How to create an art wall

An art wall can be a uniquely personal and very striking display, whether designed to showcase your artistic taste to visitors or to be kept in a private room for your own enjoyment. It is an easy way to tell a story as well as build up an art collection over time by choosing affordable art pieces or art prints..

The prospect of decorating a blank wall can be exciting if a little daunting, for the options are endless, but a good starting point is to consider the art you already have. Do you have a print that could be the basis for a collection? For example; if you own any pop art, a print by Susan Diamond like “Fuck You”or “Detour to Tallahassee” could be the next step in turning your existing piece into a collection of pop art for the wall.
If you are decorating a wall from the bare beginning and own no art at all, consider your own tastes. Look at a wide range of artwork of all kinds: which pieces speak to you in terms of style and colour? Next, consider how you might develop a gallery wall from a particular piece if you owned it. If “Gabriel” by Samarel caught your eye, that could be the basis for a wall featuring futuristic art, dark tones, the colour blue, or art with an erotic theme.

When creating a gallery wall, many style guides advise you to choose one large statement piece to work around. This strategy can be effective, but a collection of similarly-toned pieces can also work well. “Man in Water” by Samarel and “Beware Of The Ego” by Courtenay Kusitor use similar colour schemes. These could be striking as part of an art wall comprised mostly of blue and purple hues, giving the impression of a feature wall, but one which is especially fascinating and personal.

Your lifestyle can also play a part in designing an art wall. If you’re intending to overhaul or renovate your home décor in the near future, or you regularly change your colour schemes, choosing neutral-toned or classic art prints which complement any future design choice keeps your art collection looking fresh and current. “Nude 10”, by Helen Parsliffe is a great example of an interesting but primarily neutral toned print. Another way to ensure your art collection always works with your home styling is to choose a unifying colour throughout the frames. Even metallics can work well to tie a gallery wall in with a room.

Unless your wall is dedicated to one particular artist, variety adds interest to your pieces and allows each print to stand out in its own right. Vary the medium, the size, style and portrait/landscape orientation of each piece and ensure that the framing gives a cohesive look to the collection. 
Before mounting your art, experiment with layout, grouping and orientation by first arranging your collection on the floor. You’ll have the freedom to reposition and curate your gallery wall before the gallery reaches the wall!

Start creating your art wall today from our uniquely curated art wall collection.