A gallery wall is one of those decorating ideas that can completely transform a room without requiring a major makeover. A collection of pictures, photographs, prints and other treasured pieces can turn an otherwise empty wall into something colourful, characterful and completely personal to your home.
Gallery walls can work almost anywhere, too. A large arrangement can become the focal point of a living room, while a collection of family photographs can bring personality to a hallway or staircase. Even a tiny stretch of wall beside a doorway or above a console table can provide enough room for a small display.
The difficult part is often knowing where to start. Should all the frames match? How far apart should you hang them? Does every picture need to coordinate? And how do you create an eclectic gallery wall without it simply looking cluttered?
The good news is that there aren’t many hard-and-fast rules. A little planning, however, can make a big difference.
(Update: When we first wrote this article in 2015, we only included five ideas – now you have the bonus of 15!)
Quick Answer: How To Create a Stylish Gallery Wall
A successful gallery wall usually has at least one element that connects the individual pieces, whether that’s the frame colour, artwork style, subject matter or colour palette. Plan the complete arrangement before hanging anything, aim for reasonably consistent gaps between frames and treat the finished collection as one large piece of artwork rather than lots of separate pictures.
How to Plan a Gallery Wall
Before reaching for a hammer or drill, think about the wall as a whole.
Start by measuring the available space and considering anything that will sit beneath or alongside the display. A gallery wall above a sofa, for example, needs to relate visually to the size of the sofa rather than floating independently in the middle of a large wall.
Next, gather together the artwork you’d like to use. Don’t worry if it isn’t an obviously matching collection. Family photographs, paintings, prints, postcards and illustrations can work beautifully together.
Look for connections between them instead. Perhaps several contain similar colours, you’ve chosen mostly black frames, or the pictures share a botanical, coastal or travel theme.
If the collection feels too random, introducing one repeating element can help bring everything together.
Once you’ve chosen the artwork, arrange the frames on the floor. Move them around until you’re happy with the composition and take a photograph so you can refer to it later.
For greater accuracy, trace around each frame onto old wrapping paper or brown paper and cut out the shapes. You can attach these templates temporarily to the wall with low-tack tape and experiment with the positioning before making any holes.
Which Gallery Wall Layout Should You Choose?
There’s no single correct gallery wall layout. The best arrangement depends on the room, your artwork and whether you prefer a neat or more relaxed decorating style.
Grid gallery wall
Frames of the same or similar size are arranged in neat rows with equal gaps.
It’s an excellent choice for modern interiors and works particularly well for a collection of photographs, botanical prints or related artwork.
Linear gallery wall
Pictures are arranged along an imaginary horizontal or vertical line.
A horizontal arrangement works particularly well above a sofa, bed or sideboard, while a vertical collection can make use of a narrow section of wall.
Organic gallery wall
Different sizes and shapes are arranged around one or two larger pieces.
This is the classic eclectic gallery wall. Although it looks informal, keeping the gaps between pieces fairly consistent helps the collection feel intentional.
Salon-style gallery wall
Inspired by traditional salon hangs, artwork fills a substantial area of wall and may include lots of different sizes, subjects and frame styles.
It’s perfect if you have a large art collection or want a dramatic, maximalist look.
Picture ledge gallery
Instead of fixing every picture individually to the wall, artwork is arranged along one or more shallow picture shelves.
It’s particularly useful if you enjoy changing your artwork regularly.
15 Gallery Wall Ideas to Try
Once you’ve decided on the basic layout, you can have fun creating a display that suits your home.
1. Create a Symmetrical Grid
If you love a neat, ordered interior, keep things simple with identical frames arranged in a grid. Choose four, six, nine or more frames and maintain equal gaps both horizontally and vertically. Matching mounts can add another layer of consistency.
A grid works particularly well with a series of photographs or prints by the same artist. It’s also a good way of making relatively inexpensive artwork look much more substantial when displayed as a collection.
2. Build an Eclectic Gallery Wall
At the other end of the spectrum is an informal collection of different pictures, sizes and frames. Start with your largest or favourite piece and build the arrangement around it. Mix portrait and landscape formats and distribute larger or darker pieces across the composition so that one side doesn’t feel visually heavier than the other.
The trick is to make it look collected rather than random. Repeating a few colours or frame finishes throughout the display can provide just enough continuity.
3. Choose a Single-Colour Theme
Colour can provide the common thread between otherwise unrelated pieces of artwork. For example, you could create a collection containing different shades of blue, green, burgundy or terracotta. The artwork doesn’t need to match exactly; having a colour appear repeatedly is often enough to visually connect the pieces.
It’s a particularly useful approach if you want to combine contemporary prints, vintage artwork and photographs in one display.
4. Try a Black-and-White Gallery Wall
A monochrome gallery wall is timeless and can work with almost any decorating style. Black-and-white photographs are an obvious choice, but you could also introduce line drawings, typography, architectural prints and abstract artwork.
Black frames will give the collection a crisp, contemporary appearance. Natural timber frames soften the look, while white frames can help the artwork blend gently into a pale wall.
5. Coordinate Artwork With Your Wall Colour
Rather than treating the wall as a neutral background, use its colour as part of the display. Pick artwork containing shades that complement or echo the paint colour. Burgundy and blush artwork can look striking against warm pink or earthy walls, for example, while botanical prints containing olive and forest greens work beautifully against green paint.
Alternatively, use contrast. Pale artwork and mounts can look particularly effective against deep navy, charcoal or rich burgundy walls.
If you’re using a colour-drenched decorating scheme, artwork can either continue the palette or provide deliberate contrast
6. Use Matching Frames
If you’re unsure how to make a varied collection feel cohesive, matching frames are one of the easiest solutions. The artwork itself can be completely different, but repeating the same black, white, oak or walnut frame throughout creates a visual connection.
You don’t necessarily need identical frame sizes. In fact, using the same finish in several different sizes can give you the best of both worlds: consistency without making the arrangement feel overly formal.
7. Mix Different Frame Styles
Gallery wall frames don’t have to match. Combining timber, painted, metallic and vintage frames can create a wonderful collected-over-time appearance, particularly in traditional, eclectic and maximalist interiors.
Try not to introduce every possible finish at once. Repeating two or three frame materials or colours across the arrangement usually creates enough rhythm to hold everything together.
8. Create a Gallery Wall Above a Sofa
The empty wall above a sofa is an obvious place for a large piece of artwork, but a gallery wall can create even more impact. Treat the collection as a single large artwork and position it in relation to the sofa rather than the wall as a whole.
As a starting point, an arrangement spanning roughly two-thirds of the sofa’s width often creates pleasing proportions, although there’s no need to follow this precisely. The size and shape of your room, sofa and artwork should ultimately guide the decision.
Avoid positioning the collection so high that it appears disconnected from the furniture beneath it.
9. Make a Staircase Gallery Wall
Staircases provide a brilliant opportunity for a gallery wall because the display can follow the ascending line of the stairs. Family photographs are particularly well suited to this space, turning an otherwise functional area into a personal timeline.
You can follow the angle of the staircase fairly closely or create a looser organic arrangement that gradually rises as you climb the stairs.
Planning with paper templates is especially helpful here because judging the relationship between pictures on an angled wall can be surprisingly difficult.
10. Brighten Up a Hallway
Long hallways can be difficult spaces to decorate. Furniture isn’t always practical, but the walls provide plenty of opportunity. A gallery wall can transform a plain hallway into a mini art gallery. Try a neat row of photographs for a streamlined appearance or create an informal collection extending along the wall.
In a narrow hallway, consider relatively shallow frames so that the display doesn’t project unnecessarily into the space. The wall colour will also influence how prominently your artwork stands out; see our guide to the best paint colours for hallways for more ideas
If your hallway needs to work harder as well as look better, take a look at our hallway organisation ideas for practical ways to deal with shoes, coats and everyday clutter.
11. Create a Photography Wall
A gallery wall is a lovely way to bring photographs off phones and computers and into your home. Choose family portraits, holiday pictures, landscapes, architecture or everyday moments that mean something to you.
Using the same editing style can make unrelated photographs feel more cohesive. You might convert everything to black and white, for example, or choose images that share similar warm or muted tones.
Matching frames and mounts can then turn the collection into a polished feature.
12. Display Children’s Artwork
Not every gallery wall needs expensive artwork. Children’s drawings and paintings can make a joyful, colourful display and allow their creativity to become part of your home’s decoration. Simple frames can make even the most enthusiastic preschool painting look surprisingly impressive.
Choose frames that are easy to open if you’d like to rotate the artwork regularly, or photograph favourite pieces before replacing them so you retain a record of them.
13. Mix Artwork With Mirrors and Decorative Objects
Think beyond conventional framed prints. Small mirrors, decorative plates, textile art, baskets, wall-mounted ceramics and other interesting objects can be incorporated among framed artwork. Three-dimensional objects introduce texture and prevent a large gallery wall from feeling too flat.
This approach works especially well for eclectic interiors, although it’s sensible to choose a few repeated colours, materials or shapes so that the overall display still feels connected.
14. Use Picture Ledges for a Flexible Gallery
If you don’t want to commit to a fixed arrangement, picture ledges offer much more flexibility. Lean framed pictures against the wall and overlap them slightly to create depth. You can introduce small decorative objects between the frames or change individual pieces whenever you fancy a refresh. Using two or three shelves vertically can give you the impact of a traditional gallery wall without having to fix every individual frame into position.
It’s also worth considering for rented homes, although the ledges themselves will still need to be fixed securely unless you’re using existing shelving.
15. Make Use of a Small or Awkward Wall
You don’t need an enormous living-room wall to create a gallery. A group of just three or four pictures can bring interest to the space beside a doorway, above a radiator cover, between two windows or in a small corner.
For narrow walls, try arranging several pictures vertically. For a short, wide space, a horizontal row may work better.
Working with the proportions of the available wall rather than trying to squeeze in a predetermined arrangement generally produces the best result.
What Can You Put in a Gallery Wall?
Almost anything you can display safely can form part of a gallery wall.
Traditional choices include paintings, art prints and family photographs, but don’t feel limited by them. Postcards collected on your travels, old maps, botanical illustrations, architectural drawings, vintage advertisements and children’s artwork can all add personality.
Meaningful items often include mementos from journeys and incorporating travel prints can serve as a vivid reminder of cherished experiences, adding a personal touch and a sense of adventure to your display. Choosing prints that evoke a specific memory or feeling, such as a landscape from a memorable trip or a snapshot of a bustling market, helps to tell a unique story within your collection.
You could also include pressed flowers, fabric samples, handwritten notes, sheet music or other items displayed in suitable frames.
The result will usually be much more interesting if the collection tells you something about the people who live in the home.
How Far Apart Should Gallery Wall Frames Be?
Spacing has a surprisingly large influence on whether a gallery wall feels cohesive.
Around 5–8cm between frames is a useful starting point for many arrangements, and similar guidance appears across contemporary gallery-wall hanging advice.
However, consider the scale of the artwork. Tiny frames may suit slightly smaller gaps, while very large pieces can cope with more breathing space.
Consistency is often more important than the precise measurement. If one pair of pictures is 5cm apart and another pair is 15cm apart, the individual pieces can start to look disconnected.
For a formal grid, measure carefully so the horizontal and vertical gaps match. With an organic arrangement, the spacing doesn’t need to be mathematically perfect, but keeping it broadly consistent helps the display read as one composition.
How High Should You Hang a Gallery Wall?
Rather than deciding the height of each picture individually, think about the visual centre of the complete arrangement.
A commonly used starting point is to position the centre at approximately eye level—roughly 145–152cm from the floor.
But don’t become a slave to the tape measure.
If you’re hanging the collection above a sofa, sideboard, console or bed, its relationship with the furniture is often more important than a generic eye-level measurement. Keep the collection visually close enough to the furniture that the two feel connected rather than leaving a large expanse of empty wall between them.
How to Hang a Gallery Wall
Once you’ve planned the arrangement, hanging it should be relatively straightforward.
Lay the complete collection on the floor first and make any final adjustments. Photograph the arrangement, then create paper templates for each frame if you want to transfer the layout accurately to the wall. Interestingly, this floor-and-template approach is also recommended in a practical picture-hanging guidance from Wickes.
Mark the fixing position on each paper template rather than simply marking the outline of the frame. This will tell you where the nail, hook or screw actually needs to go.
Tape the templates to the wall, step back and look at the arrangement from different points in the room. It’s much easier to move a piece of paper than fill an unwanted drill hole.
When you’re satisfied, choose fixings appropriate for the weight of the frame and the type of wall. Heavier artwork may require screws and suitable wall plugs rather than simple picture hooks.
If you’re using adhesive hanging products, check both the manufacturer’s weight limit and whether they’re suitable for your particular wall finish.
Common Gallery Wall Mistakes
Hanging the artwork too high. A gallery wall should feel connected to the room and any furniture below it rather than floating near the ceiling.
Leaving huge gaps between frames. Too much empty space can make individual pictures look unrelated.
Creating an arrangement that’s too small. Three tiny pictures above a large sofa can look lost. Either increase the size of the artwork or expand the overall collection.
Trying to match everything. Cohesion is useful, but you don’t need identical artwork, frames, colours and sizes. One or two repeating elements are usually enough.
Not planning before hanging. Even a deliberately relaxed gallery wall benefits from being arranged on the floor first.
Ignoring visual weight. A large dark painting attracts more attention than a tiny pale print. Spread visually dominant pieces around the arrangement so that the gallery doesn’t appear to lean towards one side.
Adding too much. You don’t have to fill every available centimetre. Leaving some breathing room around the complete collection can make the artwork much more noticeable.
Gallery Wall FAQs
Do all the frames on a gallery wall have to match?
No. Matching frames create a neat, cohesive appearance, but mixed frames can give a gallery wall much more personality. If you’re mixing styles, try repeating a couple of colours or materials throughout the collection.
How do you make a gallery wall look cohesive?
Introduce at least one common element. This could be the frame colour, artwork palette, mount colour, subject matter or style. Consistent spacing between the pictures will also help the collection feel unified.
Should a gallery wall have an odd or even number of pictures?
Either can work. Even numbers are particularly suited to symmetrical grids, while odd numbers can make informal arrangements easier to balance. The overall composition matters much more than the number of frames.
Can you make a gallery wall without nails?
Yes. Depending on the weight of the artwork and your wall surface, removable picture-hanging strips may be suitable for some frames. Picture ledges provide another flexible option, although the shelves themselves normally require secure fixing.
Always follow the hanging-product manufacturer’s instructions and weight limits.
How do you start an eclectic gallery wall?
Choose your largest or favourite piece first and use it as an anchor. Arrange smaller pictures around it while maintaining reasonably consistent gaps. Repeat a few colours, frame finishes or subjects across the collection to make the finished display feel intentional.
Make Your Gallery Wall Personal
The most successful gallery walls aren’t necessarily the most perfectly coordinated ones. They’re the displays that contain things you genuinely enjoy looking at: photographs that remind you of favourite places, artwork you’ve collected over time, children’s drawings, vintage finds or simply prints whose colours make you happy.
Plan the proportions and spacing carefully, but don’t become so preoccupied with creating a flawless arrangement that you remove all the personality. After all, unlike buying one enormous piece of artwork, a gallery wall can continue to evolve. Add another picture when you discover something you love, swap photographs as your family changes or rearrange a picture ledge when you fancy something different.
That’s part of the appeal: a gallery wall can grow and change along with your home.
For more ideas for hanging and displaying art, check out our Gallery Wall Display Ideas board on Pinterest.
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I love design of the room on 3rd picture.