OUR INEXPENSIVE DIY GALLERY WALL PROJECT!

I hope you’re all hanging in there, staying healthy and keeping busy! The last week has been quite something, hasn’t it! I Our kids have been home as of last Friday and I can tell you, keeping teenagers busy and active right now is somewhat of a challenge…I’ll talk more about that in another post! If you’ve been following me on Instagram, then you know about my latest decorating endeavour, our inexpensive DIY gallery wall in our dining room.

I am SO thrilled with how this turned out, and more excited to share with you! Even though this was not intended as a project for you during this difficult time we’re facing, it’s actually a really great one to tackle if you’re looking for something new to create in your home.

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OUR INEXPENSIVE DIY GALLERY WALL

This project came to me on a whim (like many of my decorating projects do!) while we were on Spring break a couple of weeks ago – and I’m so happy I decided to tackle it. It was very simple to put together, especially since I knew the look that I was after.

When the idea came to me, I had a certain look in my mind…I had just watched the biography on Ralph Lauren’s career – which, by the way, is fantastic and so inspiring if you haven’t seen it yet (something else for you to do!) – I was reminded of his gorgeous signature style that I love so much and have always turned to for inspiration.

Did you know that Ralph Lauren was the first fashion designer to create a full home decor collection? You can read more about the history of his iconic career here, and browse some of his stunning pieces on One King’s Lane, here.

I wanted to use a mix of illustration and black and white photography, including fashion, architecture, city scenes, and nature. I used my own illustrations, and found all free printable photography, here.

I also wanted to use only gold frames, since all of the metal accents throughout our home are mostly brass, and it’s my favorite finish, of course!

I had two frames of my own (the two ornate ones), the rest needed to be more simple, which we found at Ikea – they have a gorgeous, inexpensive selection to choose from. You can find some similar frames, I’ve found for you,  here and here.

BEHIND THE SCENES OF OUR WALL

I enlisted my handy hubby, Neil, to figure out all of the measurements for our gallery wall. Once I’d found all of my images and printed them out, I planned the layout that I wanted out on the floor. We have moldings on our dining room walls, which dictated much of the placement of our DIY gallery wall.

We hung the same two frames, one above the other, on each side of the center grouping, for a clean, symmetrical look. With the center grouping, I created more of an asymmetric look, since there was a mix happening in the frame styles. 

I decided I didn’t love the look of one of my fashion drawings, so I quickly painted an abstract to take it’s place. I used black acrylic paint, a dollar store brush and sketch paper.

Probably not the best materials, but I can be impatient, so I went for it…I let the brush lead the way!  I asked my audience on Instagram for their help in choosing their favorite one, and they chose my favorite one too (top left above) – I was thrilled!

A few abstract swirls was all I needed to finish the look of our inexpensive DIY gallery wall. 

I was inspired by a fabulous artist, Kristen Tireny, who also created some gorgeous pieces for our master bathroom.

I love the way it turned out and how it balances all of the other prints. I think this gallery wall would be equally beautiful with all black and white family photos too.

That’s the beauty of a gallery wall, you can make it whatever you like! I took a more artistic approach to ours, and simply printed them at home to keep the cost low, knowing that I’ll probably change it up eventually.

I really love the mix of beautiful photographic images and illustration – it’s elegant, sophisticated and timeless. I think Ralph Lauren might be impressed!

If you look closely at the way the frames are hung on our gallery wall, they’re all centered on the same visually horizontal line.

The top of each frame on the bottom row all hang on the same line, and the bottom of each frame on the top all sit on the same line.

We used 3M Command Strips for some of the frames, and nails for others, since they all have a different hanging system on the back.Take a look at what I’ve had hanging in here previously – when we updated this space I painted a large abstract piece (here), and last fall, I hung a large sunburst mirror for a new look (here). I’m always looking for ways to freshen up our home.

I really couldn’t be more thrilled with how our inexpensive DIY gallery wall turned out. A fabulous look for approximately $120…you can’t beat it! Thanks as always for reading with me, I hope this inspires you to create something beautiful in your home too! xo

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