Yes, “gallery wall” does have the word “gallery” in it, but that doesn’t mean your home has to look like a museum. Skip the identical picture frames that every home in the ’80s had and mix up your look with an eclectic mix of coordinating (or even mismatched!) frames instead. Perfectly matching frames are a great look for a formal room, but to keep your home décor looking like it’s really your home, loosen the reins a bit. Head to your local thrift shop or swing by a few garage sales and grab any frames that will get the job done. Leave them as you found them, or spray paint them all the same color to let the various shapes and sizes speak for themselves.
A gallery wall doesn’t have to be constrained to a grid layout or even to a tight cluster. As a matter of fact, stop overthinking the blank space between pictures as well. Display only what you absolutely love—nothing more and nothing less. If there are empty spaces, embrace them! Move pictures around and pull a couple out from the rest of the grouping to create an unexpected visual balance.
Who says your gallery even needs to be hanging on the wall? For a quirky, unfinished look let your pictures flow where they may—onto the ground, around a corner, or all the way up to the ceiling.
Let it all hang out! Perfection is boring and way too much work anyway. Give your display a little character and an attitude of nonchalance by letting cords and cables hang out. Embrace your hanging hardware by using ribbon instead of picture wire, or putting prints up with brightly-patterned washi tape. (Bonus: washi tape is cheap and removable!)
Although it’s usually a good idea to have some sort of unifying element tying the pieces of your gallery wall together, there are times when the best results come from spontaneity. Ditch the matching frames, forget the color scheme, and abandon the perfect theme you were planning. Sometimes more is more, so toss it all into the mix! We love playing with framed and unframed artwork, wall decals, canvas art prints, pretty plates and teacups, shelving, tapestries, plants, inherited objects, thrifted finds, curiosities, and mirrors. Overlap pictures, switch out objects regularly, and when it doubt—go for it!
The Darren Gygi Home Collection is the perfect resource for home décor artwork that can be switched out easily for any season, holiday, or theme. Grab a couple for spring, shop a few more for summer, and stock up for all the fall and winter holidays! For artwork that’s easy to switch out and incorporate into your gallery wall, shop our entire collection!
