Creating My Gallery Wall
How to bring dark walls to life with a touch of maximalism….
Creating a gallery wall has been the highlight of my new apartment, and the perfect background to enjoy while I paint, read and relax in my own space. I love feeling inspired by other artists’ work, and the feeling of being surrounded by nature and culture whilst enjoying my slow days.
When I moved in and realised I could not do anything about the dark walls, I had to think of ways to make the room feel bright and cheerful. Although I wouldn’t have chosen it myself, over time I realised I loved the dark colour, and I could add brightness in the art and plants I used in the room. It was a challenge that has brought out the best in my own interior eye and made me excited to be more experimental.
The first step was of course, looking for inspiration on Pinterest, which never disappoints. Research took me as far as realising I should stick to mainly gold frames to create a lovely warmth on the dark, rich colour. I mapped out the design on the floor and did countless diagrams of the wall aiming to get the proportions perfect.
Finding the frames and items was the most difficult aspect of curating the wall. My only regret is not looking in more charity shops, believing I needed to find specific proportions to complete the entire wall faster. In hindsight, I should have let the art I found inspire me rather than seeking it out. As well as framed pictures, I have mirrors, plates, embossed gold animals, and even a broken clock to create variation! Etsy had amazing small items from artists, as well as beautiful prints, such as these Pride and Prejudice illustrations which I love.
My favourite pieces are the Princess Diana plates which were passed down to me from my own nana, and sat on her own mantle piece since the eighties. Most family would overlook items like this and not see the true value, but I find the sentimental value of carrying on her traditions very special and important in my home.
I have very few personal photographs on the wall, but this small black and white photo of my grandparents wedding day looks so aesthetically pleasing, I couldn’t resist adding it in. I largely prefer paintings but I allowed myself to try many different things to see what I preferred. We probably sent about 3 different days moving things up, down and all around to suit. And I’ve no doubt I will move everything around again!
Something interesting I found in a little shop in York, were these hanging hot air balloons here, and I could only afford one at the time, but I think it adds such colour and beauty in-front of this painting of Netherfield Hall.
A very large number of the paintings were purchased digitally, and I then took them to a local printers to have them printed to size of the frames I found. I spent a lot of time cutting things to size and making it perfect. Finding art separate to frames is the key to originality and personalisation in my opinion. My wall is the epitome of my own personality, being focused on English manor houses’, Pride and Prejudice illustrations, florals, photos of my life, and even Harry Potter posters. Subtly referencing your own interests and making the content unique to any other inspiration you’ve seen is the key to loving your own gallery wall.
Anyone with a large gallery wall like mine will tell you – it’s never finished! And as your interests and collectibles change over the years that’s a good thing, you can keep switching it up! My main advice is to be very patient with your design and don’t rush, don’t worry about getting it wrong and making a mistake.
