WHAT DO FORREST GUMP & GALLERY WALLS HAVE IN COMMON?

Forrest Gump’s mama said “you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes, where they going, where they been.” Well, at Clark + Aldine we feel the same way about wall art — It’s truly an expression of who you are, what you aspire to be, where you want to go, and so much more. 

And, much like Forrest cherished his shoes from Jenny, we cherish art that sometimes is forgotten. Some of our favorite wall art is often right out of our client’s basements… Long, lost relics that can be brought back to life with the right placement.  With that, here are some simple tips to use existing art from your home to create beautiful gallery walls for next to no money. 

Shop Your House

At first, shopping your house may seem like a daunting task. Or, you may even think you have nothing that’s worthy of your walls. Well, that’s simply not true… Remove those thoughts from your brain! 

Once you’ve cleared your mind, start searching. Search for everything you have that isn’t hung on a wall. And, we’re not just talking pictures… It could be planters, mirrors, old ticket stubs, postcards, etc… Anything that can be framed or hung. 

From there, find a spot on your floor and start planning. Typically, we like to center our gallery walls around the piece we admire most — It could be an emotional connection or you just like the way it looks. Once you’ve identified your most coveted piece(s) then you can start planning the rest. And really, this is where your creativity takes over! But, incase you’re still stuck here’s a few quick pointers that help us get past any creative blocks: 

• Pick pieces that are different sizes so you have variety.
• Be conscious of the wall space you have to fill.
• If you want a small feature gallery then you may need 6-7 pieces.
• If you want to fill the wall floor to ceiling then you will need 8 – 15 pieces at a minimum.

Update Your Pieces 

Now that you have narrowed down your top picks it’s time to decide if you want to update them. Maybe the frames are outdated or they don’t fit your style anymore. If that’s the case then reframing your art can totally transform a piece. 

Go check out Framebridge if you need some cool new frames. At Framebridge you can pick your frames online using images of your art — Then, they send you the appropriate packaging for your print so it can be professionally transported and reframed. You can also go to Michaels or your local frame shop where they’ll have plenty of options. It’s important to note that local frame shops tend to be more expensive but we think it’s worth supporting their business… Framing is it’s own type of art!

Placement 

Now you are ready to create a gallery wall… This is the fun part! There are plenty of ways you can do this but below are a few quick tips to get started:

• Start with your largest pieces
• Pay attention to the balance and weight each piece holds. Color, shape and texture are great things to focus on.
  • For example, make sure you’re not placing all the same size frames together or all the same color pieces in one area.
• Use smaller items to help fill gaps and create dimension. Below are a few examples:
  • Head Wall Planter
  • Hexagon Wall Planters
• Spacing is another area for creativity.
  • For a neat look keep spacing even.
  • For an eclectic look mix it up.

At the end of the day you want to create a gallery wall that speaks to you and makes you happy. 

– Keep Doing You 

 Leslie | Designer