Create A Gallery Space

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

13 Jan 2008 06:53 PM

Create a formal (or informal) gallery space to add elegance and fun to your home. It is easy to do!

The first thing you need to to is to pick an area of your home for your gallery. A hallway way is an idea space, especially if it acts and an entry point into your home or into the main entertaining space. But if a hallway doesn't work for you, consider any wall space, from a dining room to a family room. One home I saw had their gallery in their first floor half-bath, and it really livened up that space.

Here are some more tips to help you create your gallery.

Pick art that can easily tie together, such as black and white or sepia photographs, nature prints, vintage postcards, magazine art, or whatever you like.

Frame the art in frames that go together. They don't have to completely match, but make sure that the frames work well when grouped together. Use variations of brown, for example, or try all gold, silver or oak, for example. Don't worry about having all of the frames be the same size. Variety adds interest.

Mat the art in mats that all have a similar tone, such as soft blues and greens, bold oranges and yellows, earth tones, etc.

Organize the art in a formal pattern to make it pleasing to the eye. Have the arrangement be balanced but interesting. You don't have to line everything up in a grid. Arrange and rearrange all of the frames on the floor and determine your pattern before you even nail a single nail into the wall. Make sure that you will have frames that fall both above and below eye level.

Add another element to your gallery, such as a lighted sconce, a shelf or a piece of three-dimensional art. Just make sure that it doesn't stick out too far from the wall, especially in a hallway, or you and your guests may find themselves bumping into it.

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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