Perfect Gallery Wall Layout: All You Need To Know

Breathtaking gallery walls like this one are taking over. They are in design magazines, your social media, and now your thoughts. But still, you might be wondering many things such as how to design a gallery wall layout properly, where to get the prints or art pieces, how to lay out the frames, what is the right height to hang the frames, and even if gallery walls are still in style in 2024.

Some of these questions have different approaches, and while I will guide you through them, you can decide which one works best for you and your space!

Are gallery walls still in style?

Yes, they are! They have been around for ages and they’re still in style when following some specific guidelines on theme, layout, and height.

A collage of picture frames, art, and accessories is, in the end, a collection that brings life to your home.

As maximalist Interior Designer, Beth Diana Smith remarks “it all boils down to layering, color, and everything that makes me feel good which is how home should be.” (Visit her projects to fill up with amazing inspiration!)

Ok, so how can I design my gallery wall?

The following steps full of examples and measurements are intended to guide you, considering your space, to come up with a specific layout for your gallery wall.

#1 Focus on the space

The first step is to check out the space you are trying to fill.

Stand in front of the wall you are intending to decorate and define what shape you can see there. Here are some examples, although it is easier to understand because you see the space already decorated. But try to take out the frames and think about it as an empty space.

Consider that if you are decorating above a piece of furniture, you will be looking only at the space that the furniture leaves. Also, feel free to check out “How To Give The Room a Designer Feel” where you can learn how to use art not only to decorate but to draw the eye up and create balance for the whole room.

#2 Decide on the composition

You have three options here, and if you already have the frames that you want to use it will be easier to decide.

You can go in these three ways:

• using one large piece
• setting the frames in an organized group
• trying a random gallery, freeform grouping, maximalist style.

If you use only one frame, you don’t need to make a collage. Just focus on the shape of the space to pick the right shape of the frame.

Just a tip for a pro look: add a picture light on top, either rustic or modern, depending on the style of the room.

Here are some examples of different picture lights over a single piece or a group:

We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.

Also, this is what I’m talking about when comparing an organized group versus a free-form gallery wall layout:

#3 Collect the art, pictures, pieces, and frames

Pick a theme. Either pictures of your family, abstract art, vintage pieces, or travel items. Maybe something that relates to the place you are decorating as a bar theme or a joyful composition for a playroom.

Where to find all these objects? My suggestion is to shop your house first: old frames, repurposing an antique decoration, or whatever comes to your mind. After that, check out consignments, second-hand, or antique stores for vintage art and frames.

Stores or online shopping can be very specific for a particular need. Here are some ideas of where to buy online:

• MoMA Design Store: You can find framed reproductions of your favorite artists.
• Art.com: Shop by color, best sellers, artist, subject. Millions of options. They have an augmented reality app for iPhone that is highly rated.
• Etsy: You can buy handmade art in any form. Even digital prints to download, supporting independent sellers at the same time!
• ArtFinder: Buy original art, direct from the artist to your home.
• Artfully Walls: Check out their Gallery Walls section. Even though it is pretty expensive, you can find amazing layout ideas for a free-form gallery.
• Amazon, Wayfair, Overstock: Check out here some of my favorite options from Amazon.

#4 Plan and hang

Here is the juicy part. The real how-to, with all the specific tips and measurements that will simplify the gallery wall layout process, at least a bit. Here we go!

#4.1 Plan on the floor

Stand in front of the wall where you are planning the gallery. Arrange on the floor each one of the pieces that you already have. You can use some paper to fill out the space of pieces you are planning to get.

For some people, using paper or tape directly on the wall works too, but I’d recommend that option when you already know the layout.

If you need to move around the pieces to figure out where each one is going to be, the floor option would work best.

#4.2 Start from the bigger pieces

Your pieces need some kind of alignment between them (as you can spot in the previous pictures).

There are many approaches and usually, in most of them, you will start with your biggest piece, to align the others.

Over a sofa, a console table, a desk, or a dining table: always follow the line imposed by the furniture. Check out which approach would work better for your gallery:

First, only one shelf follows the sofa line. In the second picture, one large shelf follows the sofa line, plus one small shelf on top follows bigger pieces shape. Another option: vertical columns.

Following, the biggest piece is centered and the desk line organizes the smaller frames. In the second picture, all frames are organized by the center frame lines.

Here, two shelves filling up a corner:

Lastly, two different grid galleries, using same-sized frames or different ones.

If you are up for more examples, check out my Pinterest board on Gallery Walls.

Also, here is a fun article by Apartment Therapy on how a gallery wall was organized on a ‘rainbow shape’ in a Kate Spade store in New York City.

#4.3 Follow the guidelines to hang the frames

Following these guidelines will enhance in every way your gallery wall. This step is super simple and it will give you the best results.

• Always hang the center of a frame (or a grouping) at 56” to 60” from the floor. This will respect the natural eye-level view.
• Hang the frame or the grouping at 4” to 8” from furniture (as a sofa, console table, desk)
• The distance between frames should be around 3” to 4” apart.
• Try to avoid going over window and door frames.

Hope this has encouraged you to try your own. I’m looking forward to your questions or comments!

Still wondering how this can work for your space? Get in touch! I’d love to hear from you.