A Gallery Wall Is More Than Framed Art
Some walls hold artwork. Others tell a story.
All interiors in this story are original work by Founder, Rachel Anderson, photographed by Evernew.
A WALL OF POSSIBILITIES
So Much More Than Decor
Gallery walls are a lot like fingerprints, in my experience. Each one has a style all its own and is as unique as the individual it belongs to.
Even if your goal is to mimic an inspirational image, the final result will still be unmistakenly yours. It will contain your photos, art, objects, and treasured items. It will be unmistakably you, regardless of where you started.
That might be what I love about gallery wall projects the most. While design trends influence contemporary design and rooms often look like similar versions of each other, gallery walls always feel distinctly personal. When I leave a furnishings project behind, I know it will eventually change with the seasons of its owners. It often feels like a temporary installation.
But a gallery wall is different. It holds meaning and memory and reflects a world of feeling back at those who set eyes on it. Rather than playing a supporting role like the objects in the rest of the room do, they seem to leap off the wall with story. They draw a visitor in and keep them captivated longer than any piece of furniture would.
And they do it so quickly and affordably. You can add some very special interest to a wall with a small budget and a little planning. It is this combination of accessibility, function, and impact that keeps me coming back to them again and again. So, I guess it’s no surprise they have become such a treasured part of my design work over the past eight years, that they now have their own page in my list of services.
Whether designing in my own home or for a client, they always result in a unique, meaningful display. They can be so much more than a traditional wall of photos or art. Read on to see all the ways I’ve explored gallery walls in mine and my clients’ homes.
ART PRINTS + CHILDREN’S ARTWORK
The Classic Collection
There is, of course, a reason the classic gallery wall endures. Bringing artwork of different sizes, subjects and styles together allows individual pieces to become part of something larger. The collection can tell a story that no single piece could tell on its own.
I especially love this approach when a room is meant to feel layered and collected rather than overly coordinated. Frames don't necessarily have to match. Artwork doesn't have to come from the same source or even the same era. The relationship between the pieces is what creates cohesion.
In this playroom, the wall became almost another layer of play—colorful, varied, and full of joyful things.
FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS + LIVING GREENERY
A Collection of Memories
A gallery can also become a visual record of life.
Family photographs are especially meaningful when they're allowed to become part of the design rather than relegated to a tabletop frame here and there or an album tucked out of sight in a cabinet.
For this wall, photos from different moments and generations were gathered into a loose composition, with small wall-mounted plants breaking up the angles, adding movement and life to a static spot. Keeping a simple palette of white frames and mats atop a crisp, white wall helps the images to leap off the backdrop with personality.
The result is cohesive without feeling formal. It is dynamic and playful, but there is room for the eye to rest between images. One of the best things a gallery wall can do is make the people who live there visible in their own home. And to celebrate all the changing seasons of our lives.
FOUND + COLLECTED PIECES
Objects as Art
The real fun in gallery wall design is thinking outside the frame.
A set of objects in relation to each other creates a new form of wall art. Tilting everyday objects at a new angle brings a new point of view. Textures and patterns normally lost in a space seem to pop off a blank wall with vibrancy.
How can you look at the objects or collections in your home and see them with new eyes? A set of hats displayed in harmony blends function and art. An inherited set of plates gets its moment instead of disappearing inside a cabinet.
No matter what you choose—small trinkets from world travels, vintage tools that delight, or musical instruments at the ready—your favorite items can become your own personal wall of meaning and memory.
Gathered together, ordinary functional objects become a sculptural installation. Before looking outside your home to fill that blank wall, try shopping what you already have to find what is worth seeing more.
FUNCTIONAL OBJECTS
A Collection with Purpose
Both space saver and natural conversation starter, displaying a group of your own items as a gallery gives them new purpose.
Rather than hiding this collection of guitars in a guestroom or taking up vital space on floor stands, hanging them turned something practical into a wonderful visual moment. These clients now host many lively parties where they and guests can break into music as the mood arises.
When not in use, the guitars evoke nostalgic memories of gatherings of the past. They give this funky corner a function and personality a simple plant could not. On their own they are just objects, but together they tell a story about the souls who live here.
Sometimes you don’t need more stuff to make a beautiful home, you simply need a way to enjoy the items you already love to the fullest.
DECALS + APPLIED ART
Playfully Impermanent
A gallery doesn't technically have to be hung at all. These two nurseries are very different, but the walls were created using essentially the same idea: hand-placed decals layered across a larger surface to create feeling and personality.
In one, oversized purple and pink florals sweep across the wall, painting a delicate composition around the crib. In the other, tiny antlers weave pattern and rhythm without the commitment of wallpaper.
There are no frames or collections of art, but a gallery of images, nonetheless. The result is striking in its own way.
UNIQUELY YOURS
The Beauty of the Mix
There really aren't rules about what belongs in a gallery.
A child's drawing can hang beside an original painting. A family photograph can live next to a plant. Something inherited can sit beside something found at a flea market. A guitar can be art. A basket can be sculpture. A decal can become part of the story.
With a little planning and patience, nearly any everyday item you love can be incorporated into a wall of meaning. It can be an exciting opportunity to express yourself—the things you love, the places you’ve been, the people you’ve shared life with—and to personalize your home further.
They can even be designed to grow alongside you. On this expansive playroom wall, the pieces were installed from the middle out. Room remains at the top and sides for more treasures to join. The wall is a living collection that evolves along with the people around it.
Acting as a personal canvas, gallery walls reflect the life we’ve lived, are living, and are building. They can hold vast meaning and be a beautiful, uplifting reflection of what you hold dear. That’s a lovely way to navigate everyday life.
THE SECRET FORMULA
It's All About Composition.
Deceptively simple in concept. Often challenging to construct in person. What is the secret to a cohesive gallery wall?
Here are six simple tips to keep in mind when planning your collection.
Save it for later - pin this graphic for the next time you’re planning a gallery wall.
Have a blank wall at home that’s begging for attention?
Let’s work together to bring it to life. Sometimes all you need is a fresh set of eyes and a friend to bounce ideas off of—I’m here to help.