The Art of Gallery Walls - The Bend Magazine

The Art of Gallery Walls

Striking, inexpensive visual statements and styling tips from Monica Benavidez

By: Monica Benavidez  Photo by: Rachel Benavides

Just say no to empty walls by adding gallery walls to your home. They’re perfect for any room, plus you can easily inject your own aesthetic via the art, photography, decor, and frame choices. So whether you’re traditional, modern, or eclectic in your home decor style, a gallery wall is a great way to make a statement in your space.

What I love most about gallery walls is that they can be done on the cheap via secondhand shopping, and you can fit them in both small and large spaces. If you’re a renter, you can totally use the following tips, too. Make sure to use removable picture hanging strips or simply lean art on a console table/mantel. 

Tips:

  • Thrift stores, estate sales, and garage sales are great places to find frames at a bargain. Look past the often dated art in them and focus on the frame and mat style. I often paint frames and mats to update them, which is a quick, easy DIY project.

  • Many popular museums offer free downloads of art in high-resolution format that you can have printed at a photo lab for a few bucks. I have a highlight about this on my Instagram (@monicabenavidez) with links to free museum art sources.

  • For a streamlined, polished look, pick larger frames in the same finish, so they take up more wall space and don’t look as visually cluttered. If you like the eclectic vibe, use an odd number of frames to create some balance and symmetry.

  • Gallery walls don’t have to be all about art and frames. Get creative with vintage plates, candle sconces and mirrors to curate something beautiful.

  • Save your sanity and walls by creating templates using newspapers of each item you want to hang. Make note of where the hole(s) will go on the template and use masking tape to put it on the wall to see how it all looks before you use the hammer. Once it looks perfect, you know exactly where to put the nails. 

Get The Look:

  • Eclectic floral gallery wall: Retail Therapy, Goodwill & Salvation Army thrift stores

  • Gold frames: Walmart

  • Paint color: Sulking Room Pink by Farrow & Ball