What To Include in a Curated Gallery Wall

While traditional gallery walls consisted of ornately framed paintings, today’s arrangements can contain any combination of two and three-dimensional pieces, including:

• Framed artwork (paintings, photographs, prints, posters, sketches, drawings)
• Memorabilia and collectibles
• Decorative brackets, lighting, or clocks
• Sculptural art pieces
• Wall hangings

You can create a gallery wall with a tidy grid of photographs in matching frames or a freeform eclectic mix. For a curated look, we recommend one of two primary methods.

1. Work Within a Unifying Color Palette or Theme.

While your elements don’t need to match, connect them visually with one or more features. Perhaps all the pieces have at least a touch of a similar color, for example. Keeping within the same color group (warm or cool) will help prevent clashes.

2. Tell a Story.

Gallery walls surround you with images and objects that bring you joy. Perhaps that’s why they’ve endured changing style trends for centuries! You can use a gallery wall to tell the story of your family, travels, or interests. A beautifully curated gallery wall is meant to spark conversation.

Where To Place Your Gallery Wall

Traditional sites for a gallery room include the living and dining rooms, which offer ample wall space and are on view for guests. There’s no need to limit yourself, however. A small gallery wall can bring interest to oft-overlooked spaces like stairwells, foyers and halls. Whichever room you choose, remember that your curated gallery wall should be the star of the show. Place your gallery arrangement away from competing elements to avoid a cluttered appearance.

How To Arrange Your Gallery Wall

Just as there are no hard-and-fast rules about what to include in your gallery wall, you are free to arrange your gallery wall as you choose. The method is straightforward for a grid of identically framed pictures—measure precisely and hang at eye level. However, if you’ve never created an asymmetrical wall arrangement, it may be more daunting to start. Our team at Margaret McHenry Maids, the choice for cleaning services in Wichita, recommends using the following tips when getting started:

1. Center your grouping horizontally between two points. Otherwise, your room may look off-balance.
2. Start with your largest framed piece to anchor your arrangement. Avoid placing it right in the center, as this will pull the eye directly to the middle of your collection instead of letting it travel from piece to piece.
3. Place the second-largest piece away from the first. Try positioning it in one of the four corners of your gallery wall area in the opposite orientation. If you have additional large pieces, spread them out throughout the arrangement.
4. Build out from your large items, being mindful of visual flow and your balance of colors, orientations, and materials.
5. You don’t have to worry about even spacing for an asymmetrical arrangement, but you should leave at least 3” between pieces to avoid overcrowding.

To avoid excess marks and nail holes in your wall, we recommend laying out your arrangement on the floor first and taking a photo for visual reference before transferring it to the wall. Or, you can create a template by tracing around each piece on a roll of paper and cutting them out. Using tape, you can then arrange the templates on the wall!

The Choice Is Clear

Margaret McHenry Maids is the choice for cleaning services in Wichita for many reasons. Our Kansas-owned and operated company has been consistently voted a favorite/best in Wichita since 2010, and we maintain an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Contact Margaret McHenry Maids at (316) 612-9300 or complete the form to request a complimentary house cleaning services estimate today!