Lifestyle
Getting Framed: 12 Gallery Wall Ideas To Elevate Any Space
Slide Nr 1As daunting as a blank page for an uninspired writer, an empty wall can appear like a threat or an overwhelming challenge for those of us who aren’t brimming with design ideas. How to adorn it in a way that’s not only visually pleasing, but also a reflection of your taste and personality, not to mention in harmony with the interior space as a whole? Banish your horror vacui and embrace the creative potential of the gallery wall, which allows you to maximise uniqueness and minimise dead space. Whether you’re using paintings, photos, posters, drawings, mirrors, needlework art, ornate empty frames or all of the above, we offer 12 gallery wall composition ideas to beat dullness and anxiety alike.
0/12
Lifestyle
Getting Framed: 12 Gallery Wall Ideas To Elevate Any Space.
Slide Nr 2THE BUTTERFLY: Welcome, Madame! – Create a focal point in the room of your choice by positioning a large piece in the middle of a wall, with a collection of slightly smaller frames surrounding it harmoniously, either one or two on each side. Make sure to align the middle artwork’s bottom edge with the top of the key piece of furniture (such as a sofa or desk), and have the ancillary frames radiating symmetrically from it like stylised butterfly wings.
1/12
Lifestyle
Getting Framed: 12 Gallery Wall Ideas To Elevate Any Space.
Slide Nr 3THE LANDSCAPE: Sweet Home Panorama – Oh, that wonderful trip to the alpine lake! Or a dramatic city skyline at sunset! Seize your most beloved holiday memories – or simply a work of photographic art that caught your eye – and freeze it in a long, panoramic ram, as wide and all-encompassing as your love for that particular place. But don’t stop there: enhance the effect by flanking the picture with two smaller images, ideally related to the main piece in some way, such as by theme or colour.
2/12
Lifestyle
Getting Framed: 12 Gallery Wall Ideas To Elevate Any Space.
Slide Nr 4THE POLYPTYCH: Sacred Wall Of Frames – Offer a respectful nod to sacred art with a Renaissance-inspired polyptych arrangement with one large central frame and two smaller ones either side, the bottom of their frames progressively misaligned downwards. Based on the width of the wall and the number of artworks you have, you might also try a triptych or a hexaptych. But probably not a decaptych – who has walls big enough for that?
3/12
Lifestyle
Getting Framed: 12 Gallery Wall Ideas To Elevate Any Space.
Slide Nr 5THE BOX: Think Inside It – Suddenly have a strong urge to play Tetris? Good. Get hold of art pieces in consistent geometric shapes, alternating them to create a square composition in which each element gravitates around a central item. If your gallery wall is hung above a buffet or console table, you can balance the cold geometry of the configuration by decorating the table with glasses filled with jewelry or lights, or rounded vases with long-stemmed flowers that frame the art.
4/12
Lifestyle
Getting Framed: 12 Gallery Wall Ideas To Elevate Any Space.
Slide Nr 6THE SCATTERED BOX: Somewhat Organised Chaos – Not the Tetris type? Give a wink and a nod to your proficiency in visual anarchy with this gallery wall, where the game is about alternating both square and rectangular shapes along an imaginary horizontal line that splits this calm chaos into two halves. This should definitely be in your wheelhouse.
5/12
Lifestyle
Getting Framed: 12 Gallery Wall Ideas To Elevate Any Space.
Slide Nr 7THE REVERSE MIRROR: Even, Not Odd – When you have an even number of pieces, you can never go wrong with some symmetry… but maybe add a twist. This reverse mirror composition ups the ante on the whole wall design, as it provides balance while playing with our expectations. Using the same imaginary horizontal guiding line as the Scattered Box design, this pattern introduces more neatness and order, inviting you to add perhaps a couple of wall lamps on either side for maximum show-stopping effect.
6/12
Lifestyle
Getting Framed: 12 Gallery Wall Ideas To Elevate Any Space.
Slide Nr 8THE SPIRAL: Whirligig On The Wall – If you’re in pursuit of a dynamic design, think of a pinwheel… and capture that whimsical motion in a two-dimensional format on your wall, using a centred square as the axle with rectangular frames rotating around it. Maybe set a floor lamp or a tall ornamental plant (like a yucca or a kentia palm) next to each side of the arrangement to soften the whirling. We promise you: it won’t blow over.
7/12
Lifestyle
Getting Framed: 12 Gallery Wall Ideas To Elevate Any Space.
Slide Nr 9THE BLOCK PARTY: Gettin’ Griddy With It – This one’s for you, neat freak! Symmetry is your jam, your compass both in art and in life, so what better than this grid composition to grace the walls of your perfectly organised home? The subjects of the art on display can vary… as long as no frame is askew.
8/12
Lifestyle
Getting Framed: 12 Gallery Wall Ideas To Elevate Any Space.
Slide Nr 10THE MONDRIAN: Cue The Cube – Eager to embellish that dull nook that could do with some art, but afraid of overdoing it? Draw inspiration from Piet Mondrian, and assemble a tightly packed gallery wall in the signature geometric style of the Dutch abstract artist. If you really can’t help but go a little overboard, then don’t hold back – you could even create a Russian doll of artistic references by filling each frame with his iconic three primary colours and replicating his most famous works… or ingeniously reinventing them.
9/12
Lifestyle
Getting Framed: 12 Gallery Wall Ideas To Elevate Any Space.
Slide Nr 11THE CASCADE: Go With The Flow – Not one for rigid formulas, but also no fan of utter chaos, this configuration might just float your boat: stagger the artworks so they gradually descend to one side. It’s a simple yet exquisite way to showcase prints or photos (especially of the minimalist genre) not only in your living room or dining room, but also along the stairs. For a playful (and budget-friendly) version, try creating your own multi-piece grouping by cutting a large, inexpensive print into sections and framing each part separately.
10/12
Lifestyle
Getting Framed: 12 Gallery Wall Ideas To Elevate Any Space.
Slide Nr 12THE CHEVRON: Staggeringly Chic – The classic zig-zag motif known as chevron can serve you as guidance for placing a few same-sized posters or artworks, staggering them across the wall in a V-shaped pattern that is harmonious and not overwhelming. If you’re down for some bold experimentation, spice things up by choosing truly eye-popping artworks – think: a series of silkscreen prints in full Andy Warhol Marilyn Diptych style.
11/12
Lifestyle
Getting Framed: 12 Gallery Wall Ideas To Elevate Any Space.
Slide Nr 13THE MIRROR: Magic Mirror On The Wall – You don’t need to hang an omniscient enchanted mirror to add a touch of magic to a room, but if you really can’t do without it (the mirror and the magic), arrange a decorative set-up encompassing an oval or ruffle-shaped mirror – which will make the room feel bigger – or even an oval bas-relief artwork (with or without the portrait of a great ancestor in it) together with an evenly spaced drop-down triad of rectangular frames on the side. Now who’s the fairest frame of all?…
12/12
Share with your friends
