How to Make a Gallery Wall with Your Framed Pictures

A gallery wall is a timeless decor that brings style and personality to any room. And it’s simple to pull off—no wallpapering, painting, or too much handiwork is required. All you need is a good old hammer, frame hooks, and a selection of your favorite framed pictures. Also, we’ve listed tips on how to make a gallery wall with photos. Read on to nail this project!

Start collecting your favorite photos.

Begin the project by making a collection of photos you love—from your most memorable wedding & travel pictures to the most beautiful art prints you have. As you collect these photographs, think about the scale of your project. Do you want to fill out an entire wall or just a part of it? Do you want to keep the frames in similar sizes or play around with different sizes? You may also want to think of a theme or arrangement to make your gallery wall with photos more stylish or impactful.

Create a theme or a cohesive color palette.

Once you have your favorite photographs, group them by themes or colors. You can make a gallery wall of framed family pictures taken in happy events and memorable places. Or you can have a mix of beautiful photographs in a color palette that blends well with the rest of the room. Whether you go by theme or color, the idea here is to create a curated gallery wall that looks put together.

Pick a gallery wall arrangement.

Gallery walls tend to fall into two arrangement categories: a grid or salon. A grid is a linear arrangement that results in a clean and crisp look that works best in “formal” areas like the dining room. On the other hand, a salon arrangement includes diverse pieces (art prints, family photographs, or 3d photos) in different frame sizes. It’s a great choice if you want a fun, relaxed, or eclectic vibe for your gallery wall. 

Measure up and lay out the collection on the floor first.

Before you hammer or drill holes in your wall, measure the wall space, tape off a box that size on your floor, and lay the curated photograph collection on the floor. Then, take a few steps back to get a good look at the photos altogether. Is there a picture that looks out of place? Try to take it out and replace it with another framed photo or adjust the arrangement without it. Maybe, you need to add more pieces to the layout. You can also rearrange the pieces to try different combinations. Take a photo of your different combinations to help you make a final decision later on. 

Lay out the largest piece first. 

Want a salon-style gallery wall of framed photos in different sizes? You may want to lay out the largest piece first. Again, try it out on the floor before you hammer the wall. If you’re working on a small collection, try to place the biggest piece in one of the four outer corners of the layout. Put it in the off-center if you want to achieve a large collection. That way, the eye travels around the gallery wall rather than focusing straight on the middle of it. The placement of that huge piece is crucial, as it will be your jumping point for arranging the other frame pictures. 

Mix verticals & horizontals. 

Whether you’re going for a grid or salon arrangement, don’t be afraid to mix vertical pieces with horizontal ones. If your largest piece is horizontal, place a smaller vertical photograph next to it (or vice versa). That mix can keep your gallery wall interesting. 

You can also mix salon with grid arrangements. Create a grid within your salon-style gallery wall by placing two to four pieces of the same size in a linear arrangement. That can give off a cool look that shows how versatile your personality or style is. 

Select your photo frames.

Happy with your layout on the floor? It’s time to get the picture frames that will complete the cohesive look of your gallery wall. You can pick a single color for a crisp, streamlined look. For instance, a white or neutral frame blends well with Scandi-style interiors, while dark or black frames look best in industrial interiors.

You can also mix it up. If you’re worried about your gallery wall getting chaotic, you can try two to three frame styles or colors and see how you feel about them together. And if you want a hassle-free process of getting frames, come to us.

At Livestock Framing, we think photos should be as easy to frame as they are to snap in the first place. With our online photo framing services, all you need is to upload a digital copy of your photo, pick a frame from six sizes and four colors, and wait for your framed photograph (complete with hook and nail!) to arrive at your place.

Finally, hang the photos. 

Hanging the pieces like a pro is the last step on how to make a gallery wall with framed pictures. Follow the combination and layout you’ve picked, and the project will be done in a few hours. Stand back and be proud of the beautiful gallery wall you’ve created for your home.