What are your thoughts on gallery walls? Personally, I’ve never been a huge fan. They have always seemed so busy to me, almost like a “filler.” I’ve always preferred a larger piece (like this) that means something to me rather than a ton of little prints.
But there’s a couple of problems with the “single large piece” approach… 1. With 14 foot ceilings, it’s got to be a big ass piece of art to not look miniscule on the wall. 2. Um…art is expensive.
So the more I think about it, the more I start to lean towards the gallery idea. I’ll admit it is a great way to fill a space without spending a lot of money. And there are still plenty of beautiful and meaningful smaller pieces out there. (For the record, I’m not a huge fan of family photo gallery walls…just not my style.) Eventually, I’d like to migrate back towards the larger statement pieces, but I think a gallery wall would be a good stepping stone. And let’s face it: we can’t afford the big art and we’re not going to just have bare walls for the next 10 years! So on that note, here are a few posts of ideas and inspiration that I like:
Jen from Made By Girl had a great post a couple weeks ago with her tips for creating an attractive gallery wall. I, of course, love her use of gold, black, and white in her own office.
Emily Henderson did a post a few months back about creating a focal wall, in which the gallery idea was one of the options. Bonus: this one even includes a video!
After reading this post by Sam from The Peak of Tres Chic, I realized that all gallery walls do not have to be the same. There are tons of options for making them look more interesting and dynamic.
I also found this useful arrangement chart for when I’m just at a total loss on where to start. (Yes, I know it’s in a foreign language, but you get the idea.)
Jury’s still out on whether or not I’ll try to incorporate one of these into the house. Luckily there’s still plenty of time to decide!
So what do you think? Yay or nay?
Hi Sarah – nice post! Being an art dealer sure helps in this department. I haven’t got to hang my collection yet – but I see merit both ways. If you have a big wall and you don’t have or can’t get large pieces of art – there’s not many options. A couple of small pieces will look so wrong. I love lots of the examples you posted.
Art.com is a good place to shop. You can just get the print in various sizes, or have them frame it or get it in canvas. The best thing is…once you sign up (free), they send you emails when they are having 25 or 30 percent off sales! I can spend hours looking for a print, but it goes on hold until the next sale!
Thanks, Charlene! I’ll have to check it out!
I actually adore gallery walls. That is what I had in my first parlor room, but I just took all the pictures down to get the room ready to be repainted. I am not sure that I will return it to a gallery wall after the room is painted. I would love to have huge statement pieces of art, but like you said, it can be expensive. I am researching my options online.
Let me know if you find a good solution! :)
Wow, this is great. Anyways, if you ever damage your wall or ceiling, a repair is essential to resolve the problem instantly so the damage won’t get worse.