Why I Broke The Gallery Wall Rules!

Art lovers UNITE!  Gallery walls have been done over and over again.  You can see several pinned images with the how to’s for gallery walls, but I’m telling you today that all you need for a great gallery wall are your own eyes!  Once upon a time I was also obsessed with getting the “right” amount of art pieces, the “right” frame sizes, and having the “right” spacing between the art pieces.  Then one day, I decided to throw out all those gallery wall rules and I’ve never looked back.  Not only do I love my gallery walls even more, but the process of creating a gallery wall has been so much more enjoyable.

Why I Broke The Gallery Wall Rules!

Once you’ve decided to break the gallery wall rules, one of the first things to do is decide on which piece of art you’d like to feature.  This doesn’t have to be your largest piece either.  All you are doing is selecting which is your favorite piece of the bunch and selecting where on the wall you’d love to see it.  I don’t plan out the wall arrangement on the floor nor cut up pieces of paper and tape it to the wall like some tutorials suggest.  I literally take my hammer, and hang the nail where I want the featured art piece to go.

Whaaaaa!  You nail into the wall without a plan???!!!

I sure do and you can do it too.  Take a deep breath and just go for it.  Feeling a bit anxious about hammering a nail?  Then use those picture hanging strips instead to give you an easy opt out.  I will say that if your featured art piece is exactly where you want to feature it, then you’ll feel confident about your decision.  Step back and enjoy the freedom to hang your art the way you want!

Filling in the areas around the featured art piece is much more relaxing without rules holding you back.  I place art work where I feel is most aesthetically pleasing to my eye.  Moving the art pieces around until it feels right may take a few minutes more, but the organic assembly of the gallery wall is much more relaxing than a planned gallery wall.  You don’t have to follow any of the spacing rules, because your eye will automatically help you as you create your wall.

Sometimes I have a few art or photography pieces that I want to hang together, and other times I rummage through the art pile I have stored in the basement or shop the house for pieces for my new gallery wall.  Treat the gallery wall as one large art piece made up of individual art and photography selections.  Some gallery walls will be bigger, while others make more sense as a gallery collage wall (a few art pieces clustered together).  You will notice what colors you need on your wall and where certain pieces make sense as you create your gallery wall.

For Chi-Chi’s gallery wall, I started with the Nesting Dolls canvas art I made.  I placed it exactly where I thought she would enjoy it and filled in the pieces around it.  The black and white photography went up first followed by the DIY Otomi art.  When I stepped back, I noticed something was missing.  It needed a little touch of pink.  So I framed a remnant of fabric and it fit in beautifully!

At times you may not have the right art work you think is right for your wall.  In those situations, I wait to be inspired.  A gallery wall can easily be added to over time.  Maybe you’re a thrifter like me and are waiting to find the perfect piece for your art collection, or perhaps you haven’t come across the pièce de résistance to finish.  Instead of forcing the wall into completion, allow yourself the freedom to finish it naturally.  You’ll be more pleased with the end result. Happy Decorating!