How to Create a Bedroom Gallery Wall

Make a bold personal statement while adding to the ambiance of your bedroom by creating a gallery wall to display your favorite paintings, photographs and other artwork. This fun project gives you the perfect opportunity to express yourself while creating an impressive focal point that’s sure to be a conversation starter.
 

Gallery walls were once used primarily in art galleries or for family photos along staircases. Turn tradition on its head and infuse your room with a classy, innovative and stylish gallery wall. Read our simple tips to help get you started on designing your space.

1. Set the Stage for Drama

When you put a gallery wall in your bedroom, you want it to shine. Arrange strategic lighting to illuminate key pieces.

Some types of lighting that work well for this use include ceiling-mounted accent lights that allow you to spotlight individual pieces, track lighting installed on the ceiling and positioned so the light hits the picture’s center when the lamp is at a 30-degree angle. If you place adjustable lighting any closer or further away, you risk creating glare and shadows.

Let the wall be the dramatic element in the room by keeping your furniture and bedding sleek and simple. Alternatively, you can create an eclectic look with colorful bedding and funky furniture that complement the gallery.

2. Choose a Gallery Style

The key to any good gallery wall is balance. Whether you opt for a checkerboard style, which intersperses larger and smaller frames in a checkerboard formation, a uniformly-sized grid or a more abstract look, you always want to start with the largest piece in the center to anchor the rest of the wall.

If all the frames are a similar size, make this piece the most eye catching, or hang a mirror here instead to break things up. Most experts recommend including two to four large central pieces hung at the same height to create a focal point that grounds the rest of the gallery.

3. Create a Fun Layout

Once you figure out your gallery’s style, the fun beings. Before you start hanging the pictures destined for the gallery wall, practice on the floor.

Tape off a wall-sized area of your bedroom floor to give you optimal visualization of the wall space, noting any nearby furniture that could throw off the balance of the wall.

Lay the art, photos and other pieces out. Now, stand back and evaluate the effect. Shuffle the pictures around until you create the layout that you like best. Take a quick photo on your smartphone so you can reference it later.

4. Start in the Center

As you start hanging your artwork and pictures, work from the center of the bedroom gallery wall out. This helps you keep the symmetry and balance of the room in proportion while letting you make any necessary adjustments based on nearby furniture or architectural elements.

Keep a minimum of 1.25" between each frame so that the individual pieces stand out. If you’re hanging a picture above furniture, hang it with a minimum of eight inches between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the frame.

5. Add Color and Texture

Create a colorful display with many different colors for a cheerful, vibrant effect. To create more of a mood, try limiting your gallery wall to pictures in similar colors. Use those colors as accents throughout your bedroom to create a chic, pulled-together look.

Similarly, using mix-and-match frames gives the gallery a cohesive feel that looks like the gallery has been curated over time. Choosing similarly colored frames that have a similar style creates a sleek, clean look. Keep the gallery wall filled strictly with artwork and photographs, or use some of the spaces between the pictures to hang treasured accessories that complement the wall’s appearance.

6. Install a Shelf

Create the look of a gallery wall with minimal hanging by installing a shelf and filling it with your treasured artwork. This approach lets you quickly and easily change the pieces in the gallery without having to rehang pictures or rework the layout.

In general, bedroom gallery walls aim to create a soothing effect by following a simpler layout with soft colors and gentle accents that complement the furniture. Remember, there are no set rules to hanging a gallery wall; so, have fun and let your personality shine.