How to Create a Gallery Wall: Step-by-Step Guide

This salon-style gallery wall, set in a bush lodge entrance hall and hung in Blackwood floating frames, features Roots of Life, the Africa Vintage Map Canvas Print, Protea Wall Art, Golden Crowned Stare, Zulu Patterns and Sepia Protea Wall Art — and it's the perfect example of just how striking a curated arrangement can look. Shop the look below.

A gallery wall is one of the most rewarding things you can do for your home — and the good news is that you don't need an interior designer on speed dial to make it work. Whether you're starting with a gallery wall set or building your arrangement print by print, this guide walks you through every step, from planning your layout to hammering in that final nail. Pull up a chair, because by the end of this you'll be itching to get started.

This neat grid gallery wall, set in an Afro boho bathroom with large A1 prints in black floating frames, features Meerkat Bath Trio, Seal Bath Bliss, Giraffe Blossom Bath, Tropical Buffalo Bath, Toucan Bath Time Botanical Bliss and Cheetah Bath Time Duo. Shop the look below.

Step 1: Choose Your Wall and Define the Space

Before you buy a single print, spend a few minutes living with the wall you have in mind. Is it the first thing guests see when they walk in? A quiet corner in the bedroom? A long hallway that feels a little forgotten? The purpose of the wall shapes every decision that follows.

In South African homes, the most popular gallery wall locations are:

• The living room feature wall — usually behind the sofa or opposite the TV unit.
• The entrance hallway — a narrow space that benefits from vertical arrangements.
• The staircase — a rising diagonal layout works beautifully here.
• The bedroom wall above the headboard — keep it calm and cohesive for a restful feel.
• The home office — a place to inject personality and inspiration.

Once you've chosen your wall, measure its width and height and write those numbers down. You'll refer to them constantly.

Step 2: Pick a Visual Theme (This Is the Fun Part)

A gallery wall without a unifying theme can look cluttered rather than curated. That doesn't mean every piece has to match — variety is part of the charm — but a common thread ties everything together. Consider these approaches:

Colour palette

Choose prints that share one or two colours, even if the subjects are completely different. A mix of botanical prints, abstract shapes and photography can look stunning when every piece carries a thread of warm terracotta or soft sage.

Subject matter

Group prints around a theme: African wildlife, coastal scenes, vintage maps, botanicals or abstract art. Collections like African decor and nature art make it easy to find pieces that feel related without being identical.

Frame style

Sticking to one frame finish — such as a natural Ash floating frame or a deep Knysna Blackwood — instantly unifies prints that might otherwise fight each other. Mixing frame finishes is also valid, but keep it to two finishes maximum for a composed look.

Step 3: Plan Your Layout Before You Commit

This is the step most people skip — and the one that causes the most regret. Never start hammering nails without a plan. Here's how to do it painlessly:

The paper template method

1. Trace each print or frame onto newspaper or brown paper and cut out the shapes.
2. Use low-tack painter's tape to stick the templates to your wall.
3. Step back, adjust, swap pieces around and live with it for a day.
4. Only once you're happy, mark your nail positions through the templates.

Common layout styles

• Grid: even rows and columns with consistent spacing — clean and modern. Works beautifully in bathrooms and bedrooms where a sense of order feels calming.
• Salon style: an organic, edge-to-edge arrangement that fills the wall — layered and expressive. Ideal for living rooms and feature walls where you want maximum impact, as seen in the cover image above.
• Symmetrical: mirrored on a central axis — works well above a fireplace or headboard.
• Linear: a single horizontal or vertical row — ideal for hallways and staircases.
• Clustered eclectic: a loose, organic grouping of mixed sizes and orientations anchored by a central hero piece — great for entrance halls and home offices where personality matters.

Sizing and spacing rules of thumb

• Keep gaps between frames consistent: 5–8 cm for a tight, curated look; 10–15 cm for something more relaxed.
• Aim for your arrangement's visual centre to sit at approximately 145–150 cm from the floor — standard eye level for most adults.
• If the gallery wall hangs above furniture, leave 15–20 cm between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the lowest frame.
• Mix print sizes for visual interest: a large anchor piece (60 × 90 cm or bigger) surrounded by medium and small companions works wonderfully.

Image 2 above is a nature-themed statement gallery wall — a bold, cohesive arrangement of large Blackwood-framed prints in warm, earthy tones — set in a bush lodge dining room bathed in golden hour light. It features the striking Monochrome Protea Wall Art, the dynamic Cheetah in Motion, the atmospheric Into the Dust, the elegant Whispers of the King Protea and the bold Leopard's Gaze — demonstrating how botanical and wildlife prints combine effortlessly to bring warmth and a uniquely South African character to a dining room gallery wall. Shop the look below.

Step 4: Select Your Prints

Here's where Artworld genuinely makes life easier. You can browse the full collection of around 1 800 artworks and filter by colour, style or room — or start with one of the ready-made gallery wall sets that take the guesswork out of pairing. For example, Protea Wall Art makes an effortless anchor piece for a South African botanical arrangement, while Stillness Across the Plain brings wide, airy calm to a living room feature wall.

Room-by-room print ideas

• Living room: large landscape or abstract as the hero; mix with botanical and animal prints for depth. Try abstract art or landscape art.
• Bedroom: soft watercolours, botanicals or line drawings in a restrained palette keep the mood relaxed.
• Home office: typography, maps and graphic art add focus and energy. Browse map art for statement pieces.
• Bathroom: playful, moisture-resistant canvas prints work best — think cheeky animal bath scenes or coastal prints. The bathroom wall art collection is full of inspired options.
• Kids' room: bright, imaginative prints from the nursery and kids' art collection hung low enough for little eyes to enjoy.
• Dining room: botanicals, old masters and food-inspired art create warmth without distraction.

Step 5: Choose Your Print Format

At Artworld you have three format options, each with its own character:

• Canvas prints: wrapped around a wooden stretcher frame, they have a gallery-ready three-dimensional quality and need no additional framing.
• Framed canvases: canvas prints mounted inside a solid hardwood floating frame — available in Knysna Blackwood, Ash and Black. The frame adds visual weight and polish, which is especially effective for a grid or symmetrical layout.
• Fine art paper prints: printed on archival paper, these are lightweight and versatile. Pop them in your own frame or use a clip system for a relaxed, layered look.

For a cohesive gallery wall, choose one format and stick with it — or deliberately mix canvas prints with framed pieces to add texture and dimension.

Step 6: Hang Your Gallery Wall

With your paper templates still on the wall and your prints in hand, it's time to commit. A few practical tips:

• Use a spirit level for every single piece — even a slight tilt reads as chaos in a multi-piece arrangement.
• For plaster walls (common in older South African homes), use wall plugs and screws rather than relying on adhesive strips for anything heavier than a fine art paper print.
• For rental properties, high-quality adhesive picture strips (rated for the weight of the piece) are a renter-friendly alternative — just check the manufacturer's weight limits carefully.
• Start with the anchor piece first — usually the largest or most central print — and work outwards.
• Have a helper hold each piece in position before you mark the nail hole. Fresh eyes catch what a tape measure misses.

Image 3 above features a balanced gallery wall — a carefully proportioned arrangement of mixed coastal and abstract prints in black floating frames set against a clean white entrance hall. The display is anchored by the soaring Wings of Freedom and complemented by Sailing Solitude, Windswept Reflections, Gentle Companions, Fragmented Identity and Crimson Sails — showing how varied subjects can unite into one beautifully balanced display in a bright, airy space. Shop the look below.

Step 7: Style the Space Around Your Gallery Wall

The gallery wall doesn't end at the frame edges. What's in front of and around it matters just as much.

• A console table or sideboard beneath a living room gallery wall grounds the arrangement and gives you a surface for plants, candles or books that echo the colours in your prints.
• In a bedroom, bedside lamps with warm bulbs draw the eye upward to the wall art above.
• Golden Protea glows particularly beautifully under warm directional lighting — worth considering a simple picture light if your wall art investment deserves the extra attention.
• In a dining room, a statement pendant above the table creates a visual anchor that makes the gallery wall feel intentional rather than accidental.
• Leave breathing room — a gallery wall surrounded by clutter loses its impact. Clear the immediate surroundings and let the art speak.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many pieces do I need for a gallery wall?

There's no fixed rule, but most pleasing gallery walls contain between five and twelve pieces. Fewer than five can feel sparse unless the individual pieces are large; more than twelve requires very careful planning to avoid visual chaos. A ready-made gallery wall set is a brilliant starting point because the curation and sizing have already been done for you.

Can I create a gallery wall in a rented home?

Absolutely. High-quality adhesive picture-hanging strips have improved enormously and can hold a surprising amount of weight — just stay within the manufacturer's stated limits, test on a small area first and follow the removal instructions carefully to protect your walls. Fine art paper prints are lighter than canvases, making them particularly renter-friendly.

How do I know which print sizes to mix?

A reliable formula is one large piece (60 × 90 cm or bigger), two or three medium pieces (40 × 60 cm range) and two or three smaller accent pieces (20 × 30 cm or 30 × 40 cm). This hierarchy of sizes creates rhythm without repetition. If you're working with a gallery wall set, the sizing ratios are already balanced for you.

Should all my frames match?

Not necessarily — but they should relate to each other. Matching frames create a clean, contemporary look. Mixed frames (say, Ash and Black) add a layered, collected feel. What to avoid is mixing more than two frame finishes, which tends to look unintentional rather than eclectic.

Ready to Start Your Gallery Wall?

Creating a gallery wall is one of those projects that feels intimidating on paper but deeply satisfying the moment that last frame goes up. Take it one step at a time, trust your instincts on what you love, and don't be afraid to rearrange — that's half the fun. Browse Artworld's full range of canvas prints, framed canvases and fine art paper prints, explore the curated gallery wall sets for an effortless starting point, or dive into the Curator's Choice collection for hand-picked combinations that work beautifully together. Your walls are waiting.