Impressive gallery wall ideas – how to make a quick interior update

Wall art is an integral element of an aesthetic interior and gallery walls are a spectacular way to display a lot of paintings, photographs, posters, etc. in the most presentable way. We selected some of the most impressive gallery wall ideas and will give you some useful tips how to arrange and decorate your home.

What can be better than a painting on the wall? The answer is quite obvious – several paintings. Gallery walls have long been popular all over the world. Why are they popular? Because this is an easy way to add personality to any room, emphasize depth and decor. It is modern, stylish and simply beautiful. A well-thought composition can become an aesthetic center of the interior as it unites different motifs, ideas, colors and shapes. Gallery walls can be arranged in large houses and small apartments, in living rooms, bedrooms, offices, even entryways. You can use the entire wall or part of it and sometimes even fill the space between the windows.

Impressive gallery wall ideas – show your personality and taste

The way you decorate your home says a lot about you. When people look at the interior they see your personality, individuality and taste. Displaying the drawings of your children indicates that family is the most important thing in your life. Paintings or photographs of sea and ocean may speak about your love of travel. When you combined paintings, photographs and other wall art, this would show you as a person with broad interests. So, how to make a really interesting, stylish, touching composition that reflects your individuality and taste?

It is not difficult to understand why gallery walls are so popular. Besides being an original design solution for home and office interiors they are often the focal point of the room and provide an opportunity to showcase your collection in a spectacular manner. The most frequent question that comes up is about the actual arrangement of all the paintings and other wall art. Many people are afraid of being eclectic and prefer a more formal approach. Some choose an airy and spacious arrangement, an ordered organization which follows a geometric grid or spectacular creative chaos. Leaving aside the individual preferences of the homeowner, when choosing the scheme, one needs to take into consideration the character of the interior and create the necessary mood and atmosphere.

Symmetrical compositions look calm and harmonious. However they may be too strict and even boring. To add more dynamics, combine vertically oriented paintings with horizontal ones, large ones with small ones. There is no need to arrange paintings of the same size in a row. You can create a feeling of balance by grouping the paintings – for example, a large picture can be combined with two or three small paintings. Like any design project, there is a risk of losing control when arranging a gallery wall and create something tasteless and chaotic. Plan the location of individual paintings. Cut out paper shapes that match the size and shape of the paintings. Fix them on the wall with masking tape to find the best position and the ideal distance between the paintings. It is a good idea to try different compositions and photograph the results. In this way you will be able to see which option is best. Do not forget that the center of the composition should be located at eye level. You can leave your improvised gallery composition on the wall for several days to check if something irritates the eye and change its place, if necessary.

Gallery wall – simple rules and design ideas

The element that has a key role in interior design is color. It is the color scheme that connects all the elements in the room and this includes wall art as well. Your paintings and wall art, in general, will set the tone of the atmosphere. The color scheme of the gallery wall may blend harmoniously with the overall interior or contrast with it. Do not forget that the background affects the perception of the composition and becomes part of it. For example, placing light paintings on a dark background or dark paintings on a light background creates a contrast which emphasizes the paintings and the shape of the art objects. Every interior is different and requires an individual approach. Avoid monotony! If all the art works are in the same style, on the same theme or in the same color scheme, the gallery wall seems boring and uninteresting. Do not be afraid to mix graphic posters with black and white photographs and classic paintings. You can combine different art objects and paintings when they are united by a theme and tell a particular story. For example, elements of plants and wildlife can be combined with animal motifs. You can successfully mix textures, materials and items to create a gallery wall and a truly unique interior design.

Let’s talk about frames. A frame plays an important role for the perception of paintings, photographs and other graphic art. The color, shape, style, material of frames – all of these are important as they affect the painting and the entire composition on the wall. Depending on the purpose, you can choose identical frames or if you want to make the interior more interesting, you can combine frames in different color, shape size and material. Having said that, we have to point out that even when you use different frames, you have to consider proper distance between the items on your gallery wall. Unequal distance between the objects of art is a common mistake. A uniform distance between the pictures and other objects is what makes the gallery wall composition a whole. If the paintings are too close to each other the overall composition will look messy while leave too large space your eye will stop at the empty spaces.

What is the best place for your gallery wall?

As you will see in the gallery below, you can arrange a gallery wall in every room of the home, even the bathroom. This can be an unexpected accent that transforms a dull wall, the space above the doorway or in the corner under the stairs and these unused spaces will become an immediate attraction to the eyes. Think of the floor! Who says that all your paintings have to be hung on the wall? Placing some paintings or photos on the floor is another great and unexpected way to add layers to the design and a sense of depth and volume to the interior of the room. Mixing wall art with statues or other art objects is a good way to visually break the uniform level of paintings and offer the eye a rest.

Think outside the box when you arrange your gallery wall. Look at the amazing and inspiring gallery wall ideas in the photos below. You will notice that the compositions are not limited to paintings but include other decorative items – vintage plates, interesting items, family heirlooms, etc. Even if you do not own a collection of paintings you can create a fantastic gallery wall. Look around your home. We all have a variety of useful items and we often forget about their aesthetic value. Candlesticks, small vases, an aquarium, a pot with a bright flowers or anything else that has a special meaning to you – all these can be displayed on shelves together with family photos and become your small, vibrant and very personal gallery wall.