DIY: Hang a Gallery Wall

Kristen Siefkin’s gallery wall is the focal point of her petite home, and includes all different media, such as paintings, framed textiles and prints. Their subjects remain diverse as well, ranging from the abstract to a precisely rendered woodblock print. Chances are, you have a similar array at your disposal. The beauty of the gallery wall approach is that it needn’t be too “matchy-matchy.” Siefkin gave us her tips for displaying with panache.

  1. GET PERSONAL Siefkin’s only rule for purchasing art is to buy what you like. She doesn’t believe the different pieces have to have a similar theme, color, frame style or size to them in order to be hung together. “In my opinion, you can make anything work,” Siefkin said.
  2.  DO A TEST RUN Having decided what to hang, trace each piece of art on to craft paper and cut out each shape. Affix the templates to the wall with painter’s tape, so as not to damage the surface finish when they’re removed. “Move them around until they feel right,” Siefkin said.
  3. MIND THE SPACING The spacing between each element should remain relatively consistent, depending on the size of the wall and the pieces involved. “I usually go 2 to 3 inches,” Siefkin said. “One inch can be a little snug, but it depends on your space.”
  4. STRIVE FOR BALANCE Siefkin said she likes “the weight of either side to balance, whether that’s in the size of the art, or color. Even better if it’s both.” To achieve this equilibrium, draw an imaginary center line on the wall where the arrangement will be. Then position the artwork so that the frame sizes and colors are equally mixed on both sides. For instance, Siefkin didn’t want all of her pieces with orange tones to end up clustered together, as that would dominate the gaze. “I wanted your eye to travel over, almost in a rainbow movement,” Siefkin said.

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