A single big print can carry a wall on its own. But sometimes a wall asks for more: a long hallway, the space above a wide sideboard, or that awkward corner next to the window. That's where a gallery wall comes in. The short version: give the prints one thing in common and keep the same 5 to 8 cm between every frame. Then hang the whole group as one piece, with its centre at eye level. Here's how to make one that looks considered rather than cluttered.
1. Pick a common thread
The prints don't have to match, but they should feel related. Pick one thing they share:
- A theme, like coastlines, cities or mountains.
- A colour palette, all warm tones or all cool blues.
- Black and white only, which is the easiest way to make very different photos feel like one set.
2. Choose a gallery wall layout
- The grid. Two, three or four prints in the same size, lined up neatly. Clean, calm and very modern. Three A3 prints in a row above a sofa is hard to get wrong.
- Salon style. Mixed sizes in a looser arrangement, built around one larger anchor piece. More playful, and easy to grow over time.
- The shelf. Prints leaning on a picture ledge, slightly overlapping. Perfect if you like to swap things around and don't want ten holes in the wall.
3. Keep the spacing consistent
This is the secret ingredient. Keep roughly 5 to 8 cm between frames and stick to it. Even spacing is what makes a group of prints read as one piece instead of a collection of random frames.
4. Plan it on the floor first
Lay your frames on the floor, or cut paper templates in the right sizes and tape them to the wall. Live with it for a day. It's the same trick I describe in my article on choosing the right print size, and it saves a lot of filling and repainting.
5. Hang it at the right height
Treat the whole group as one big artwork: the centre of the arrangement should sit at about eye level, roughly 145 cm from the floor. Above a sofa or sideboard, leave around 20 to 25 cm between the furniture and the bottom of the lowest frame.
6. Keep the frames consistent
Using one frame colour, and the same passe-partout on every print, instantly makes the wall look calmer. Black frames feel graphic and modern, white feels light and airy, and grey sits nicely in between.
A few combinations from my shop
- Monochrome landscapes: Infinite Ridges, Liquid Silver and Fading View. Moody, textured and very calm together.
- Coast and summer: The Catch, Cliffside Summer and Coastal Bloom. A bit of holiday on your wall all year round.
- Cities and structure: The Sentinel, Through the Gate and The Scholar's Ladder. Architecture, lines and warm light.
Planning a gallery wall and want a second opinion on which prints and sizes go together? Send me a photo of the wall at contact@vanhilstvisuals.com. I genuinely enjoy puzzling these out.
