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Gallery Walls, Go Out and Get 'Em

Hey Guys! Thanks for bearing with me through last week when I just couldn't make this post happen! To show I still love you, check the bottom of this post for a sweet, wonderful giveaway!!

I hope you guys had a great weekend! Mine was....not as horrible as I had anticiapted. We had a death in the family, and funerals are always awkward. But it went as well as it could and it was wonderful to catch up with family I had not seen in far too long.

So this week, I want to talk about gallery walls. I have some in different areas of my own home and have laid them out for clients as well. They are on trend and a really fun way to display a bunch of memories and pieces that reflect you and your family.

You've seen them all over and people swoon over them and everybody wants one. The more you think about it, gallery walls are a lot like......imma go with ice cream. Everybody loves it, or some form of it, and perks up at the mention of having it, but it can be daunting to make your own. Yeah, ice cream works here. If ice cream doesn't apply to you, insert something you love in it's place and then gallery walls are like that. There ya go.

There are endless layouts you can use when you are looking into your own gallery wall. And we'll talk about some of them, but first let's look at some dreamy inspiration walls.

Oooooooh. Aaaaaaaaah. So beautiful! I love that each of these layouts are so beautiful and intricate but also very different. Do you have a favorite? Because I can't quite pick one, and I'm ok with that.

So as fas as layouts go, imma cover 4 different general layout concepts: Cluster, Balanced, Symmetrical and Asymmetrical. If you apply one of these concepts to your layout, it suddenly becomes easier to assemble your pieces.

The first and by far easiest base concept is to work with a Symmetrical layout.

To impliment this style, you simply play a layout where one side mirrors the other. So above, if you were to draw a line down the center of any of the layouts, the two halves would be mirror images of each other. You can start with a really basic large central image or piece of art and simply work to either side with the same sizes as shown in the two images on the right, above. You can also work in a simple grid pattern as shown on the top left image or you can start with a simple band of images down the center and mirror it with the same size images on either side, be they large or a cluster of smaller pieces.

The next most simplistic layout concept is to go with a Balanced option. It is similar to going the symmetrical route, but a little less rigid.

The concepts align in that you want the layout to be visually balanced, which you acheive with a symmetrical layout, but you can play around with how you achieve that in the Balanced option. In the first option above, it is similar to a symmetrical option, but the pieces outside of the center are flipped, throwing off symmetry but maintaining balance.

The next step up in complexity, would probably be the Cluster Layout. It is more complex in that it can involve a wider variety of sizes and the layout is more organic, and daunting to some.

The images shown above are simply two options I assembled for a client, but with a Cluster arrangement the possibilities are endless. The first option the concept was simply to start with a central piece (the 11x14 and the large P) and work outward, placing the individual pieces where they fit, like puzzle pieces. To keep the arrangmeent feeling somewhat structured, it is important to align at least one edge of each grouping to a neighboring grouping. The first example here is also working off of one horizontal line as the base point, which gives an amount of structure to work off of. The second cluster arrangement shown here is a bit more structured with more clearly defined groupings, again aligned together.

The last grouping class I am covering today is Asymmetrical arrangements. These are definitely possible to DIY but sometimes can require a little more finesse to get just right.

With Asymmetrical arrangements you want to intentionally make the layout unbalanced, creating a focal point. It is still important to align some edges to maintain an amount of structure here, making the asymmetry look intentional.

Well, there you have it folks. Some of my thoughts on gallery walls. I hope this post helps those of you who have had some questions and inspires those of you who have always wanted the lusty beauty of a gallery wall in your home. Please feel free to share your thoughts and questions and add any experiences of your own in creating a gallery display wall.

And now.........*drum roll please* for..........THE GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!!!

A good friend from the ID program at ISU was so sweet to partner with me on this giveaway for you guys! She is a classy lady who makes classy things. Just look at how beautiful and cozy those pillows are! And that's not all folks! She has some other sweet loots in her etsy shop, so fo sho go check her schniz out.

So the reason we're all here, aside from my mad blog skills.....

To enter the giveaway do the following:

1. Like both my Slick Designs Facebook & Casa&Co's Facebook pages then share this post. (1 entry)

2. Like both my Instagram (@dessiec) & Casa&Co (casaandco) Instagram accounts. (1 additional entry)

3. Wait one whole week! The giveaway will be open through Monday 4/4 at midnight. I will announce the winner Tuesday 4/5 at noon.

Later Gaters!

- D

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