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5 Tips and Tricks For Making the Perfect Gallery Wall For Your Home



Gallery walls are an outstanding way to decorate at home. They allow you to create a unique space to show off your favorite pieces. However, if you just place everything randomly, it won’t look good. You should take some time to plan out the perfect gallery layout.


We’ve gathered all the best tips and tricks for making the perfect gallery wall at home. Keep reading to create your own!


1. Start With Your Focal Point Piece

First, you should determine which hanging piece will serve as the gallery wall’s focal point, a point of interest where people tend to look first. You must think carefully about which piece naturally takes center stage because the focal point will set the mood for the rest of the gallery wall.


You can lay out all of your pieces and observe them. Is there one that tends to catch your eye first? Remember that one and rearrange all of the pieces. If it still captures your attention first or stands out more than the others, that should be your focal point for the wall.


A statement piece with bold colors or designs, a large hanging painting, or a unique object is most likely your natural focal point.


Once you’ve chosen the piece that takes center stage on your gallery wall, you can surround it with pieces that highlight it further. Build the wall out from the focal point to keep the layout balanced. You can also choose pieces that compliment that focal piece well to keep the entire wall cohesive.


Overall, always start by choosing your focal point piece for the wall first. It makes it easier to plan the rest of the layout.


2. Choose a Motif to Follow Through With

Next, make the gallery wall look more organized with a consistent theme. This theme could include consistent motifs through subject matter, such as beach paintings, or through a set color scheme. You can also choose a consistent art style, such as abstract pieces.


You can also use the same types of frames. For example, all wood or dark frames. Doing so can help the wall look more organized.


Using a set of themes brings more harmony to the gallery wall. Choosing the right motifs will also help make the wall more expressive. You can use it to tell a story or express your personality.


If you’re unsure whether the pieces you have fit well under a set theme or color palette, you can reach out to the art gallery at Atlantic Avenue. The team there will help you find stunning pieces for your gallery wall that look outstanding paired with each other and the works you already have at home.


3. Sketch Out the Layout Before Hanging Anything

Now that you know the art you’ll use for your gallery wall, you should plan the wall’s layout. There are a few ways you can do this. One of the easiest is to start by sketching out your ideas. You don’t need to be an artist to do this since you only need to draw rectangles in different sizes on the paper.


Try sketching several different layout ideas until you create one you like. From there, you can make adjustments until you have the final design.


Another option for planning the layout is to use paper cutouts. Measure the paintings you want to use and use a ruler to draw them on a large sheet of paper. Cut the shapes and stick them to the wall with painter's tape.


Take several steps back to inspect your gallery wall ideas. You can make changes easily at this stage, so keep rearranging the cutouts until everything’s how you’d like it to look. Simply replace the cutouts with the actual paintings when you’re finished. 


It’s a good idea to mix different sizes of paintings and prints to create a stronger visual interest in your gallery wall. These planning methods will help you visualize the final design before you take a hammer and nails to your wall.


4. Pay Attention to Open Space



Many people don’t consider the gaps between artworks when creating their gallery walls. Leaving spaces that are too large makes the gallery wall feel too open and empty. Conversely, putting your works too close to one another makes the wall feel cluttered and overbearing.


In general, you want to have about two to three inches of space between all of the works. This spacing is professional-looking and keeps your space neat and organized.


Negative space allows your eyes a chance to rest when looking at the wall. So, having the pieces further apart makes it easier for each work to stand out. It adds balance and harmony, which you want plenty of in your home.


So, don’t forget to think about the open spaces between the pieces you display. You can have a very impactful gallery wall when you use negative space correctly.


5. Take Careful Measurements



Next, it’s essential to measure your gallery wall carefully. You don’t want anything to be too crooked. A level will also greatly help you out with this process.


Hanging everything recklessly will show. So, if you want a calmer vibe in your room, it’s best to measure everything out. Take the time to measure the spacing and check your layout with a reliable level. 


That said, if you want a more random look for the wall, you won’t need to be as precise with your measurements and leveling.


Build the Perfect Gallery Wall for Your Home

In short, you can use those tips and tricks to prepare an outstanding gallery wall for your home. No matter what style of art you have, these tips will work. It helps drastically to plan, so don’t hesitate to sketch out your design ideas.

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