Tips for Creating a Gallery Wall in Your Home

Admit it. You're coveting a print from Gray Malin's new Italian Coastal Collection. Perhaps something beachy, with pastel umbrellas dotting the sand. Or maybe you're eyeing an icy scene in Gray Malin’s Antarctica: The White Continent private collection. Whatever your preference, Malin's prints beg to be the centerpiece of your home’s gallery wall. As you compile your collection, consider these finds from the Dallas Design District to help you design the perfect collage.

Find an Inspiration Piece

If Malin isn't your cup of tea, Banks Fine Art and Carneal Simmons Contemporary Art both have stunning pieces capable of being the showstopper of your gallery wall. 

Banks offers several late 19th-century and early 20th-century paintings by both French and American artists such as Leonardo Nierman's oil on board “Castle in the Sky.” According to the artist, "Colors I think of as I think of sounds; one sound means almost nothing and one isolated color means very little, but a certain organization of sounds may become a glorious symphony. A certain organization of colors can unleash a tempest of emotions in a perceptive viewer." Who wouldn't want to buy his art with a philosophy like that?

Photographer printmaker Kalee Appleton's work is available at Carneal Simmons, and one of her psychedelic-esque naturescapes would be the perfect star on your gallery wall. If you end up with a loose canvas or print, Beaux Arts can find it a home in a custom frame.

Pull Out the Color Palette

Go digital by snapping an image of your inspiration piece then using a Chrome extension called ColorPick Eyedropper to find its exact color codes. You can also upload your image to Image Color Picker for similar results. Go to Design Seeds for color inspiration and to see the kind of image-inspired color palettes we’re referring to.

Add Complementary Artwork

Once you have your color scheme, you can begin to add pieces that pull it all together. Visit Art Ability, which offers a wide range of traditional and contemporary artwork. Find something in any budget — from $5 to $20,000 — at American Fine Art & Frame, where you can browse glasswork in a variety of hues, tints and shades.

Use This Hanging Trick

Don't waste your time agonizing over getting your frames to hang straight, level and symmetrical. Instead, use butcher paper the size of your hanging area, place it on the floor and lay out your design there. Trace each piece of art, marking the spot where the hardware needs a nail. Label each artwork, tape the paper to the wall and ensure that it's level. Finally, add your nails right over the paper, hang your artwork and then tug the paper out from behind your display. You'll achieve perfect alignment with beautiful results.

When you face a white wall unsure of how to adorn such an expansive empty space, consider transforming it into a gallery wall. Use our tips and help from the galleries and showrooms in the Dallas Design District to inspire your efforts!