The traditional gallery wall as we have come to know it is dead. Cause of death: overexposure. Sure, we can all admit that the initial resurgence of this style, which was first popularized in European art museums displaying academic paintings, did indeed feel fresh. But it has long since grown stale. The reasons for its popularity are easy enough to understand. For one, it is much easier to acquire multiple small pieces than it is to find the perfect painting to fill up your large living room wall. But fear not, die-hard fans, there are subtle riffs on the gallery wall, as well as new alternatives, that you can (and should) consider instead. So below, we’ve laid out some of the best burgeoning trends.
- Arrange uniform frames so that there is no wall space left showing in between. More important, select a singular piece, rather than multiple compositions, to display. This vintage map is a master class of
design—a modern-day mosaic mural, if you will.
- Go for leaning and layered. A set of horizontal shelves, painted white to match the rest of the room, allows for a more natural gallery wall look. The overall minimalism, as well as adding items such as storage crates, helps everything feel less forced. Plus, no hanging will be necessary.
- Mount picture frames on your bookshelf. The overlap of books and art creates an unmistakably unique aesthetic—cozy librarian meets happy collector, perhaps. This idea may be slightly intimidating for the hardware-averse, but after all, there’s always Handy.
- Don’t be afraid to hang images on a busy wallpaper. Be it traditional chinoiserie or something more contemporary and kitsch, wallpaper is not something to be feared.
- Or just find a hand-painted wallpaper—that has a truly modern design. More and more, companies such as Voutsa are creating highly desirable one-of-a-kind pieces. Be it a full trompe l’oeil scene or repeated motif, these products are often just as much art as design. So embrace the contemporary and invest in a local designer working near you.
- Build a scene that unites wall, artwork—and beyond. In this Jeffrey Bilhuber–designed home, a mountain mural, a foliage painting, and a lemon tree create a truly engrossing scene. And trust us, if you achieve something similar in your own abode, you certainly won’t see the exact same look next time you go over to a friend’s.