As part of our bedroom remodel, we wanted to include a beautiful gallery wall to complement our room’s decor. Gallery walls make a space feel welcoming and don’t have to feel intimidating. With a step-by-step approach, you can create your own bedroom gallery wall with artwork you love.
Bedroom Gallery Wall Ideas Video
Step #1: Planning a Bedroom Gallery Wall
I have found it best to get inspiration from other designers when I begin to plan a new gallery wall. By seeing what others have done, I feel my creativity begin to flow. It’s not about copying the designs of others, but using them as a launching pad for my own design.
My go-to place for interior design inspiration is Pinterest. For the gallery wall I will be showing you today, I’ve consulted my Pinterest English artwork design board for a color palette & subject matter for this collection of artwork. I’m going for a more subdued color palette than what I’ve used in the past.
Many of the bedroom gallery walls I’ve studied include portraits, riverside scenes, buildings, horses or dog pieces, and (of course) florals. These pieces are on my shopping list, and I’m hoping to find them in a mixture of mediums for added depth and interest.
Now, on to how to make a gallery wall in our guest bedroom.
Step #2: Collecting Vintage Portraits & Art
Back in the winter (I see my coat sleeve), I spotted these elegant portraits of Southern women. They are vintage with the original information on the back. I searched for them online and learned that the lady on the right is Jenny Lind. She was a popular Swedish opera singer in the 1850’s.
This Victorian brunette lady is called “Southern Belle”. I’ve spotted this same piece for sale on eBay for $349.00. This pair has nice burnished gold leaf frames and was $10. I really love the true English style they will give our bedroom gallery wall!
Step #3: Shopping for Frames & Artwork
As you begin collecting, I encourage you to take pictures. Take pictures of pieces that interest you, but you’re not sure about, and take pictures of the pieces you’ve bought. These photos will help you see where your collection is headed and may change what you are looking for.
Here are some of the pieces I took pictures of along the way. Some I bought, some I didn’t. Remember to consider the gallery wall frames as well as the actual artwork. See if you can spot the pieces I chose in the collection below!
This is one I wish I’d bought! Let me encourage you to have an abundance mindset while shopping for art. There is plenty of artwork out there, and you’ll be sure to find something you love!
Here is one picture I took during the collecting stage. Having this visual with me while shopping gives a reference point for color palette, the variety of subject matters, and mediums needed to give the collection a sense of completion and balance. I tend to overbuy florals, and this checkpoint was a great way to direct my purchases!
Yes, I know. That’s a lot of art. A lot of old world, English style, sophisticated, moody, gorgeousness… As I said, I’ve been collecting art for months for this bedroom gallery wall, but also for other areas in our home as well. I love to create a curated over time look.
Here is a resource with more information about finding vintage art.
Step #4: Editing the Grouping & Focal Point
Now let’s edit a grouping for this specific bedroom gallery wall.
With the color palette and theme I’ve chosen for the guest bedroom, I begin by removing the most vibrantly colored pictures. In any gallery wall arrangement, it is helpful to choose a central piece of art, even if it’s a subtle focal point. This gives the eye somewhere to rest and subconsciously causes the grouping to “make sense”.
In this final selection, the large original oil painting for the Old Mill Stream copied from a print by Currier & Ives will be the focal point. All the remaining pieces are either cohesive or complementary in subject and color palette.
Step #5: Arranging Pieces on the Floor
Once the furniture was in place in the bedroom, I measured the exact wall space, taped off this shape on the floor, and began puzzling the wall art to fit that space. This can take some time and further force the editing of some pieces out of the mix… if you look closely, you can see some pieces added in and others coming out.
The small section taped off to the left represents the adjacent wall. On second thought, it seemed best to wait and see how the main gallery turned out before expanding.
Step #6: Transferring the Layout with Paper Templates
Once your art arrangement is finalized, take a picture for reference, then trace each piece of art on paper and label it. Then use your photograph to replicate your gallery wall and tape the “paper art” in place. I find this step extremely helpful for giving the best idea of spacing and to avoid extra holes in the wall. If you notice, in between the floor layout and popping up the “paper art” there was some fine-tuning of placement and spacing!
Even with careful measuring and arranging the floor layout, it’s amazing how different it actually is on the wall!
I’m loving the muted, moody colors, the variety in subject matter, and different textures in paintings, prints, cross stitch, hand colored lithographs, and dried flowers. While the variety keeps the eye traveling with interest, there isn’t one piece that overwhelms or dominates the others.
I hope you enjoyed our time exploring the world of art! This adventure inspired me to continue personalizing other spaces in our home and… I just might have hung another gallery wall collection ~ or two… To see how the bedroom turned out, check out the final bedroom reveal. If you’re gathering ideas for the rest of the room, come see the English country bedroom inspiration I’ve been collecting.
