Walking the gallery
It’s hard for me to pick a favorite museum. I’m lucky enough to live in a city that has plenty to offer—the Walters, the BMA, the American Visionary—and be close to a coastal wealth of them, especially in New York, where I’d admit I’m most inclined to the MOMA. Spaces of art are rich in experience for us. As we pass through them, we come in contact with the density of history, the hand of the artist, a new aesthetic encounter that shapes how we feel and think. These are places of inspiration, places of feeling and evocation. To spend a little time in an art gallery is to feel the wonderful expanse of humanity, and to see beauty in ways you might not have thought to see it before.
And it’s no surprise that we so often want to bring home a piece of that beauty for ourselves (museum gift shops must really make a killing). Art in the home is not only a great way to amplify the aesthetic quality of your space, but also a perfect opportunity to cultivate your home to best express you and your unique array of tastes and styles. A gallery wall—the topic of today’s post—is one of the most fun design elements to create, and a perfect way to add character to your spaces.
A gallery wall is the optimal point for personal expression, in large part because it’s so defined by the hand of its curator. Perhaps you consider yourself a minimalist—by all means, stick to a sleek selection of black-and-white prints, neatly arranged. Tilting more towards maximalism? Layer paints, framed curios, mirrors, and hey, maybe even an interesting tapestry. There’s no limit to customization when it comes to gallery walls. Today, I have a few tips for you to help make your gallery wall experience museum-quality!
First off, logistics. Dedicate your gallery wall location with intention—and don’t limit yourself to convention. A broad blank wall space could be perfect, but also consider the out-of-the way nooks—the tops of stairwells, the sides of window seats—that might benefit from some flair. Figure out the space you have to work with, and then get to the fun part: picking your art!
Don’t restrict yourself to what’s deemed standard in the world of wall hangings. There’s more that can be put up than just paintings in frames. Have some fun trinkets you’d like to display? A small shelf can be a part of your gallery wall, just like any other piece of art. Vintage signage more your wheelhouse? The right vintage piece will add that perfect retro feel that you’ve been craving. This is the part of the process where it’s all about you: your style, your vibe, your aesthetic preferences, your sense of self. A gallery wall shouldn’t overpower your space or make unreasonable demands—it should harmonize with your pieces to add another brilliant layer to your home, and make it all the more you.
After you’ve selected your pieces, it’s time to arrange them. It can helpful to lay them out before you commit to putting nails and hangers in your wall—you can spread your pieces out on a clear area of your floor to get an idea of how you want to slot things together, and assemble a set of measurements and spacings which you can then lightly mark on your wall in pencil, or line out with painter’s tape, which will keep your paint job safe and let you get a real idea of how the shapes will sit once they’re up. Start with the largest pieces and accessories, whose shapes have the largest profile and will serve as anchors for the rest of your art. Then shuffle in your smaller pieces to form a cohesive gallery selection!
Looking for a hand curating a space in your home, art and furniture and all? Drop me a line and let’s talk!
A trip to a museum is a lovely treat—what’s even lovelier is having your own personal museum, right in your own home.