Creating a gallery wall for our treasures

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press • February 1, 2020

Let’s face it: we love our stuff.

It’s why parting with things is so difficult. And no matter how often we have a healthy decluttering, there are just some items that are too important to part with. These are the things that tell a story about who we are and how we got here.

Mix art, accessories, books and personal treasures for a fun and playful statement wall. This arrangement combines items with art displayed on Pottery Barn’s Frame Rail with industrial chains that work with artwork or photos. Photo: Pottery Barn.

It’s also what makes a house a home.

But there’s a difference between a pile of things that we can’t say goodbye to and a carefully curated and styled grouping. It could be a collection of art, photography, objects from travels, collections, books. Anything that makes us happy when we look at it.

As a Fort Myers interior decorator, I can tell you that gallery walls are a huge trend right now and it’s no wonder. They look great and give us pleasure when we look at them. It gives us a place to display what we love in a creative way that adds to the look of our home. Arranging art and other objects on walls or shelving also frees up space on surfaces that can add to the cluttered look that none of us want.

This easy-to-hang and stylish frame rail offers a chance to curate a gallery wall designed to fit the style of the room. Photo: Pottery Barn.

You can create a gallery wall in a large or small space with two or three objects or 20. It just takes a little imagination and a wall.

A few tips to get you started:

Pick a wall. Decide where your gallery space will be located. It can be over a table. A sofa. In a small nook. In a dining room. You can fill a hallway with family photos and artwork.

Pick a theme. Family photos. Nature. Fine art.

What to use. Give the display more dimension by carrying the theme of the pieces to a table or shelving.

Photo: Pottery Barn.

Decide on framing. If your wall will be a photo gallery, select matching frames if you want a cohesive look (my favorite) and the photos will be the focal point, not the frames. Or mix up the framing for an eclectic look.

Figure out the space. If pieces are of different sizes, begin by placing the largest piece first and filling in with smaller pieces. Do a layout of each item with brown wrapping paper to see how the sizing will work in the space.

Create drama. Take your display from the floor all the way to the ceiling.

From floor to ceiling, combine a bench artwork, family, photos and other items in a floor-to-ceiling gallery wall.. Photo: Pottery Barn.

Keep it clean and simple. If your style is clean and modern arrange two rows of photos the same size.

Eye level. If you are hanging pieces of different sizes, the largest piece should be at eye level. And if you are hanging a row of several pieces of different sizes, align the pieces at their center points.

Ledges. If nailing into the wall makes you a little nervous, style frames on a ledge (or two).

Photo: Pottery Barn

Make it easy. A frame rail from Pottery Barn lets you customize a statement wall with industrial chains that hold art or photos. See photo.

Make it fun. You are creating a collage of objects that means something to you. Use your imagination and see what happens!

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. She helps homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces and solves decorating problems. Her article appears the first Saturday of each month. For more information visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 949-1808 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog