Choosing wall art

There is a huge range of art available today and it’s very accessible. It can be purchased online or from an art gallery.  Digital download printables are becoming ever popular as it can be more affordable than purchasing framed prints. However, the quality of the print makes a huge difference on the artwork. If you can afford it, go for giclee printing on the best quality paper. The colours will not fade (at least for fifty years) and the quality is superb.

There are so many different types of artwork – photographic, illustrations, modern, classic, geometric, mid-century modern, boho – the list is endless.  Think about if you are going for a relaxing feel with muted boho colours and pastels or bright bold statement colours to add vibrancy to your space.

You don’t have to stick to one style. It’s entirely up to you and your choice will make your gallery unique to you.

Wall colour

Once you have given some thought about the type of prints you might like, the next thing to think about is the colour of your walls and whether the existing colour will provide a good backdrop for your wall décor.

The best option to create a great canvas on which to arrange your artwork is to opt for a neutral colour.   Personally I like to have white walls as it gives a feeling of space and light and it goes with everything.

Some people find white a bit harsh but still like the idea of a neutral canvas. If this sounds familiar, think about whether you veer towards warm or cool colours when choosing your artwork and mirror this on your walls for a more cohesive style. Warm neutrals for your walls include yellow toned cream. Cool neutrals for your walls include a blue toned grey.

Preparing to hang a gallery of prints

Firstly, decide where to create the gallery and check if there is any plumbing or electrical wiring concealed in the walls before starting to drill.  Most reputable DIY stores stock tools that enable you to check this. Avoid this step at your peril!  It can end up being a mess and could be dangerous if you drill into electricals.

Secondly, think about the size of the room and the effect a gallery of prints will have on the space. If a large, dark picture is placed in a small room it may be overpowering, so you might wish to consider a smaller piece.

Before choosing your style of gallery it’s often useful to arrange the prints on a floor space, table or bed to see how they look together. But before that, give some thought to your gallery style.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to gallery walls. There are some ideas below. Once you read about them you will probably realise that you have seen galleries arranged like this many times.

A linear gallery is formed when prints are lined up next to each other. This style is useful when there are a small number of prints – from two up to about five.  Apart from having two prints side by side it generally looks more aesthetically pleasing if there are an uneven number of prints – so three or five.  It relies on having prints that are the same size, in the same types of frames and getting them lined up precisely when arranging the art. The bottom and top of the frames should line up and the distance between the prints should be identical when arranging more than two prints. This style is particularly pleasing if you like clean straight lines and a minimalist contemporary look. It’s great for ‘over the bed’ or ‘above the sofa’ galleries.

A block gallery is a good option when you have an equal number of prints of the same size over a number of rows.

Examples of a block gallery are:

• four equal size prints with two on the top row and two on the bottom row;
• six equal size prints with three on each of the two rows;
• nine equal size prints with three on each of the three rows.

The aim is to create a rectangular or square gallery block.

An informal gallery at first glance appears easier to arrange as different styles and sizes of artwork can be used.  There are no rules with this type of gallery and you could add different objects in addition to prints.  For example, you could add a decorative plate to a dining room gallery.

A shelf gallery is where art and decorative objects can be arranged formally or informally on a mantelpiece or other shelf.  This type of gallery is easier to change from time to time.

I hope this has given you some food for thought if you’re thinking about wall art. You can find a selection of digital download wall art at the One Purl Row Wall Art store.