There is something about walking in home & seeing photos around. It just makes it feel so cozy & inviting. When we moved into our home, one of the first things we did was start to get all the photos & memorabilia together that I wanted to hang up. Once I had it all together, I started to create a wall gallery to showcase my clan along with some architectural elements added.
I find what makes a statement is adding large frames to showcase your photos. I personally like 5×7 frames up to 16×20. I add a mixture of sizes & in between, I add some memorabilia. It can be an art piece or an antique that you love. Display what brings you joy! If you don’t like what you see, that’s ok. Take a few days to ponder about it & rework it until’ your heart is content.
How I got my wall gallery started was by starting with the focal point. This is where I add a large photo of my clan. From there, you place the photos and/or memorabilia around that focal point. Spread out to your desire length & width. I chose to go beyond the length of my couch. Then add around the top & bottom.
Note: too many small frames can make it look cluttered. What I recommend if you want to add smaller frames, limit to a few.
Some people have also done the layout method. You find examples o Pinterest. Lay the photos on the floor how you would like to see them placed on the walls. I have done several wall galleries in my time that just adding them to the wall was easy for me. I had a vision of how I wanted it to look & achieved it.
For the mounting hardware…
Depending on the type of wall you want in your gallery all depends on what hardware you need to use. Our 135-year-old house has the original stone walls. This can make it tricky to hang frames, especially heavy ones. We had to use masonry screws. For lighter frames & art we also used velcro command strips. Although, I do not recommend using any kind of command strips over your bed. Here’s a trick to keep your frames straight! Add a little sticky tack to the bottom of the frame. Before you tackle a wall gallery project, check to make sure what type of hardware you need first for your wall type.
Tools needed:
Drill
Mallet
Leveler
Screws
Command strips (optional)
Feeling inspired? Check out Pinterest for some amazing wall galleries!
Have fun creating!
Xo, Debra (aka Dusty)