20 Gallery Wall Ideas to Spice Up Your Blank Walls

There's something about a perfectly curated gallery wall that just makes a space feel complete. Not only does a well-laid display of prints and photos allow you to hang your most prized possessions in your daily line of sight, but it also makes for an incredible backdrop to almost any design style there is.

Whether you're thinking of a uniform grid of monochrome photographs or an eclectic curation that turns your bare walls into your own life-size scrapbook, here are 20 of our favorite gallery walls to help you decide. And while it may have felt like a passing trend at one point, the interior-design darling of Instagram is clearly here to stay. Gather your photos; you have some hanging to do.

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Stick to a Color Scheme

We can't think of an easier way to create a cohesive collection than sticking to a color scheme. This clean gallery wall works perfectly with various blue hues, wooden frames, and black and white details. The shapes, composition, and art content just seem to fall into place once the color story has been established.

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Pay Homage to the Past

Gallery walls don't always have to include a collection of photos—memorabilia and personal items are just as sentimental, if not more so. Frame items like your favorite concert ticket, letters from loved ones, a record that reminds you of your childhood, or vintage postcards you found in your family home for a seriously personal touch.

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Make It a Reminder Of Your Travels

Designing a gallery wall in your living room should entail more than just hanging up a few generic photos. It's a space you see every day, so needless to say, it should feel special. Framing photos you've taken on vacation and hanging souvenirs will remind you of your travels—and there's nothing more special than that.

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Make It Renter Friendly

Redecorating doesn't have to cost a fortune or make you say "sayonara" to your renter's deposit. With some printed images, a few rolls of colorful Washi tape, and this bathroom inspiration, you can DIY a gorgeous gallery composition without making holes in your wall.

Create a layout of cohesive prints on your bare wall and fashion some faux frames with strips of tape.

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Try a Nod to Nautical

This bathroom makes a collection of antique sailboat art feel impossibly fresh. For a worldly feeling gallery wall, scour flea markets, second-hand shops, and antique stores for oversized paintings and opulent-looking frames and hang them from floor to ceiling.

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Hang Your Gallery Art on a Dark Wall

There's no better way to make your art pop than to place it on a dark wall and frame it with white matting. The contrast makes your most-prized photos leap off the wall.

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Stick to a Style

If you're known to have a type—a clear obsession with a distinct design style—lean into it and display it from floor to ceiling for a look that commands the attention of the room. This living room makes a serious statement with achromatic graphics and clean lines.

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Keep It Uniform

When in doubt, invest in a set of frames that come in the same sizes and colors. Fill them with your favorite photos and hand them on a blank wall. The uniform look will feel expensive and polished, no matter how novice you are at gallery walls.

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Make It Artsy

Show off your curated eye with a collection that a gallery designer would be envious of. Frame a mix of photography, illustrations, and collages, all in neutral shades of black, white, brown, ecru with hints of color to complement the rest of your room decor.

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Make It Baby Friendly

Although gallery walls are reserved for spaces like the living room and dining room, there's something so cute about adding a mini composition to a baby's nursery. Frame stills from your little one's favorite storybooks and hang them above a crib to feed your child's imagination day and night.

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Mix Things Up

While we love the look of a uniform setup, showing off a collection of new and vintage frames in various shapes, sizes, and finishes boasts much more charm. However, you might notice there's one element tieing them all together—the black and white prints.

Place them in an interesting composition, and you have yourself a wall worthy of a professional gallery.

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Map It Out

If you're still unsure of what to frame, maps add a sophisticated touch to any décor style. They say you're worldly and well-traveled. For vintage-looking maps, scour flea markets, second-hand shops, antique stores, and swap meets, then display them in modern frames. You'll be sure to love the addition to your space for years to come.

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Square It Off

Gallery walls often feature frames hung at varying heights and staggered against each other. However, precisely squaring them off and lining them up in straight vertical and horizontal lines is another gorgeous composition option.

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Work With Black and White

Exclusively selecting images in black and white is a super classic approach to the trendy gallery wall. Regardless of the photos you select, the achromatic color palette will tie them all together, making the space feel modern.

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Make It Colorful

If you've indulged in colorful décor throughout your room design, why stop now? Incorporate bold hues in your gallery wall via graphic art and neon frames.

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Make It Fit

Composing a layout that fits your space (literally) is most often easier said than done. Rather than limit yourself to the space above larger pieces—like an armoire or couch—work around them, utilizing the area on both sides.

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Try a Theme

Simply deciding on a theme or specific motif will give your gallery wall its unique purpose and make it feel cohesive. This basketball-themed wall is the perfect mix of sporty and artsy.

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Play With Orientation

Don't be afraid to play with the orientations of your frames—mixing landscape and portrait images further elevate the final look of your gallery wall composition.

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Keep It Minimal

We can appreciate a floor-to-ceiling gallery wall as much as the next interior enthusiast. However, sometimes less really is more. A few medium-sized frames in a smaller space is all you need to achieve an Insta-worthy look.

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Think Outside the Frame

Mix things up on your gallery wall and incorporate items other than frames for added visual interest and texture. We love how this setup includes a tambourine and dream catcher.

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