Project Design: Gallery Wall--How To Plan

Hello! Welcome to Our Project Design: Gallery Wall.

The wall I want to fix/decorate/improve is in our dining room. We moved from a Newport Beach cottage to a 1920’s San Francisco apartment building. I’ve been re-arranging our things ever since to fit the new lifestyle.

It’s a tough wall…see how there is a bump out? I threw up the mirror and antique shell prints when we moved in 12 months ago.

I didn’t like separating the four antique shell prints on opposite walls…I’d rather see all four prints together some place else like in the foyer.

So, I took it all down.

Goals:

Have a unique and vintage 1920’s feel
Use what I already have…add a couple things
Mix old and new
Make it appropriate for a dining room and dining at night

I ordered this inexpensive New/Vintage French Print from

Etsy (actually all the way from Belgium). It’s on French dictionary paper. The pup looks like a cross between our beloved last dog, Rocky and our new dog, Chief.

I’m incorporating it with more valuable prints like the antique 19th century one we got in Venice.

Chief and I went to Flax Art and Design for rustic, hand-made paper to float two engravings.

TIP One: Always do a plan to scale. This is 1/4″=1 foot. Use your wall and art dimensions.

This Vintage Brass and Wood Ledge has a good look for our almost 100 year old apartment.

Tip Two: Use paper templates (Pottery Barn frames come with them…so easy). Tape them up on the wall and measure where to place the nail…hammer through the paper.

Sometimes, I like to “wing it”…which is fine when I am my own client like now… but I usually sweat bullets when a client is leaning over my shoulder (especially after their walls are freshly painted).

Ok…not too exciting, yet.

It cost me a few beers for my 21 year old son and his friends to hang the shelf. The (on-sale) ledge is perfectly level. Policy: No beer until AFTER the job.

Please come back to see the entire wall up and ready NEXT MONDAY. In the meantime, check out these talented bloggers’ plans for their gallery walls…