Art is food for the soul, and a gallery wall of favourites really livens up any space, from a living room, bedroom, a home office or in your hallway. You’ll need nails and or picture hooks, a hammer, a pencil, measuring tape, and lots of inspiration.

At Out and Out, we have got you covered. Here are some of our favourite gallery wall ideas.

First of all, if you aren’t sure how to start a gallery wall, simply lay all your favourite artwork out on the floor, have a little shuffle and see what art looks good together. Take a photo of your combinations and see how that looks, to get a different perspective.

Art Imitates Life
Allow your gallery wall to be a collection of curiosities. A curation of your favourite images and prints, postcards, exhibition tickets or special theatre programmes. A sentiment framed is art in its own right. We love a gallery wall infused with a mix of art and photography.

All white frames
It also looks great if the frames are the same colour as the wall, e.g. white frames against a white wall for an effortlessly cool Scandi minimal feel. Or simply…

Go for full on statement
The good thing is you can go maximalist or minimalist with a gallery wall. Make a statement with black frames on a white wall for a monochrome chic focal point, and immediate impact in the entryway, dining room or any room.

Create a staircase gallery
A timeline of family photos, memories and inspiring art leading up the stairs, all in order, or sporadic, looks great. Mix artwork, drawings and photography, and use art to fill awkward spaces, a collection of different heights and sizes, odd or even. Every picture tells a story.

Allow the art to do all the talking
Create a gallery wall full of your favourite quotations and sayings. ‘Word art’ can be incredibly inspiring on a daily basis and you can have fun building a collection as you go along.

Experiment with different heights
A common mistake is hanging art too high. Bear in mind that in a sitting room the art is likely going to be viewed from a seated position, and in a bedroom, from the bed. For example, if a painting is going to be hung above a bed, sofa or table, there should be a space of about 30cm.

Begin by measuring the total width of your wall, regardless of the hanging space, and mark a dot on the wall in pencil of the point halfway across. From that spot then measure the height of your wall. Find the middle of each measured area by dividing each measurement by half and marking the spot which gives you an even centre point to start hanging your first piece of art. X marks the spot, but also remember to take into account the extra space of the framed piece which includes the drop of the hanging cord, usually a couple of inches, which also has to be included in marking the spot for banging nails into.

Have someone hold pictures up against the wall for you to be able to step back and view them in their allocated positions before getting hammer happy. Start with your largest piece as a centrepiece of art and hang the others around it. Different size art doesn’t matter after your central focal point is established, but measuring again the centre of each remaining hanging space still applies to each further piece hung. Choose the right fixture for your type of wall, e.g. solid or stud walls require appropriate wall plugs and the weight of your art must be brought into the equation when choosing nails, screws or hooks.

Focal point
A gallery wall can add a splash of colour to your wall without having to use paint. Mix old and new frames, in different colours and textures, to contrast with the wall. Or go for made to measure frames for a polished look.

Insta Inspiration
Black frames work really well in industrial settings or against a charcoal wall paint. Why not use accent colours in the artworks themselves to compliment the textiles in the room, as seen here by @cji_design

Botanical Gallery Wall
Go with the same flow of floral or botanical prints that not only complement each other, but carry on a theme for continuity, as seen on this lovely London tablescape @homeincollywood.

We love this soft neutral colour palette created by @renovating_lovelane and @lucys_hillside_house, who matched their gallery wall art to some gorgeous Out and Out furniture.

Have lots of art?
Don’t limit your gallery to one wall, extend the gallery wall along two walls. If ever there was a way to add your own stamp on interior design, it’s creating a gallery wall. Start creating a gallery wall today. It should make you smile every time you walk past it.