How to build a gallery wall

A gallery wall goes wrong when it grows by accident. Planned properly, it can be the cheapest thing you ever do to a room, because prints and postcards cost a fraction of furniture.

Pick a shape, pick a constant, and keep the gaps the same throughout.

We don't sell furniture - we make prints, postcards, pin badges and cards in house, printed in the UK. So this is a straight guide, plus the print and the card that go with it.

Pick one layout

• Grid: identical frames, identical gaps. The safest and the most formal.
• Salon hang: mixed sizes filling a rough rectangle. Hardest to balance, best when it works.
• Single line: one row at eye level along a hallway. Impossible to get wrong.
• Stair-follow: a diagonal line parallel to the handrail.
• Ledge shelves: no holes beyond the brackets, and you can change it whenever you like.

Choose one thing to keep constant

• Same frame colour, mixed sizes - the easiest route to a collected look.
• Same mount width and colour, mixed frames.
• One palette across all the images, even with mismatched frames.
• All black and white photography, any frame you like.
• Constant gap: 5-8cm everywhere, no exceptions. This one is non-negotiable.

Plan it before you drill

• Lay everything on the floor in the shape of the wall and move it around for ten minutes.
• Cut newspaper or kraft templates the size of each frame and tape them up.
• Start with the largest piece slightly off-centre and build outwards.
• Photograph the floor layout so you can rebuild it on the wall.
• Hang the centre piece first, then work outwards left and right alternately.

Building it cheaply

• Charity shop frames, spray painted one colour, are the standard trick for a reason.
• Postcards and small prints in large mounts look considered and cost very little.
• Mix in objects - a small mirror, a pressed leaf, a ticket stub in a frame.
• Add one piece at a time rather than filling the wall in a single weekend.
• Leave one gap deliberately. It gives the wall somewhere to grow.

Shop cards

Prints for the wall

Designed in house and printed in the UK.

How to write it so it lands

• Paper templates on the wall before any drilling.
• Same gap throughout, always.
• Start with the biggest piece.
• Leave room to add to it later.

Where to shop next

• How to style a living room on a budget
• How to hang wall art properly
• Choosing furniture for a small flat
• First home checklist: what to buy first
• Lighting a room properly
• Colour schemes that actually work
• Seasonal decor without the clutter
• Posters and prints
• Postcards
• All guides
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges

Frequently asked questions

How much space should be between gallery wall frames?

Between 5 and 8cm, and the same gap everywhere. Inconsistent gaps are what make a gallery wall look accidental.

Can you mix frame colours on a gallery wall?

Yes, as long as something else is constant - the mount colour, the palette of the images, or the subject matter.

Where do you start a gallery wall?

With the largest piece, hung slightly off-centre at eye level, then build outwards alternating left and right.