How many of you have seen the gallery walls that are repinned over and over again on Pinterest? I did, but the thought of doing it myself was a little intimidating. Would I mess it up? What if it looks too busy? After a bit of hesitation, I decided to go for it. I’ve collected paintings, prints and maps for years, so I knew I had enough art of all shapes and sizes to make it work. That is the first requirement for a gallery wall, the second being a nice blank wall. I had read that you should measure everything out perfectly, but I’m a bit too impatient for that…so I decided to hang one of the larger pieces, then added the other artwork around it and filled in the spaces. Maintaining similar spacing between pieces is key, as is symmetry of the overall gallery wall. It’s important for the art to “go” together and have similar colors, but it doesn’t have to match and the frames certainly don’t have to be the same.
My favorite thing about my gallery wall is that each piece tells a story about me. The Georgia print shows that I’m a Georgia girl at heart, but I also have art that I collected in Hawaii scattered throughout. I also have a map of Key West from the 1800’s that my boyfriend bought me because we are both Ernest Hemingway fans, a painting from Istanbul that my parents bought me on a trip last year, and a painting from Puerto Rico that my mom bought on a trip when we went in the 1980’s. Finally, I have a big, colorful piece that was a bargain from TJ Maxx, and it ties all the colors together. I love how my gallery wall and adds a dash of whimsy and a splash of color to my white walls! If you’ve been waiting to create a gallery wall, just go for it! If it looks wonky, or you need to rearrange your art, IT’S OK! Nail holes are easy to patch and cover up, so give it a shot…your walls will thank you!
