How to Make a Gallery Wall in 5 Simple Steps

A gallery wall can look complicated at first. Multiple frames, different sizes, spacing decisions — it is easy to feel unsure where to begin. But when you break it into a few clear steps, the process becomes straightforward. The goal is not to fill a wall randomly. It is to create a calm, considered arrangement that fits the room and feels intentional.

This guide walks through five simple steps to help you plan and hang a gallery wall at home, whether you are working with a small apartment corner or a longer hallway wall.

Step 1 — Choose the right wall

Start by identifying where the gallery wall will live. Common spots include above a bed, sofa, or desk, along a hallway, or behind a console table. Each of these locations gives the arrangement a natural anchor point, which makes the overall composition feel grounded rather than floating.

Think about the scale of the space. A small wall or a compact room usually works best with two or three prints. A longer or taller wall can carry four or five without feeling crowded. If you are decorating a first apartment or a smaller rental, starting with fewer pieces is almost always the right call.

Browse prints sized for smaller spaces in the first apartment wall art collection.

Step 2 — Pick a mood and colour palette

Before choosing individual prints, decide on a visual direction. A gallery wall works best when the pieces share a common thread — a colour family, a subject matter, or a general feeling.

For calm interiors, Nordic tones tend to work well: muted green, soft grey, beige, off-white, warm brown, and natural textures. These colours sit quietly on a wall without competing with furniture or other elements in the room.

Scandinavian nature photography is particularly well suited to this kind of arrangement. The tones are already restrained, the compositions are open, and the subject matter — forest, coast, field, light — brings a sense of the outdoors into a room without overwhelming it.

Explore the Scandinavian wall art collection for prints that work well together in calm, Nordic-inspired interiors. For more style inspiration, read Minimalist Gallery Wall Ideas for Calm, Neutral Interiors.

Step 3 — Choose your prints

Once you have a mood in mind, you can start selecting prints. There are two approaches: choosing individual pieces and building the set yourself, or starting with a coordinated poster set where the work is already done.

Individual prints give you more control over the final mix. A coordinated set reduces the guesswork — the colours, tones, and subject matter already work together, so you do not need to worry about whether the pieces will look right side by side.

For gallery walls in particular, a set is often the easier starting point. The prints are designed to be displayed together, which means the arrangement tends to feel cohesive from the beginning. Read How to Build a Gallery Wall with a Poster Set for a full guide to choosing and arranging a coordinated set.

Browse printable poster sets or explore the full gallery wall prints collection to find coordinated options.

Step 4 — Plan the layout before hanging

Before anything goes on the wall, lay the prints out on the floor. Arrange them in different configurations until you find one that feels balanced. Take a photo of the arrangement you like — this gives you a reference to work from when you move to the wall.

For more precision, cut paper templates to the size of each frame and use painter's tape to position them on the wall. This lets you adjust spacing and placement without making any holes.

A few simple layouts that work well:

• Three prints in a horizontal row — clean and works well above a sofa or bed
• A 2x2 square grid — symmetrical and easy to hang evenly
• A vertical pair — good for narrow walls or beside a door
• A relaxed five-print arrangement — a mix of sizes with slightly varied spacing for a more organic feel

If you are working with square prints, the grid layout is particularly straightforward. See the square Nordic posters collection for prints that suit this format.

Step 5 — Hang the prints carefully

Once the layout is planned, it is time to hang. If you are renting or living in a dorm room, there are several options that avoid permanent damage to walls:

• Removable adhesive strips work well for lightweight frames
• Poster rails let you hang prints without frames at all
• Washi tape works for very lightweight paper prints in casual arrangements
• Leaning framed prints on a shelf or console table is a no-hole alternative that is easy to rearrange

When hanging, keep the spacing consistent between frames — around 5 to 8 centimetres is a common starting point. Step back regularly as you work to check the overall balance before committing to each position.

Find prints suited to rental and dorm spaces in the dorm room wall art collection.

Digital downloads make gallery walls easier

One practical advantage of instant digital downloads is the flexibility they offer when building a gallery wall. Because you receive a high-resolution 300 DPI file immediately after purchase, you can print several pieces at once through a local print shop or an online printing service, choosing the sizes that suit your layout.

If you decide to change the arrangement later — or want to reprint a piece at a different size — the file is already yours. There is no need to reorder.

This makes digital downloads a useful starting point for anyone planning a gallery wall, particularly if you want to test a layout before committing to frames.

Browse the digital posters collection, or read the guide on how to print digital posters for advice on getting the best results from a home printer or print service.

Start with a simple gallery wall

A gallery wall does not need to be large or complex to work well. A single print, a pair, or a small coordinated set can be enough to change the feeling of a room — particularly in a smaller space where one well-placed arrangement carries a lot of weight.

Start with what feels manageable. Choose a wall, pick a mood, and let the arrangement grow from there.

Browse printable poster sets, explore gallery wall prints, or find an instant download in the digital posters collection.