Our art installers handle dozens of projects each month — ranging from hanging heavy mirrors in a residential home, to installing an entire collection for an art gallery. They’ve hung it all, and we like to think they’re the most knowledgeable team in New York City.
So, we recently rounded up our staff to ask them for their take on one of the most common questions we get asked: “How do I Arrange a Gallery Wall.” Here’s their best advice.
1. ” With a gallery-wall arrangement, obviously, larger pieces will be more immediately eye catching, and I think it’s risky to distribute these evenly across a wall or a room, though of course it’s tempting to do so! I think it is OK to have more visual weight in one area of an installation as compared to other parts. In fact, that might allow the smaller pieces more room to breathe and grant them more authority.”
-David Stern
2. “Arrange the art so that the visual weight compliments your interests. For example, balance and calm, or a little off balance and edgy are a couple conceptual starting points. Diversify the frame colors (within a spectrum of complementary colors and materials to achieve a eclectic, collected feel) or match them and create a very uniform concept. In either case modulate the scale and sizes of images and frames, as well as matte sizes.”
-Chris Deo
3.”Use a template for the placement of the art. That could mean taping out each piece’s placement on the wall with blue painters tape. You could also draw out the placement on a large piece of paper to scale, then tape that large piece up on the wall where the frames would go. If there is room on the floor you can arrange the layout, then either photograph it, or draw it out, noting the measurements between frames. I find this the most helpful.
-Jeff Deraimo