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| With forethought and planning you can create a lovely gallery wall. |
You've seen them in magazines and in the homes of your favorite TV families, maybe you even know a real-life decorator who's managed to create a stunning art gallery wall. But it actually takes a lot of forethought and planning to display that seemingly random mix of photos, paintings and other artwork successfully. Follow these tips for a gallery wall that's picture perfect:
1. Prepare your wall. All eyes will be on your beautiful display, so make sure the surface behind it has been repaired and painted if needed.
2. Use painter's tape to roughly frame the boundaries of your display. First, find the center of your wall and mark it with a vertical strip of tape, then use two more vertical strips to mark the left and right edges, and two horizontal strips of tape on the top and bottom to complete the frame.
3. Allow eight inches between the top of a piece of furniture and the bottom edge of any piece of art hanging on the wall.
4. The color palette of your artwork should complement the overall color scheme in the room. Select neutral-colored frames and matting to make a wide variety of items more cohesive. Black frames are classic, but any hue that complements the general color scheme of the room will work. White frames are clean and fresh, gray is contemporary and subtle. Natural wood frames are warm and traditional. Staying within a specific color palette allows you to mix up the size, shape and style of frames without looking too busy.
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| The color palette of your art should complement the color scheme your room. Via HGTV |
5. Perfect your layout by placing the photos and other items on the floor, arrange and rearrange the art until you're happy with the design.
6. Use your cell phone to take a photo of the layout so you have a reference as you work.
7. Trace each item intended for your gallery onto a piece of paper, and cut it out. Many shapes will be similar so write a few words on the paper to describe the item. Use tape and the cutouts to replicate your layout directly on the wall.
8. Remember that the anchor or focal-point pieces should be hung at eye-level. That means the center of the photo should be approximately 57 inches from the floor.
9. Keep the paper facsimiles taped the wall as you begin to attach nails and other display hardware. The cutouts will help you stay organized as you begin the process of hanging the art.
Remember, it's not about perfection, it's about developing a display that's pleasing to your eye. With a little bit of planning you can create a beautiful art wall in your home.
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