Interior design always tells a story, whether your home is filled with family heirlooms or the latest trends. A gallery wall combines several works of art to create something bigger than the sum of its parts: It’s your opportunity to develop the plot loud and clear, showing off art that sells your narrative in one glance.

Dig into this guide for gallery wall ideas — including inspiration for frames, layouts, and themes — to help you display all the art that’s as unique as you. 

How to create a gallery wall to energize any room

Gallery walls are endlessly adaptable — they can read modern, vintage, eclectic, or even minimalist, depending on what you hang. Whether you need picture wall ideas for a farmhouse-style entryway or living room gallery wall inspo with a maximalist twist, here are 15 ideas to get you started.

1. The symmetrical grid

Some design styles project a mood to match their story. If you would describe your home’s aesthetic as “neat and tidy,” a picture wall arranged in a symmetrical grid with matching frames will fit right in. 

This type of modern gallery wall harmonizes well with Scandinavian, minimalist, mid-century modern, ​​and Japanese interior design, especially alongside neutral colors and wood details. And for an extra cohesive look, choose frames and mats that match the surrounding decor. 

2. The mismatched eclectic gallery wall

For bohemian and maximalist styles, a wild approach to gallery wall art — one that looks like the personal archives of an eccentric art collector — makes sense. Mix and match frames, colors, and art styles, and don’t follow rules about where to place them. But take care to make connections between the art, mats, and frames and the rest of your decor, like circular frames that match the flow of a curved couch or a picture frame in the same hue as a red throw pillow. Continuity keeps the room feeling cohesive, not cluttered.

3. The staircase gallery

The sky’s the limit with stairwells. In many homes, it’s the largest wall space in the house — the perfect canvas for a gallery wall.

Staircases have a natural sense of movement, providing more depth for dynamic gallery wall layouts. Varied shapes and sizes move the eye upward, while matching wood picture frames and color palettes keep the vibe cohesive. For a more polished look, put artwork evenly along the stair rail and keep the spacing steady all the way up. 

4. The triptych

A triptych — three pieces working together as a single installation — is like catnip for designers who crave a touch of artsy sophistication. People read groups of three as “complete,” so the triptych brings polish to the space.

To draw all eyes to your curation, three wall sconces arranged around the work will give your gallery wall a museum effect. In modern or minimalist rooms, three identically sized art pieces in a straight line match the clean lines of square rugs and rectangular coffee tables. And if you’re adding art to your living room decor lineup, hanging the triptych over your couch cements its place as the center of your home. 

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5. The mixed media wall

Tactile, unpredictable mixes of art styles keep the eye wandering along a gallery wall. In eccentric interiors, this kind of curation adds to the room’s visual conversation. Bold furniture pieces with little texture, like a Brutalist coffee table or sculptural lamp, keep the fun moving without distracting from the wall. But for styles that don’t lean into maximalism, turn down the energy of the room with simple furnishings to let the art take center stage.

6. The themed collection

Curated prints, artwork, or photographs can spotlight the things that make you feel like yourself. A themed gallery wall subtly centers a design style — like ocean views and shells for a coastal room or pine trees and mountains for a rustic cabin space — in otherwise simple or plain rooms. Plus, switching out the art in a themed gallery wall is an easy way to refresh the space without having to completely renovate. 

Mirror the vibe you establish in a themed gallery wall with other decor choices, like a beige couch, pink throw pillows, and woven rattan plant pot to match a calming, contemporary gallery wall. 

7. The black-and-white display

Gallery walls are loud by design: The scale and mix of visuals are meant to catch your attention. A black-and-white gallery wall, or one that incorporates old-school photography and sepia tones, turns down the volume. Limited color palettes let you play with contrasting shapes and sizes without overwhelming the space. The final result is striking but composed enough to fit into a polished traditional design aesthetic. 

8. The shelf or ledge display

A picture ledge is a low-commitment gallery wall idea. Everything rests on the same plane, which creates a more calm, balanced look than most gallery walls, even if the frames vary in size or style. The ledge doubles as a shelf, giving you extra space to play around with decorative decor like a sculptural vase, a cluster of candle holders, or a small ceramic bust. Plus, you can swap pieces in and out whenever the mood strikes, or you find a piece of art you just can’t pass by.

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9. The floor-to-ceiling layout

A gallery wall that stretches from the baseboard to the ceiling announces itself loudly and proudly from the moment you step into the space. It draws the eye upward, making the room feel taller, and works especially well with big style personalities and lots of wall space — think maximalist living rooms, eclectic lofts, or a grand entryway. 

A good rule of thumb for this type of gallery wall is to mix sizes while maintaining at least one element of cohesion, like consistent frames or a unifying color palette. This keeps the scale impressive without veering into visual chaos. 

10. The monochromatic color scheme

A monochromatic color scheme is another way to temper the visual chaos of an eclectic gallery wall. By staying within a strict palette, each art piece builds on the others like tiles in a mosaic, rather than jumping between pieces vying for attention.

Black-and-white photographs are a great option for minimalist or more traditional rooms, but you could also try photographs in a purple hue in a maximalist room or abstract blue artworks in a Mediterranean-inspired space.

11. The personal touch

Family photos, children’s drawings, postcards, and even a love letter or two are perfect accents for a cozy space. For gallery walls in family homes, including personal memorabilia is a way to make a space feel unmistakably yours. Picking frames of a similar size, shape, and color help the borders fade into the background, keeping the visual emphasis on what’s inside. 

12. The asymmetrical arrangement

Symmetrical gallery walls bring a calming, pulled-together feeling to a room, perfect for bedrooms or offices where distractions should be minimized. Asymmetry flips the energy — it’s loose, playful, and great for showing off pieces of different shapes and sizes. It’s a sneaky and effective strategy to camouflage a TV wall. If you have a smart TV, you can even use art mode to display a piece of art you love so it looks like your TV is just another frame in the gallery. 

To keep things feeling intentional, lay out your gallery wall before putting it up, measure consistent spacing, and repeat a few colors or frame styles. Balancing the amount of negative space between frames avoids dense or sparse gallery walls and brings emotional rhythm to the room.

13. The empty frame wall

Who needs wall art when you have a dozen ornate frames to show off? Layered edges and flourishes turn negative space into the art itself. It’s a clever bedroom wall idea for eclectic, bohemian, and vintage-inspired spaces — especially those with a lot of color already present or a particularly restricted palette. Use a mix of frame shapes and finishes with similar tones so the gallery feels like it’s been collected from swap meets and antique shops over time. 

14.   The corner gallery wall

You don’t have to dangle a sculpture or awkwardly hang a painting to cover a corner in art. Try wrapping your gallery wall and decor around a corner to create one continuous design. It’s a fun way to define a breakfast nook or reading corner, or to jazz up a living room, and gives depth and emphasis to small spaces.

15. The floating frame set

Floating frames squeeze artwork between two transparent sheets, which are fastened together with visible hardware. When hung, they appear to float off the wall and cast a light shadow, creating a fun sense of suspension. These frames look particularly elegant against neutral colored walls in modern interior design styles with a strong contrast to the art. 

Explore eclectic gallery wall inspiration with Onton

Not sure which gallery wall layout to put up? Let Onton’s AI-powered search engine help you find the right frames and wall decor before you transform your space. Get inspired with prompts like  “ornate picture frames,” “graphic artwork,” or “sculptural vase.” 

Then, bring it all to life with Onton’s Imagine tool. Upload a photo of your space and experiment with color palettes, materials, and layouts to see how everything comes together before you commit to a nail in the wall. Try a prompt like “symmetrical bedroom gallery wall with black and white photos and wood frames” to see how it all looks. 

Dream up your ideal gallery wall with Onton. 

FAQ

How can you map out a gallery wall?

A simple way to visualize a gallery wall is to lay your frames on the floor and experiment with different arrangements. Begin with a central focal point and work outward to create a sense of balance. Once you find a layout you like, use paper cutouts and painter’s tape on the wall to double-check placement. 

What are some gallery wall ideas for a living room?

A gallery wall is a natural focal point, so stay in line with your living room’s interior design aesthetic. For minimalist spaces, symmetrical framing like triptychs or picture ledges create strong visual balance and clean lines. For maximalist spaces, varied sizes, shapes, and colors will capture the visual explosiveness core to the style. 

What’s the rule for gallery walls?

When it comes to interior design, the only rule is consistency. Create balance through consistent spacing, themes, or color palettes, but have fun and showcase your personality while you’re doing so.