How to Arrange Furniture to Feature a Gallery Wall

Whether you're creating a gallery wall of paintings or photographs or a combination of both, it's just as important that you arrange the furniture around the wall in aesthetically pleasing positions as it is to arrange the framed works on the wall.

Here are a few great ideas to help you get started.

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Place Your Pictures Above a Couch or Table

It's usually best to hang paintings or photographs on a wall at eye level so that the pictures can be viewed optimally. Therefore, you can easily place a low item of furniture beneath the pictures and not affect the design and aesthetic quality of your gallery wall.

A couch or a low table both work well below a gallery wall. And, while you have the option to position your pictures on the wall in any way that you think looks good, it's often best to hang just three or five pictures above a couch or table, as that can create artistic balance.

Also, if you place a table below the gallery wall, you have the option to tie it into the design of the wall. For example, you could create a personalized photo album with the help of Mixbook that features some of the pictures on your gallery wall as well as other favorite photos from your life to create continuity in the room.

Place Furniture on Either Side of Your Gallery Wall

You could make your wall more of a feature and add more pictures to the wall if there is nothing below the pictures. While it can be good to have eye-level paintings or photos on the wall, you can also create a customized layout in which pictures run from the ceiling to the bottom of the wall.

When using that layout approach, you can place items of furniture on either side of the wall to create a sense of balance and make your feature wall more prominent.

It's best to use two items of furniture that are the same or similar in order to maintain balance. For instance, you could add nests of tables or tall bookshelves on either side of your gallery wall.

Position the Other Furniture in the Room Appropriately

In addition to positioning the furniture below or to either side of your gallery wall in the right way, you need to consider the placement of all the other furniture in the room.

The key is to use a layout that is balanced and which points toward your gallery wall as the main feature of the room. You can also paint the gallery wall a different color than the other walls in the room, or decorate it with wallpaper, to make it even more prominent.

Don't Crowd the Room with Furniture

Just as important as creating a sense of balance with your choice of furniture positions is to not overcrowd the room with furniture. If you do, your gallery wall could not look as prominent and eye-catching as you intend.

Your gallery wall should be the focal point of your room, so make sure the rest of the room is not cluttered - that goes for all items in the space, not just the furniture.

Build Shelves Into Your Gallery Wall

If you have statuettes, small sculptures, or other artistic objects that you want to display alongside the paintings or photos on your gallery wall, consider building shelves into the wall.

For example, you could create shelves with a box effect in which the squares house different objects and act as frames for your pictures. You can tie everything together with a bespoke shelving design and make your gallery wall into something special.