How to make a gallery wall to spice up your home office

White office space with gallery wall of frames

Whether it’s for your home or workspace, a gallery wall showcases your best pieces and shows off your creative side. As you think about your gallery wall layout, keep these tips in mind:

Create a “rough draft” on the floor

Use your accent pieces as a base

Get creative with your wall décor

Consider a uniform, square or asymmetric grid

If you’re into art, photography or collecting, these gallery wall ideas and tips offer the inspiration you need to incorporate one into your design plan.

How to make a gallery wall

It can be daunting trying to figure out where to start when faced with a blank canvas. Consider these tips on how to plan a gallery wall:

Create your “rough draft” on the floor

Before you start hammering frames to the wall, map out your gallery wall template on the floor so you know how and where you’d like to situate your pieces. Measure the wall space you plan to use and create an outline on the ground with tape. Arrange your items until you find a few looks you like and snap pictures to compare different layouts. Once you’ve captured the desired look, it’s time to get out the power tools.

Work off your accent pieces

Gallery walls are often inspired by a few specific pieces of décor, like a unique picture frame, vibrant piece of art, business award or stunning wall-mounted sculpture. Your favorite items—or those that stand out the most—should set the tone for the rest of the gallery wall.

When creating your template, plan out where to put these accent pieces first. After that, everything else will serve as “filler.”

Get creative with wall décor

Simple gallery walls include photos, prints, business achievements and framed pieces of art. For a more eclectic look, incorporate some ornamental pieces in your gallery wall template. Decorative plates, mirrors and clocks can add a bit of texture and playfulness to your gallery wall design, or use our design center to create and print a custom poster.

Gallery wall layout inspirations

Now that you know how to make a gallery wall, consider how you want it to look. The design you choose depends on your style and the aesthetic of the rest of the room. These common gallery wall ideas can offer inspiration when pulling together a look that represents who you are:

Uniform grid

If you prefer symmetry over eccentricity, a grid-like pattern is a great way to display your photos and portraits. A uniform grid looks particularly nice when the colors, shapes and sizes of your pieces are the same. Consider this option if you have several same-sized portraits or photos to display or if your pieces are all in black and white hues.

Choose a simple frame to hold your photos and artwork and stick to one theme for your art prints or photos. A grid gallery wall of family portraits or beach landscape photos, for instance, keeps things cohesive.

Gallery wall of classic empty frames on white wall

Uniform grid

Eclectic asymmetry

An asymmetrical gallery wall is ideal if you have several colorful pieces of various sizes that you’d like to showcase on the same wall. Since your pieces are different shapes and sizes, this unique gallery wall layout might take some time to get the right look.

Don’t be afraid to get creative. Browse our custom frame options and accent them with unique additions. Check your local thrift stores and flea markets one-of-a-kind items to hang or get crafty by pressing leaves, plants and other greenery to display.

Square layout

When you’re looking to fill a specific spot – like the wall space above your desk or behind your couch – a square or rectangular setup works nicely. This picture wall layout uses the outside of frames and pieces to create a square or rectangle shape to fill in. Unlike asymmetrical designs, this layout makes it harder to add or replace pieces once they’re arranged, so plan ahead before hanging anything on the wall. If you can’t decide between the personality of an eclectic wall and the organization of a grid, square and rectangle layouts are a perfect compromise.

A gallery wall shows off your creative side and fills any blank walls in your space. As you plan your design, FedEx Office has custom frames and one-of-a-kind posters to add a finishing touch to your layout.