If you’ve been following for a bit, you’d know I’ve been going on about creating a wall gallery, including some posters and photos. Well well, after what seemed like forever, guess who has finally done that? I can’t take all the glory though – so many thanks to Desenio who offer a wide range of amazing posters and prints – first of all for making it happen, providing an incentive and also sponsoring this blog post as I spill to you what you need to do to create a photo gallery wall.

Trust me, it’s sometimes harder than it looks.

First off, why am I such a stan for gallery walls? Because bare walls do not feel cozy and definitely do not feel like home. They feel precisely bare. It’s a fab opportunity to let your personality shine through frames, posters and wall art, illustrations etc. It’s often aesthetically pleasing as well and often a great backdrop for photos. A well-done gallery is always to be appreciated and makes the wall come alive.  Now that we’re in agreement that everyone needs a gallery wall, let’s get into the how!

    1.  Determine the Wall

It does sound basic, but it isn’t. Of course you can set up a gallery on any wall, but some walls are better than others. Perhaps one of the most common walls is staircase walls. Others include behind the couch, above the TV, above the headboard in the bedroom, above the baby’s cot, a wall behind or in front of the dining and walls by dressing tables or work tables. Ok, maybe most kind of walls would work, as long as they’re often easily seen.

2. Make a Selection of Preferred Frames and Content

Now that we’ve decided on the wall, you need to paint a mental picture of your preferred kind of gallery wall. What sort of theme are you interested in? What are your interests? Again a gallery wall in the kitchen might be quite different for one in the bedroom or living room. This mental arrangement involves thinking about the sizes, types and colours of the frames, to the actual content of the frames. More art posters, or more words? More photos? Your kid’s hand-painted drawing? You may have to spend a good amount of time on this step, seeking inspiration from various sources like websites, Pinterest, Instagram etc. You do not need to rush and can spend a while gathering all of your inspiration before you decide to finally shop!

It can actually be quite tricky to decide what sizes of frames and layout to go for, and that’s why I actually really love this Desenio guide page – it shows examples of layouts and templates for small medium and large walls. We picked the one for the medium wall, and just tweaked it a little. As this is in our living room which is quite contemporary, we didn’t play around too much with choice of frames and art but opted for a classic black and white theme focused on love and home. my next gallery which would be my work space, would however have an entirely different vibe!

3. Don’t forget the little things… that make a big difference

Now that the above two steps are done and you know what exactly you’re going for, it’s easy to simply purchase your frames and posters/ pictures and call it a day! But don’t forget the little things that can make a big difference like passe-partouts (or cutouts), especially if your frame doesn’t come with one. I love that they frame posters and photos so nicely and increase the visual appeal. Also, if you’d like to have a poster to the wall without framing, or to hang some frames without nailing, you need to get tapes or picture hanging strips as well. Finally, a hammer, tape rule or ruler, pencil, eraser and a plumb vial are necessary – this last one because you need to make sure it hangs straight!

 4. Run a trial

The one thing you do not want to do is to actually hang up all of your photos and realise that you don’t like the final outlook. So it’s helpful to lay it out on the floor in the exact way you intend to hang it. See how it looks, take a photo, ask a second opinion, sleep on it if necessary. Don’t be afraid to play around with the arrangement. Be certain!

  5. Hang!

Well, it’s time to hang. Experts recommend starting with the biggest tip first to create a focal point. That’s certainly what we did. It also allows you to expand the wall as required if necessary in the future. You need to do this quite carefully, and if you’re not very great at this kinda stuff, it’s okay to get some help. I definitely do not attempt to do this and leave it to Tee to sort out while providing moral support, encouragement and confirming that it’s to my liking. While hanging, you’d also need to pay attention to the spaces between the frames so it’s nicely aligned. And do not forget to do these safely, please. Use a step ladder if you must, and ensure the environment is free of hazards.

  6. Look Back and… Enjoy!

Well, then it’s all done. A gallery wall which you should love. It should be fine on its own but depending on where the wall is, you could re-arrange and include a few items to make it stand out. A flower of a plant beside the wall, complementary throws or pillows on a couch below the wall, books, flowers – all of this help add to the beauty of the gallery. Now stand back, take a ton of photos and enjoy!

I think everyone should love gallery walls to be honest, and you can always switch it up with new posters or interests. If you’re not too crazy about hanging though you can still have your frames and posters in different sizes leaning nicely against a wall or a table, or placed on a shelf.

All frames, passe partouts and posters in our wall above are from www.desenio.co.uk.

Do you have a wall gallery? What is it like? And if you had to create a gallery, what wall in the house would be your ideal, and what sort of posters too?

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Read too: 8 Recommended Items for a Cozy Home  and 3 Lifestyle Changes since Moving to the UK