rings on the back, so your gallery doesn’t tilt too much. Tie your room together by using a rod from the same hardware collection as your windows. Then, experiment with wide spacing or dynamic crowding to see which styles speaks to you.