My Gallery Wall, Finally!

One of the things I've always wanted in my house is a gallery wall.  Ever since I can remember, gallery walls in books and magazines fascinated me. In my last apartment, I overthought the process and when I moved out 9 years later, I still had no gallery wall.

Below a couple of gallery wall images I've had on my Pinterest board for a while now.

I've now been in this house for 3 years and was still over-thinking. Where could I assemble a gallery wall--my bedroom? The family room? The guest bathroom?

The other day, my designer friend Tommy, who happened to be in the house (he's been instrumental pushing me forward to finish the details of my living room)  just looked at the frames on the floor and with a big impatient sigh said, "I'm putting them up right now!"

"Now? But don't we have to plan it?"  I asked.

He asked for a hammer and some Orjan picture hangers, and just like that, he started hanging up the frames.

No overthinking, no measurement, no drama. With a hammer and with the Orjan concrete picture hangers, he went to work. It helped that I had gathered all the frames around the house the week before and had them on the floor. Seeing this mess irked him into action.

 This wall sconce was the very first thing he put up. One of my favorite purchases from Clignancourt.

He just went on and on, while I sat on the stairs just amazed that my little gallery wall was finally becoming a reality. 

There was none of this measuring detail for us, which is what you find online if you google "how to hang a gallery wall". He said we'd hang it Parisian-style, as if we were adding pieces as we acquired them.

  

He eyeballed on the spot and did everything by feel. The result is natural and spontaneous--exactly the way I like it!

  

It's not yet done but it's coming out the way I envisioned my gallery wall would look like. We left some space on the bottom for more flea market souvenirs.

 The view from my kitchen. 

Working in my messy kitchen

 

Giverny by Galicano is the biggest frame on the wall

My own tiny watercolors of the Carmel Mission Basilica

An oil I made when I was 13. It's a miracle I still had it!

Carvings from China bought years ago. 

Tommy stuck them in this antique hardwood frame before hanging.

The great grandparents of my kids' future grandchildren :)

More Porte de Vanves flea market purchases

Included in the wall: a photo of my grandfather who I never met (he died before I was born), more flea market art, my own artwork, photographs from my sister's collection, old prints, and a couple of small paintings from Philippine masters. I LOVE the way it came out. More so because Tommy did everything spontaneously, and with frames that are meaningful to me.

He tells me I should buy some artwork--even just one--for my living room. But the truth is I haven't been moved by any artwork so far (Lucky husband!) and I don't see any sense in buying major art if it doesn't say anything to me.  Good thing I only have one tiny wall to fill, and maybe I'll eventually paint something for it. My own painting will move me. I'm cheap that way.