Discover everything you need to know about creating beautiful gallery walls with tips and inspiration from Cantoni Los Angeles designer, Valentina Cannito.
“Let your wall tell a story about who you are and what you love.” -Valentina Cannito, Cantoni LA Design Consultant
A gallery wall can be such a beautiful, visual statement and expression. Creating artful arrangements, however is not a natural skill for all of us, which is why we turned to one of Cantoni‘s talented design consultants, Valentina Cannito for some helpful tips. So, read on to get inspired and learn from Valentina everything you need to know to begin creating your very own beautiful gallery wall.
All About The Art
What’s great about the gallery wall is how it gives immediate visual impact to just about anything in a way that, as Valentina states, “tells a story about who you are and what you love.” There are a few different options when it comes to selecting what to display in your gallery wall
Cohesive Collection: This is one avenue you can take if you would like to show similar pieces of art. For example, hanging images of your favorite music records is a great way to showcase your interest and passion for music, while black and white portrait photography can showcase your personal aesthetic.
Mix and match: There is no particular rule when it comes to selecting your artwork. Maybe you have an eclectic collection of artwork in various mediums? Mixing and matching gives your gallery wall added texture and dimension while showcasing your own personal flair at the same time.
Display the unexpected: Another fun option when creating your gallery is to put objects on the wall that you wouldn’t expect to find, like a collection of plates from your travels, mirrors, or even framed articles and letters you’ve written or love to read.
Frames
Selecting a frame for your piece of art is almost if not equally as important as selecting the actual artwork that will live in your gallery wall. Just as your artwork tells a story, so do the frames you select.
Same frames vs. mixed frames: Generally, if your gallery features a linear or more structured pattern, using the same frames help to create an overall cohesive look, while mixing a variety of frame widths, sizes, and materials are a nice way to add dimension and texture to your gallery wall. Whichever frame you choose for your artwork is highly based on personal preference and again, all part of the fun in showcasing your personal style!
How to Hang
Now, the final and most important part in creating a gallery wall: how to hang the art. Regardless of the artwork or pieces you decide to showcase in your gallery, the way that you hang it can make or break the overall look.
- Make a plan: You may have the urge to simply wing it, but arranging art is an art in itself and should be thought out. Valentina suggests cutting out small pieces of paper in the dimensions of your artwork and either arranging them on a desk or the floor to see it on a larger scale. If you’re more visual and want to see your arrangement as it would appear on your wall, you can use Con-Tact paper and rearrange the cutouts on your actual gallery wall until you find a layout you like.
- Choose a focal point: When arranging the pieces in a collage, you’ll want to create a focal point, which is usually placed in the center of your composition. Whether it be high or low in your composition is up to you, as long as it is not on the edge. If you have a variety of pieces in different sizes, Valentina suggests placing your largest piece of art in the center area, giving you one main piece to build around.
- Eye-level: Generally, it is best to have your artwork at eye level. Valentina’s rule of thumb? About 60 inches off of the floor. If you plan to hang your artwork above a piece of furniture, you will want to leave about 8 inches between the top of the furniture and the bottom level of the first frame in your collage.
At the end of the day, whatever and however you choose to display your gallery wall, remember that it is meant to be a fun opportunity to tell a story about who you are and what you love!
For those of you seeking some art inspiration, browse a variety of modern and contemporary art at any of our 5 stores or online, here to begin creating your very own gallery wall! AND for those who already have beautiful gallery walls and would like to share, tweet or instagram us a photo @cantonidesign!