To Gallery Wall or not to Gallery Wall?

Over the last decade gallery walls have really been popular in homes. Many ask if they are on their way out or if they are here to stay. If you ask designers, most of them will tell you they are timeless. They are eclectic and collected. They can be like items, like colors, like styles. Or they can be very different pieces altogether. Personally, I like pulling together different pieces with different styles, textures and colors to create a curated look. From art to photographs, mirrors, collected pieces, and even your children’s artwork. The possibilites are endless on creativity. Hang the pieces asymmetrically, around a corner, in a corner, over moulding and trim (which gets lots of conversation sparked with this controversial idea!).

But where did these gallery walls originate from? Let’s dive in to a tiny history lesson so we can better appreciate the gallery wall.

Gallery walls started in the 1600s, called “salon walls” after French salons that first displayed art from the floor to the ceiling. In 1670, the first salon was held at Palace of the Louvre launching the Louvre’s international reputation in the art world.

These first exhibitions featured works from graduates of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture in Paris. Because space was limited, artworks filled each wall from floor to ceiling in an amalgamation of styles and subject matter. This layout is the basis for the modern gallery wall.

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Eclectic Gallery Wall

I have curated an eclectic gallery wall in our dining room* of artwork, a mirror, a plate, and vintage finds. My favorite thing about gallery walls is how they tell a story. They should invoke conversation with guests. It’s what truly makes your house uniquely yours.

The green mirror was my grandmother’s and I spray painted it green to match Micah’s nursery when he was a baby. The bodice with wings to the right of the mirror is from an artist in Santa Fe who made art out of coffee cans. Andy used to do a photoshoot (FUN FACT: he used to be a commercial photographer!) every year there and would buy me a new piece from the artist when he went. <3 So I have 3 pieces from this artists in our home. I love them! Super unique. Here is a close-up of it. The watercolor of the nest just below the angel wing art was given to me from my stepmom who also loves original art. The green blob to the right of that was a painting done by Kelton, our oldest, when he was 3. I just love it. The piece above it was a gift. The checkerboard is a collage made by a local artist that Andy won in an auction before we met. The colorful stick is from an artist in Austin. And the flower watercolor was done by my great-great grandmother. The other wall has just as many stories as this one. But now you can see why I love gallery walls. I plan to keep adding to it as well. I think a gallery wall can be floor-to-ceiling just like the French salon walls!

My favorite thing about gallery walls is how they tell a story. They should invoke conversation with guests. It’s what truly makes your house uniquely yours.

Symmetrical or Minimalist Gallery Wall

A gallery wall can be organized, structured and symmetrical. This seems to be a more modern style if you are into a more uniform and minimal approach. Our breakfast nook is the perfect example of this, although I put my own spin on the mats with inspiration from Tasha of Kaleidoscope Living. I didn’t want the frames to look all the same, I wanted a little variation. So I bought these frames at Target and used acrylic craft paint to paint each mat. It took a few coats, but I think they turned out great. I uploaded my fave pics of my kids in eating scenarios since it is in the breakfast nook. I love mpix for printing photos, as they are reasonable for great quality. Plus, I prefer matte photos vs. glossy.

This project cost me around $100 since I had all the paint. If you want to use a photo printer like CVS or Costco it might cost about $20-25 less. The fun part is you can do all one color like all different blues, all one blue, or a mix of colors like I did.

All-in-all gallery walls are here to stay! As the designer Andrea May of Andrea May Interiors says:

“It’s a classic and one of the most inspiring ways to celebrate a personal collection… They really are a visual narrative of the homeowner’s life, especially if collected over time.”

How will you curate your gallery wall or walls? I’d love to hear!