Hi everyone! Well, I guess my idea of blogging more when the pandemic hit sounded reasonable however between homeschooling and working on on-going projects left less time than I thought! How is everyone doing? What home projects are you working on? The hubby and I are finally getting into our own home projects, our basement and our master bath. It's only taken us a year to get things going but moving in here we wanted to take some time off from the constant home projects we were always doing at the old home. Can you believe it's been a year already this month?! Time flies when you're having fun right?!😉 If you want to scroll down memory lane, here's the post I did about us moving!
Now, let's get to gallery walls.....who panics when they see those words? I promise you that they look scarier than they are. Honestly it's the best and most fun way to decorate those LARGE walls that you just find yourself staring at 👀 wondering what to do. It's also a great way to showcase your own personal family photos, places you've been or just anything else that interests you. The only rule to gallery walls is that there really aren't any, except being hung straight (in my opinion anyway).
In this recent office redesign I completed (this is a render, not an actual photo) my clients have these beautiful windows on one side and a blank slate of a wall on the other. Before I came on board with their design, they were thinking of having the desk face the window and frame out the back wall with large bookcases. The room is more long than wide and with the desk facing this way (towards beautiful french doors I may add), it gave us more wall space to play around with. And what better way to do that than with a gallery wall?! I always use themed pictures when I draw up my designs because even though I suggest art or pictures that can be used, I strongly encourage my clients to select what pictures they'd like to hang. Art is so personal that I like to make sure the final product connects with my clients.
As you can see, all sizes and shapes are welcome in a gallery wall. You can think of it as a puzzle-putting the smaller pieces together to create one large picture. You can also mix up the frames, color and style, and type of picture. You can add shelves, mirrors, signs really anything! I love this example below:
Ok Maria, that looks fantastic but where do I even BEGIN?....
Good question! The best place to begin is to measure out the area that you want to create the gallery wall. Tape the entire area with painters tape and then measure the inside. After that, it's best to select the photos (within their frames), mirrors, signs or anything else you'd like to add and lay them out in the order you'd like to hang them on the floor. The ideal spacing is 3-6 inches apart but I say the more "casual" it looks the better (again, see above). This way you can see how everything works together and what you'd want to change before putting any holes in the wall (take it from someone who tries desperately to minimize the amount of holes the hubby needs to patch 😆) When it comes time for hanging the pictures, I encourage using actual picture hangers as thumbtacks can only hold a certain amount of weight. For lighter pictures, I love using command hooks-that's a win win for everyone with no holes to patch! For larger pictures to make sure they are even, I either use a laser beam going across the wall or a ruler and draw a light line with a pencil.
Here's another design I just completed for an E-Design client. In this case, the wall isn't a huge wall but a few pictures will cozy up the space. In the end, the best advice I can give you when tackling a gallery wall is to have fun with it. There's no need for perfection and it can easily be switched around (especially if you used those command hooks!)
On a side note, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has decided to follow me here. I began this business 4 1/2 years ago not really knowing how the journey would pan out, or where it would lead. I continue to strive to give you all, along with my clients, the best design inspiration I can and absolutely LOVE creating the homes you all so rightfully deserve.
Until next time friends,
Maria
*Beginning a project and need help? From consultations to full service residential design, I can help you create your dream home! Click here for services!
