Creating your own Wall Gallery

Have you ever intered a café that had there own "Wall Gallery" and admired it?
Why not make you own Wall Gallry at home?
- and so my project started :-)

I often find myself admiring well-staged photos of tastefully arranged and resolutely simple living spaces; intellectually, I understand the appeal of several harmonious shades of beige. But my ideal scenario is much, much different: pure aesthetic chaos.

Over and over again, I’m drawn resolutely toward dizzying maximalism. Outdoors, I prefer an urban place in the city with a cosy bar, nice outserving area, lot's of different people where a nice flat white or a nice wine will make my day; inside, I like innumerable layers of colors and textures. Bold rugs with rich, dense patterns; gingham linens; kooky-shaped leather sofas; centuries-old market place from the Middle East paintings with frames; tartan wool blankets; light wallpaper no-patterns; weird lamps and funny little items sourced from thrift stores.A wall full with different paintings, a wall gallery.

In reality, in such a space, I would find myself overstimulated to the point of vibrating clear out of my skin. The question is how to tap that feeling of abundance, without letting it take over. Enter the world, which presents an opportunity to play with the chaos that I enjoy—but firmly within guardrails.

So let's start making my own "Wall Gallery"

Unfortunately, I always collapse a bit in the face of the steps involved. First you have to pick the wall, then you have to choose (or worse, acquire) the art, then you have to frame the art, then you have to figure out how to arrange all that art, then—God help me—you have to get out a hammer and a level. It’s not that I’m incapable of tackling a complex project with a lot of stages, it’s just that such things have to be crammed in around the complex project with a lot of stages that I’ve already committed myself to for 18 years, i.e., parenting.

And yet, I always find myself back on Pinterest, pinning photo after photo of cheerfully crowded walls, the opposite of my wall just with a painting. Clearly, it’s time.

Part of the problem is that I need a greater "Wall", a bigger variety of stuff to put on the wall, but my time and budget are both limited. I’d like to solve this problem with some of the ephemera I’ve collected over the years. Recently, for instance, a piece of paper fluttered out of a secondhand cookbook—an orange piece of Doubleday stationery with the relevant publication details. I have so many similar things tucked into drawers: postcards, vintage prints, bookmarks from every bookstore I’ve ever visited, covers from old Harlequin paperbacks, family photos from back when we still developed film. All of it could be tucked into frames.

If I were to frame it all professionally, it would cost a small fortune. But I don’t have to. A close friend DIYed his own gallery wall by simply buying up every nice-looking frame containing hideous art she spotted at thrift stores or flea markets and replacing the picture, then taping up the back, which nobody sees. Your can also find cheep frames are widely available on Halv price stores. Now I have all the pieces at hand—I just need to do it. And this year I will. What else are long January weekends for?

A residential gallery space can be large or compact. It can make up its own dedicated space or can reside in a small section of another room. Regardless of the size, it should be a place that inspires you and allows you to share your favorite pieces with your family, friends, and other visitors. Plus, it will allow you to enjoy the pieces on a daily basis in the comfort of you own home.

Here are some things that some have found out to consider when designing a home art gallery and what I have used for making my wall gallery "Sammy's Wall Gallery". Whether you just really love art or you're an avid collector, you may want to consider creating an art gallery in your home—a special place where you can display and enjoy your collections of paintings, sculptures, photography, or other treasures.

1- Does The size really matters :-)
The size and location of your designated gallery space will depend on the size of your collection and how many pieces you intend to hang on the wall or exhibit and how big your wall is. If you’re looking to grow your collection in the future, then you’ll need to plan for that when choosing a place in your home. 

I live in an appartment, therefor my wall is limited, so choose a wall a make it your own Wall Gallery. I chose the wall over the big red sofa I have.
Update: I have moved and now have 2 Wall Galleries, one in the sitting room, he other in my home office :-)

2- Lightning

When selecting lighting, choose bulbs that won’t damage artwork over time. Some halogen bulbs can slowly burn away at the canvas or paint, so it's safe to choose lights with UV filters or LED bulbs. Ceiling-mounted accent lights are good options if you want the entire piece to be washed in light. Just point the lamp at a 30-degree angle towards the artwork so that it shines on the center and its beams spread across the artwork. If you’ll be moving your art around, track lighting might be a better choice as they offer many of the same benefits as ceiling-mounted accent lights, but can be moved around for easier re-installation.I have chosen to yous my Philips hue lamps, as they are LED and can chose the colour of my lamps to avoid the very white and creat a more warm creamy white light.

3. Sunlight 
Some types of art can withstand a little sunlight, whereas others can’t. Most oil and acrylic paintings can hold up pretty well when exposed to some sunlight, as long as there's no raw canvas. Watercolors and photography however, are vulnerable to fading with too much sun, so display these on a wall that's not directly facing an open window or skylight.

4. Wall background paint or material 
The color and material of your home gallery walls will make a big difference in the way your collection is perceived. Consider the dominant colors within your artwork. Are you hanging an oil painting with bright fauvist colors, a black-and-white photograph, or a watercolor painting with a neutral-toned landscape? Also, think about the color of frames and borders before deciding on what color paint to use on the walls. Exposed brick and raw concrete walls can also work very well with certain types of art, so think about your options and choose a wall background that complements your pieces.

If your collection varies a great deal on the color spectrum—perhaps half of your painting has dark colors while the other half has light tones—then a good solution is to paint one or two walls a different color to create a better contrast between the wall and the art that hangs on it, or make two different Wall Gallery, each in a room.

5. Play with layouts 
Before you start hammering nails into your walls, experiment with layouts until you find a composition that works best. You can explore possibilities by placing your artwork on the floor to get a feel of dimensions and spatial configurations. Establish your focal point (eye-level is best) and work your way from there. To create a better sense of context for your viewers, lay your art out to convey a narrative or "wall story." If you hang art over a sofa or chair, New York gallery owner Jen Bekman suggests leaving at least eight inches between the base of the frame and the top of the furniture.

I made my gallery tries on a paper and made a line, where my pictures is hanged over it.

6. Select furniture that matches the color palette and mood of your collection
You might want to include a sofa or viewing bench in your home gallery, or you may even want to incorporate your collection into your living room, dining space, study, library, or bedroom. Ensure that your furniture or built-in cabinetry match the colors and style of your artwork. 
I have a huge red sofa, so tried with no other colours as possible