We are having people over for dinner, both this weekend and the next, so you know what that means. I’m bustling around the house debating which incomplete project to finish. Right now, my attention is on the main wall in the living room. It’s blank, and I’m afraid to put any holes in it, but I’d like to spruce it up. (I’ll try the command strips you all recommended.)
It’s not like I’m lacking in material.
via Design Sponge
Or inspiration. A five second Google search returned 93 trillion images of gallery walls. Grace from Design Sponge used her infrequently lauded mind reading powers and posted this gallery wall round up last week just for me. (Thanks, Grace.)
via Abbey Goes Design Scouting
Abbey, from Abbey Goes Design Scouting, posted this 28 image collection in 2008. August 2008. Coincidence? Not likely. (Thanks, Abbey.)
via me
I’m contributing to my inspiration, too. For months I’ve been saving images I love and storing them in my inspiration folder on Flickr. I found this one, my very favorite one of all, in…
February.
Two out of three isn’t bad.
I cannot wait to see what you come up with. One piece of unsolicited advice…when I created my gallery wall, I tracked my framed art onto paper bags and cut out the shapes. I then laid them on the floor and played with the pattern until I got it just right. Then up onto the wall it went with tape. Since I used nails, I went ahead and nailed right over the paper, which I could then rip off the wall.
Perfect gallery wall, minimal holes.
That’s a good idea. I used to do something similar, and blogged about it a long time ago, but not with paper bags. I might have to try that one, since the way I do it wouldn’t work on this wall.
Good luck Jules. I’ve lived in my house for 5 years and still have walls that are pathetically empty. For me, it is somewhat lack of material but also fear. I’m a minimalist too (lol…not that we don’t have clutter in our house…I just don’t purpose to have clutter!)
I can’t wait to see what you come up with. :)
I also have a fear of putting unnecessary holes in my pristine walls. The idea that you can easily patch them up doesn’t cross my mind. I’m debating whether to do a small gallery wall above my couch — but it’s between two windows, and I wonder if it would feel cramped. Then I need to decide what to hang on the other side of the windows. Decisions, decisions!
HA! I love gallery walls. Good luck! xoxox
My parents made a gallery wall in our living room a few weeks ago… we have loads of random pictures in frames so we just kind of went for it without measuring or laying anything out. It actually turned out pretty well. I just painted my room and I’m planning to do a gallery wall, too, but I will probably measure and prepare. It’s such a tassssk, much more involved than just poppin’ ’em up there, but hopefully the results will be better. I love the frame variety you have–the right frames seem to simply make gallery walls.
can’t wait to see what you come up with……
Try using sewing pins (the ones with a small flat head) to hang any lightweight items. You can only use the pins if you use the edge/lip of the frame or hooks already attached to them. The pins are too short to use a wire and the weight will pull them out of the wall. If the item is a little on the heavy side, use two pins. If using two pins, go out the same distance from the center on each side (or wing-it).
I have hung so many items in my home using sewing pins. Nothing has came crashing down, yet! The holes are barely noticeable and this makes my husband very happy.
Do not use them to hang something that is irreplaceable, expensive or too heavy or over something that is. You break, you cry!
Your living room looks great!
I love, love, love gallery walls. I have one started and I’d love to add more but it’s just my husband and me so far, so putting more and more pictures of us up there is a just a tad weird.
I love gallery walls. Sigh. I recently read an aritcle {either Martha Stewart or Better Homes and Gardens … they would love that I don’t remember which} about a couple who did a gallery along their staircase wall. They made copies of the prints/photos and then glued them to posterboard the size of the frame and hung those up to get a feel of groupings and such. Of course, once they had the location down, they hired professionals to hang them … so there’s that …
I am super curious about those command strips. Please let us know if they really work and I am sure you will pull of spectacular as usual:)
Jules, the command strips work like a dream. The frames won’t move over time and it’s easy! We worked on our gallery wall over the weekend, still no pictures in the frames…soon. The only thing is they get $$ when you’re using a bunch. I think we have over $50 worth hanging and we need a few more to finish. Looking forward to seeing your wall done.
Londen
I am working on my gallery walls today. I used to have one, but had to dismantle it when we repainted the upstairs hall and stairwell. Now we’re ready to hang pictures all up the stairwell wall and into the hall. This time I’m trying to break up the portraits with lots of candid shots, plus a big bulletin board for the kids’ artwork. My final project: to find a shadow box to hang the Belgian lace bonnet and booties that all my kids wore for their baptisms. Thanks for reposting the Design Sponge photos–really helpful!
That’s a lovely collection of framed art aligned on the couch. And your house! I’m jealous of the space, the cozy looking living room, and that fire place! Super lovely blog, I shall follow and stick around, reading each post and drawing inspiration. I need to get all of my art lovelies framed that nicely…
Just found your blog via another blog (isn’t that how it always works!) and I love it! I just put up my own “gallery wall” on Friday and it’s a work in progress. I’m having a housewarming party on Friday so I understand the need to spruce things up! My problem is, I have a loft and so the walls are super tall. I did all black frames for now but I think I will change some of them out for more colorful ones down the line. Love all those with the different textures and colors but somehow they all work together. Thanks for all the links and inspiration!