5 ways to lay out a gallery wall in your home

Deciding how to lay out artwork in your home can be a daunting task. It's difficult to know where to start, and can often feel tough to get 'just right'. How many pieces should you have? Should they be photos or prints? And how do you choose frames? 

First things first, a good gallery wall should add personality to a room. This is an opportunity to not only fill a blank wall, but to add some colour, texture, or just simply a bit of character. It should also act as the final finishing touch, and should therefore add something to the room rather than distract from it. 

So here's some inspiration for different styles and layouts which might work in your home. Or at least provide a good starting point for creating your own gallery wall. And all doable on a tight budget, of course. 

Layout ideas 

Structured 

The first option is to go for something really structured and uniform. Choose frames of the same colour and size, and go for similar looking photos to keep a consistent theme. Lay out the frames in a co-ordinated way, making sure to get your measurements exactly right. 

I've recently done something similar on my stairs which cost me just £25 - I shared exactly how I did it here, and it was really simple. This layout looks especially effective in a space with a high ceiling, such as on a landing or hallway. 

Small gallery of three or four 

If you've got a small empty wall to fill then using three or four framed prints is always my go-to. Arrange them in more of a ad-hoc manner, and keep the colours similar to tie them together. The good thing about an arrangement like this is you can always add to this and build it up as you find more prints or bits and pieces you like. 

Above a sofa 

Start by having a (hypothetical) line along which your lower prints or items will sit - this should be parallel with the back of your sofa, and will make sure your layout looks orderly and more pleasing to the eye. 

Firstly position your larger framed pieces, A3 or A2-sized, for example. Try to stick with a symmetrical look, and place them either side by side in the centre, or opposite ends of the gallery wall space. Then style your smaller pieces around these larger bits, and again sticking to a symmetrical look will bring order to the room. 

Emma from @emmas_hygge_home has done this perfectly above her sofa: the mix of similar colours and styles, along with the addition of some quirky items makes this space look visually amazing doesn't it? The use of identical frames across the whole wall tie everything together neatly too.

Up the stairs 

Always a wide blank empty space, its difficult to know what to do with that wall isn't it?! A gallery wall is a great idea, as you can fill the space and add some real character here too. There are a number of ways you can do this, but one is to take on an 'incline' layout, following the shape of your staircase. Choose some larger size frames and place them at stages to create a layout reflecting the incline of your stairs. Then fill the gaps with smaller frames. Alternate these between landscape and portrait orientation, and why not add some different shapes too?

Esther from @prettylittleterrace has absolutely nailed this - her larger prints create structure to the gallery, which follows the angle of the staircase, filled out with the smaller frames, and the little mirrors add the finishing touch to tie the look together. The pops of colour look amazing when complimented by the monochrome panelling and banister too don't they? 

On a shelf 

Don't have space to dedicate a full wall to a gallery? Or perhaps you rent and can't put too much on the walls? Why not pop some prints in frames on the shelf and create a mini-gallery space. Choose different sized frames and layer your prints up. Popping some additional items such as plants can add some interest, and fill the space nicely. 

Gallery wall tips

When choosing your prints or items, keep the colour scheme of your room in mind and choose complimentary tones to tie everything together. 

When deciding on a layout, I find the best way to do this is on the floor. This way you can shuffle things around until you're happy, without making any holes in your wall! Don't forget to take a photo before you start transferring them to the wall. Alternatively, if you find it easier to do this directly on the wall, you could cut out paper at the different sizes of your prints and stick them up, moving them around until you're happy. 

You don't just have to stick to prints though of course, some of the most effective and visually-interesting gallery walls contain a mix of items, mirrors and wall hangings amongst the prints and photos.

Have you got a gallery wall in your home? Which style have you gone for?

Thanks for reading, 

Sam Xx