Gallery walls are like a visual puzzle that is so much fun to create. What makes them interesting is the scope of the images that you want to showcase. One recipe that I often use is a mix of different mediums, like we did in our Nantucket beach house (above): Line drawings, photography, oil paintings, sculpture, pastels, posters and collages. When I buy art, I buy it because I like it and then somehow make it fit into the tapestry of a collective.
If you’re looking to make your own gallery wall, one common thread could be a similar color or a similar frame. Using various sizes of images make it feel more like that visual puzzle that gets worked and reworked until it fits just right. The advantage of a gallery wall is that you don’t have to commit to one arrangement; you can change your mind and shuffle the art around as you go, and that way there is no stress when putting holes in the walls. Think seasonal or have your own art show in your house! Make the artwork the pattern and color, and keep all the furniture monochromatic.
A well curated collection of an art or gallery wall can consist of art bought at a thrift shop, your child’s first painting and your great uncle’s watercolor masterpiece. The trick is having the confidence to put it all together. Here are a few of my favorite examples, starting with my very own home.
