Your hallway may seem functional to guide you from one room to the next. While it does serve this purpose, how it’s styled should be addressed. You could incorporate many styles and furniture into this seemingly small section of your home, but one of the most impactful design options to choose from is a gallery wall.
Whether you have a ton of art that you’d like to incorporate into this hallway wall or have some sentimental wall hangings and smaller pieces that you’d like included, the blank wall in your walkway is the perfect place to hang them.
Need some inspiration for your hallway gallery wall? We’re covering that, as well as artwork and color options. Let’s get started!
Hallway Gallery Wall Ideas
Stay focused on the empty canvas in front of you. Consider it the beginning of a fun design project where you can be the artist and put any piece you’d like. There’s no wrong way to achieve a beautiful hallway; keep a consistent theme throughout, whether color, picture type, or frame style.
A gallery wall is meant to showcase who you are and highlight what you love to your guests and family members. If picking pieces for your wall seems a bit daunting, consider using one of the following hallway wall ideas:
Monochromatic
Pick a color you love and make it the focal point of the entire wall. But, rather than painting the actual wall, get different frames or pieces of art in one hue, giving the wall a dramatic design effect. Include family photos with only that color in them or include it in some capacity — the more emphasis on one hue, the more dramatic the result will be.
Mix and Match
Get a good mix of both rather than only choose modern, abstract paintings or older, traditional style art. This can make an interesting dynamic between the two and positively impact the space. It also helps each piece shine without distracting from the other art that’s hung up. To keep this option cohesive, picking an even number of each art style is beneficial.
Get Personal With a Photo Wall
Think of this gallery wall as a display of your life and what you admire. You don’t just have to hang up art pieces — get some of your favorite family pictures printed and dig up important tickets, postcards, or other mementos from special moments in your and your family’s life and create a photo wall. Did you and your partner attend a special event or visit a dream vacation spot? Hang up a ticket or postcard from your adventures! Or did your kid paint you a beautiful picture you can’t part with? Don’t just stick it on the fridge — add it to your gallery wall for everyone to see.
Go Black and White
Similar to the monochromatic look, choosing only black and white pictures and art pieces as your home decor ensures the gallery wall matches the existing design of your home. This bold choice can give your hallway a classic, old-Hollywood look. Or, if you want to keep it modern, pick more neutral paintings that can deliver a chic, colorless wall design.
Tips for Getting the Gallery Wall Right
We already told you there’s no wrong way to do this, but there are some fundamental guidelines to keep in mind for the most flawless finish:
- Vary the sizes of wall art or family photos that you hang: Unless you want a fully symmetrical look with all the hallway decor lined up in identical sizes, selecting a variety of frame sizes is advantageous. A good rule of thumb is to choose two more oversized items and fill in the rest with smaller pieces.
- Repeat colors two to three times: Unless you’re going for a monochromatic look, it’s best to keep your call cohesive by using the same handful of colors a couple of times throughout your pictures.
- Space your pieces: Don’t bunch all your artwork together. Instead, give each piece about 3 inches of space on all sides. It can be partially spaced or even throughout, but this keeps the wall from looking too cramped. You can create a mini gallery wall if you need more wall space in a narrow hallway. Use photos or art prints in a smaller picture frame size to complete the look.
Choosing the Right Artwork and Color Palette
Before picking what items will be a part of your display, it’s essential to pinpoint your goals for the entryway gallery wall. It’s beneficial if it matches the aesthetic of your home’s design, but you can still play around with different styles that fit with the existing look and feel.
A helpful exercise is deciding what central piece must be included in your layout and then working the other pieces around it to fill the wall space. A bolder wall is the way to go if this piece is bright and colorful. But, if the artwork or picture is more subdued, a vintage or traditional look may be best.
Because your hallway most likely doesn’t get the best light, painting the walls a neutral or soft color is generally best. Doing so ensures that your light is reflected, making the passage feel more spacious. But this doesn’t mean you have to choose white. While there’s nothing wrong with this color, you can find taupes, light grays, greens, blues, or creams that can be beautiful in almost any hallway. Ensure the wall art you intend to hang up for your entryway gallery wall goes well with the hue and your foyer’s overall design.
Contact Michelle Jett Decorating Den Interiors
Hallways can take a lot of work to get right on your own. That’s why Michelle Jett Decorating Den Interiors has experienced professional decorators who can assist with your vision.
We’ve seen (and decorated) plenty of complex passageways before, and we can help you achieve your dream hallway space! After reaching out to us, you’ll have a consultation with one of our interior decorators, who will get to know your personal style to better understand what your goals are for your home. Then, we’ll devise a plan to make it happen on time and within your budget.
Get in touch with one of our decorators to get started.
