As an interior design trend, gallery walls have all the makings of a timeless classic. An eclectic grouping of prints, original artwork, and other objects creates a chic and eye-catching display in any home. Plus, it’s a fun project. Here are some tips on creating a gallery wall in your own NYC apartment.

Assemble the Art

The first step in creating a gallery wall is to gather art. Look everywhere! You can find basically any type of print that you can dream of online, and it’s also useful to scour New York flea markets or thrift stores for more unique prints or possibly even original pieces. Choose art that speaks to you or moves you in some way. Since you’re the one who’ll be looking at it most, make sure you truly love the art on display. Don’t be afraid to mix a variety of styles, colors, time periods, and genres of art. The more eclectic, the better!

Get Creative with It

A gallery wall need not be composed solely of prints. You can frame anything — a swatch of wallpaper or fabric that you love, a pretty greeting card, a postcard, even a scarf or an item of clothing (which can also be displayed in a shadow box). Also, don’t be afraid to mix objects into your gallery wall. Just using nails, you can hang a set of interesting antique keys from a thrift store, a three -dimensional letter of the alphabet, a clock. The sky’s the limit! The variety will keep your gallery wall interesting and unexpected.

Choose Your Frames

Once you’ve gathered some art that you love, the next step is framing. You have myriad options for framing in NYC. Professional framing is expensive, but it comes out beautifully and is probably the best approach for oddly shaped or valuable pieces. Also keep in mind that places like West Elm, Ikea, and Pottery Barn have simple, chic frames that are extremely affordable. Another tip: if your piece fits into an off-the-shelf frame but doesn’t fit into the mat opening, you can have a professional framer simply cut the mat to fit your piece. This saves an incredible amount of money while still giving you that custom look. You can do all-white frames, all-black frames, a mix of the two, or a mix of all different styles — wood frames, colored frames, metallic frames. Whether you keep the frames uniform or mix them up, it still looks good!

Hang It Up

Hanging a gallery wall is where many people have trouble. The most important thing is to experiment with what looks good before you start putting holes in the wall. Here’s a great way to do it: First, lay your frames out on the floor and move them around until the arrangement looks right. It’s often a good idea to start with a large piece in a top corner and work your way out and down from there. Lay newspaper or magazine pages over each frame and cut the paper into the size of each frame. Then you have paper cutouts of all of your art, which you’re free to lightly tape to the wall in the arrangement you think will look good. Step back and check it out. Once you’ve mocked up an arrangement that looks right to your eye, hammer away! Hang your art, then relax and enjoy your handiwork.

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