Gallery Wall Ideas: How to Give Your Photo Wall a Fresh Look for Spring

Finally, it’s spring! Time for some spring cleaning, which means getting rid of all that clutter accumulated over the winter. Along with all the cleaning and decluttering you’ll be doing around your house, a good area that will benefit from a little refreshing is your gallery wall. You want canvas art that sings spring, bringing a welcome pop of color to your home after the long winter. Your gallery wall displays your favourite memories with friends and family, so why not always keep it looking fresh? If you haven’t started creating your gallery wall yet, check out our video on How to Create a Gallery Wall.

Ready to give your gallery wall a fresh look on a budget? Check out our tips below to get started.

Fresh is new

Familiarity can cause your gallery wall to lose a lot of its appeal if it’s been a while since you’ve mixed things up. It’s possible that people no longer take a look at your photos because they’ve seen them all before. Sometimes rejuvenating your space can seem time-consuming, but you can make it into a fun afternoon by dusting off some old photos that bring back awesome memories. You can choose to swap out all your photos or just a few and give it the spark it’s been missing.

Creating a focal point

A gallery wall makes a big visual impact and can act as the focal point of a room. It’s important that you find the right balance for your frames especially if you’re using a variety of frame sizes and shapes.

Keeping it cohesive

One thing to keep in mind when planning your layout is cohesion. You want your display to be a cohesive whole – something that can be difficult when dealing with photographs with their various colors, subject matter, and sizes. To help keep your display from looking like a confused jumble of randomness, choose one unifying aspect: maybe all black & white photos, for instance, or frames or mats that are all the same, in order to tie everything together.

Creating a backdrop

If possible, you may want to consider painting your gallery wall. If you’re planning on using a mixture of color and black & white prints, a nice neutral gray will allow each photo to look it’s best. A darker shade of gray is particularly effective at making colors ‘pop’ while still providing a nice background for black & white photos.

Designing the layout

Before you even think about hammering that first nail or sticking the first hook to your wall, design a gallery wall layout. A good way of testing your layout is by cutting pieces of kraft paper or poster board to the sizes of your frames and taping them to the wall. Once you have your templates taped in place, step back and study the layout for a while. You might even want to live with your ‘paper gallery’ for a day or two.

Once you’re ready to hang your photos, you can even install the hangers right through your templates and tear the paper away for perfect placement every time!

Mix it up

Don’t limit your gallery wall to just photos, either. Framed mirrors, cute signs, and other pieces can add visual interest or evoke a particular mood when mixed in with your precious photos. Do you have a favorite quote? Why not have it printed and framed just like your photos for an inspirational touch that will really bring your gallery wall to life.

To recap the steps to come up with fresh, new gallery wall ideas:

-Choose your favorite photos and have quality photo prints made.

-Decide how you’re going to unify your display into a cohesive whole.

-Choose frames and mats to complement your photos and your vision.

-Include mirrors, signs, favorite quotes, and other pieces that work well with your photos.

-Paint your gallery wall a color that makes a great backdrop for your photos.

-Tape a ‘paper gallery’ in place & live with it for a while.

-Make any necessary adjustments.

-Start hanging photos on your fresh, new art gallery wall!