Creating a gallery wall is definitely a marathon, not a sprint. If you’re trying to pull one together right now, it’s probably one that’s taking time as you try to envisage with prints, frames and most importantly how it’s going to cost so much to get the job done.
I get it. Having recently finished my own (see above!) I wanted to have a balance of gorgeous artwork but also mix with thrifted and budget options for a gallery wall that looks great, but wouldn’t have taken me 12 months to pay for it all, lol.
Thrifting makes a gallery wall so much more accessible, so I’m sharing my top tips on pulling one together as well as over 20 different ideas in situ to give you some inspiration.
How to Create a Stunning Thrifted Gallery Wall on a Budget
Once you have decided what wall or space you’re using for your gallery wall you can start working out the sizing and how many frames you may need.
At this stage you don’t need to worry about the exact amount, or what they look like. The pursuit of a gallery wall can’t and shouldn’t be rushed! Ideally you want a good mix of sizes for interest, it doesn’t have to be symmetrical.
If you already have some artwork that can be used, this makes a good starting point. If you’re starting from scratch, I’d recommend starting with getting a larger frame to begin with that can ground the gallery wall, and be used as an anchor.
Thrifting for a gallery wall is accessible and so much more affordable, thrifted pieces tend to carry more character than off the shelf frames, especially if you’re looking for a vintage wooden frame or a beautiful brass piece.
My favourite places to get unique pieces from are charity shops, flea markets, antique stores, eBay and Facebook Marketplace.
Lay Everything Out On The Floor
As you start collecting your pieces, building that gallery wall can feel daunting. What I always do is lay the artwork out on the floor first, it gives you time to play around with layout and see what’s working well together. Spend as long as you like doing this, the image below was just the start of adding many more prints and curating as I went.
My best piece of advice is that this is your gallery wall, every print does NOT have to be cohesive. An eclectic mix of both frames and prints is what makes it unique, so just use pieces that you love!
If you’re ordering prints online, or using a mix, before buying prints, I would use something like Canva to create a collage so you can put everything side by side to see how it looks.
Put The Gallery Wall Together
When you start putting the gallery wall up it is completely okay to change your mind about placement as you put the initial pieces up. Always start with the largest as an anchor so you can work around this.
For lighter frames I always use command strips, they don’t damage the walls and are so easy to use in rentals too to make it feel like your own space.
Remember, this is a process. You don’t have to rush, and when you’re creating the gallery wall it may give you further ideas for what prints or frames you may still need to fill the space.
It doesn’t just have to be frames either, fun wall decor, plaques and vintage touches really help to create a unique and fun space.
Take inspiration from the below where I share more tips on pulling your perfect gallery wall together.
21 Thrifted Gallery Wall Ideas
1.Think Outside The Box
Framed artwork certainly shouldn’t be the only agenda for your gallery wall, by using wall decor and intentional pieces, in this case below such as the paint brushes and palette, it creates a highly unique but personal feature in this gallery wall.
Focusing on ‘odds’ is another great tip for curating a gallery wall, there’s something about the positioning of odds that can be more pleasing on the eye than evens, creating a perfect balance between each piece. This philosophy runs throughout interior design in general, with the ‘row of odds’ being a classic design principle for lighting a kitchen island.
2. Vary Sizes & Shapes
Your gallery wall is your own to make it, and whilst symmetrical pieces can work if that’s the look you’re trying to achieve, it lacks interest and endearment that gallery walls are known for.
Embrace using a whole host of different sizes of frames in your setup, take inspiration from the below where both large and tiny pieces are being used, yet they all work in harmony together.
3. Make A Design Accent Out of Your TV
TV’s, they’re ugly, but we all have them! I wanted to use the Samsung smart frame TV in our gallery wall for a seamless, fun feel, and heck, you really can make a design accent out of your TV. If you’re looking for a solution to hiding a TV, this is a beautiful way to do it.
I created an eclectic wall with pieces I’ve had for years, vintage finds and yes, that’s even a bell! I had so much fun pulling this together, and so many of these prints I actually printed at home with artwork purchased from Etsy to keep costs down. I’ve listed links to everything I can find below.
- Ewen Paintings Smart Frame Artwork
- Pstr Studio print
- Wall of Art print
- Etsy – 70,000 + Prints – the BEST investment ever for less than ยฃ10, literally thousands of prints to choose from, I printed all the ones under A4 size at home and ordered p
- rints online for the ones I couldn’t print myself, one of the best ways to keep print costs down and so much selection to choose from.
4. Start With The Centre
When visually planning and arranging your gallery wall, always start with the centre. It’s so much easier to work your way out than inwards as you’ll find you may run out of space doing it this way.
I always start with the largest print in the centre for your ‘anchor point’.
5. Plates Add A Charming, On-Trend Feel
Using kitsch and vintage plates in a gallery wall is a very on-trend way to add a tactile and colourful approach to a gallery well.
One or two dotted around may be the secret ingredient you need to reduce the wall space and keep that connection with the other prints.
6. Mix Colour For An Eclectic Feel
You don’t have to follow a colour scheme for your gallery wall if you don’t want to.
Anything goes, and by mixing an abundance of colour you create a personal and completely unique space that adds instant visual interest as you step into the room.
7. Wall Tapestries Make A Fab Addition
The gallery wall below is proof how thrifted finds can curate a beautiful display!
Wall tapestries make a beautiful addition for a tactile feel, perfectly balancing against the more angular features of frames.
8. Embrace Irregularity
Gallery walls are the one place you don’t need to worry about symmetry. The more obscure, interesting layouts the better.
Don’t worry about ‘getting it wrong’ as there really is no strict rule book on how to create a gallery wall, just do what feels right.
9. Create A Family Gallery Wall
Instead of thrifting and purchasing prints, use vintage frames and bring to life a gallery wall which is packed full of old family photos.
This nod to the past is such a refreshing take on a gallery wall, it’s homely and completely personal.
10. Empty Frames?
Take note from the below frame choices. A mixture of vintage frames that create an eclectic, vintage feel.
Why not leave a singular frame empty like the below? It adds further interest and lets the rest of the artwork have some space to breathe. Alternatively, a mirror would be a beautiful addition to a setup.
11. Perfectly Imperfect
It’s really important to embrace the imperfect nature of gallery walls, they aren’t meant to be symmetrical, but they should be fun.
With each slight tilt or uneven placing of a frame, it adds extra interest and endearment to the eye. It has a slight wabi sabi feeling to it, there’s few areas we can choose to embrace an imperfect nature in western interiors, so enjoy it!
12. Dot Wall Lights & Candle Sconces
If you’re looking for added extras to break up your prints, wall lights and candle sconces will bring ambience and additional structure to your gallery wall.
A perfect opportunity to instil some further colour and character into your selections.
13. Take The Full Height
Take your gallery wall from the floor to the ceiling for an elevated look that naturally draws the eye up, giving the illusion of a bigger space.
Transitional spaces such as hallways and next to stairs benefit from this styling trick.
14. Prop and Mount
Instead of fixing prints all the way up, why not leave a few propped up against the base of the floor.
It creates a tactile, cosy feel and well, it’s a perfect ointment for unsightly walls, skirting or floor that you want to cover up too…
15. Ascending Gallery Wall
Let guests ascend your stairs in style! A jam packed gallery wall for the stairs is always a good idea, it breaks up the monotony of the climb and blank space with intentional art choices that are usually seen as soon as you enter the house.
16. Use A Defining Wall Colour
Let your gallery wall that you’ve so perfectly executed pop with a defining wall colour behind it.
Ideally you want something that will ground the room, something that is at least two shades darker than some of your prints. This isn’t an absolute essential, but it will make your thrifted masterpiece stand out that little bit more.
17. Use A Consistent Colour Scheme
Pick a running thread of colours throughout your gallery wall, it will make the artwork feel more intentional and cohesive with one another.
This vintage inspired gallery wall draws from a muted, moody colour palette for a collective feel.
18. Lean Into Vintage Pieces
If you need anymore excuse for thrifty, vintage finds, it’s this gallery wall!
The variation of frame, mounting and artwork creates such a cool little space in this living room.
19. Break It Up
Some gallery walls can be huge, so you really want to break up some areas with larger pieces of artwork or wall decor to avoid it feeling claustrophobic.
Grounding and starting the scheme with one larger print really is the best way to avoid adding too many small frames throughout.
20. Wrap Around
Wrapping your gallery wall around a dead corner like the below image is a beautiful way to envelope the room, making it feel cosier.
Add some artwork wall lights above for a gentle glow and ambience as the evening rolls around.
21. Intentional Clutter
Lastly, it’s the new buzz word on the interior design block, intentional clutter. Yep, I think we are all happy about this one.
Hoarding possessions and heirlooms can become ‘curated clutter’ positioned beautifully and thoughtfully for an intentional look. A beautiful example of this demonstrated below with barely any breathing space on the walls for anything else, yet it totally works. Are you a fan?
