Filling the Walls: an Eclectic, Nature-Themed Gallery

In 20018 we moved back into our house after a major remodeling project and I was once again faced with rooms full of blank walls. But this was my third time around with moving into a house, and my second time with this house. So I had some very definite ideas in mind about what I wanted to hang on the walls and a fairly large collection of framed prints and other decorative items. I know and am comfortable with my “style”. So, I was starting with empty walls, but not exactly from scratch. One thing I knew for certain: there will be gallery walls — collections of assorted art as opposed to one or two big pictures.

Gallery walls are a natural fit — actually kind of a necessity, for someone who likes to buy and/or make art. Trolling antique shops, malls and markets is a favorite pastime for both my husband and me. (Ok, he’s maybe not quite as into it as me, but I’m fortunate he does have a taste for the hunt.) And if you’re reading this blog you probably already know, I love to make stuff. The other great thing about gallery walls is they allow for a completely unique and personalized space. I know, so do photos — I mean what’s more personal than your own or your dear ones’ faces? But collected art is about what’s going on behind the eyes, rather than the eyes themselves.

Today I want to focus on the guest bath — the half bath off the back hall. When we moved into the house in the early 2000’s this space had the original circa 1970 green tile. Knowing that a complete overhaul was a long way off, I just worked with the green tile and embraced kind of a “gardeny/nature” theme for the space. This involved green walls and a vignette of a decorative shelf with a few items, and a small piece of artwork above it. I liked this look and planned to stick with it, and then one day while flipping through The English Home I saw this:

Miss Anne Kirt by Rosemary Milner, a digitally printed wallpaper of original etchings, illustrations and vintage stationary. (The vase and books to the left are photo props.)

I fell hard. This paper is a happy marriage of several vibes: nature journal, artsy walk in the woods, antiquarian . . . it has a lot going on and yet it all works together. I did not look into ordering this wallpaper because 1) I know it must be very expensive. Really nice wallpapers - especially those coming from England or Europe, just are. And 2) you wouldn’t hang anything else on top of this paper, it is the art. As much as I love the look, that would kill some of my fun. I could create a similar style with an assortment of original art and vintage pieces placed in a seemingly random pattern all around the room — in short, an eclectic gallery wall as wallpaper.

Quick note: if you are looking to have the walls completely done now, rather than “in time”, you may want to splurge for the wallpaper.

There are a number of ways to organize a gallery wall — to see a range of possibilities you can check out my pinterest board on the topic. Generally, the composition should have: a sense of balance in the arrangement of sizes and colors— you don’t have too many larger pieces on one side, for example; margins of about 3-4” around corners and window and door frames; similar, but not necessarily exact, spacing between pieces— they shouldn’t be further than about 6” apart; a style that makes all the pieces appropriate to each other and the rest of the room. This last point is a bit subjective, but you’ll probably recognize when something just doesn’t “go”.

In gallery walls, gridded and other symmetrical arrangements tend to look more formal. In this space I wanted a randomly gathered feel, and the opportunity to use different kinds of art and objects laid out informally. This can be described as “eclectic”. But to keep it from looking haphazard, this kind of arrangement does need at least one unifying principle — this can be a color scheme, frame material, subject, etc. I chose the “artsy naturalist takes a walk in the woods” theme and kept the frames to darker wood and worn metallics. Each of the pieces selected is appropriate to the others in its subject and an aged, somewhat rustic aesthetic.

Although in its final appearance an eclectic gallery may not look carefully planned — you must carefully plan the layout! Otherwise you will end up with lots of holes in your walls. Not something you want, particularly when starting with smooth, freshly painted new walls. I began to gather the pieces I wanted to use and started playing with potential arrangements on the (more spacious) floor in another room. Choosing one larger, or otherwise significant, piece as a focal point will make the project easier. This focal piece doesn’t have to be placed in the center of the wall, but it acts as an anchor with all the other pieces radiating out from it. This way, it’s possible to start with your focal point and build out around it with pieces collected gradually over time. Even if you’re doing the whole wall at once, having one piece that all others are placed in relation to simplifies the process.

I started my gallery with the wall the sink and toilet are on, the one facing you as you walk in the door. I had items to work with and even more “raw materials” for creating additional pieces. I knew I could get this small area done quickly in one project. Below are some tips for planning and executing your gallery wall.

Screws are available on Amazon

You’re really only limited by your imagination as far as what to use in your gallery. Keeping the basic composition principles listed above in mind, of course. Here are some ideas: small art pieces, framed prints, 3D objects in shadow boxes or hanging directly on the walls, framed swatches of fabric or wallpaper, decorative plates, pages from old books, postcards or pretty notecards . You can creatively (and cheaply) “frame” book pages, prints or postcards by securing the item to a clipboard or hanging multiple pieces from string, like a banner. A gallery wall can very economical, especially if you’re using simple items and/or gathering things over time. I have only one “store bought” — complete in its frame, piece on the four walls of my gallery. (It’s the round-framed bird print.) All the others I put together from thrift store frames, prints and book pages I already had, and original pieces I made.

Since I like to switch things up for the seasons, as well as make stuff, I included pieces that are easy to change out. The pictures below show how I rotate items seasonally. Plate hangers, clip boards and pictures hung with ribbon loops can keep this process simple.

I started the bathroom gallery walls in 20018 and just finished the fourth wall. Doing one wall at a time kept the projects from feeling overwhelming. Earlier this month I gathered items I had. The last piece from a series of collages made from old sewing cards featuring songbirds would serve as the focal point (there was one of these on the first wall too). I had a postcard I’d earlier placed in a vintage frame and not used. I also had a fun print by Jessica Roux and the beginnings of a small collage using a pretty tag featuring a bird’s nest. A good start but not a full wall, even a small one. So I pulled out some raw materials and thought about what the arrangement still needed.

There is one north-facing window in this little room, so I’m sorry the light is not great in this photo. I also think there’s a slight distortion in the appearance of the amount of space between the top picture and the molding. But, limitations of my photography aside, there’s definitely room here for another small piece or two. I think something square or round, to the right, would work well. This is a plus — there’s room for more if I see something I love or inspiration strikes.

I see this post has gotten long, so to wrap up: do you have a wall that needs a little something? Do you have objects you love or small art pieces that are hard to find a place for on their own? A gallery wall may be the way to go. It can be done inexpensively, or not. You don’t have to DIY, you could run out to someplace like Homegoods and grab some things. Although for a number of reasons (originality, the environment, the value of things not made en masse in China . . .) I’d suggest first trying an antique mall, flea market (we have a great one in Raleigh) or even one of the local thrift stores. Just start with a favorite piece as your focal point, figure out your unifying elements (color, subject, etc.) and go from there (with some patience) — you could get it done in a few days or work on your collection over years. Either way, your walls will be unmistakably, originally, and creatively you.

Next month: a few ‘how to’s’ for simple wall art projects - we’ll look at the four pieces I just made to finish off the bathroom gallery. And in March, we’ll take a shopping trip to some of the places around Raleigh where you can find unique decorating treasure.