Gallery Wall question

9 years ago

I have a very eclectic style with art being a large focal point. Much of my art collection is my own but I also have numerous other artist's works as well. Not all of the wall art are paintings. I have needlework, parts of a long loved, framed quilt, carvings that can be hung, etc. Whe are in the process of redecorating my family room where much of this collection is hung. I would love your opinion on the best way to hang my collection. Previously we created a layout and hung each item on the wall with screws. This not only created many holes but more importantly it caused the layout to be more permanent. Swapping out art or readjusting the layout is even more difficult due to the painted paneling walls. For these reasons, I prefer something easier to adjust if I have new art or am bored with the layout. I have considered two options that allow this versatility, a gallery railing system or some sort of shelving. The shelving style I prefer is either industrial piping style (but fear it may be going out of style soon) or floating shelving. The gallery rail systems I have seen are made from moldings hung slightly below ceiling height and use hooks and wires to hang the artwork. I would love to know which you prefer. I already have a 19' long floor to ceiling built-in that hold anything that cannot be hung in the room. The gallery will be around our television and wall speakers if that factors into your decision. I have six kids so stability of items on shelving might come into question along with there being an exterior door that is opened and closed frequently. However, having numerous pieces of art on the gallery wall would mean lots of wiring in view as well. Would this appear cluttered especially with the existing vertical paneling grooves? I have considered 3M strips but have had very little luck with them on these walls and worry things will fall. I appreciate any advice you can give especially your opinion on which looks better to you.

Featured Answer

cawaps

9 years ago

I have a 1911 house with plaster walls and a picture rail molding, which I use for its intended purpose (that is, hanging pictures). It's not quite a modern gallery rail system, but the principle's the same. I've found it to be very easy and flexible for setting up a gallery wall.

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Comments (6)

Kathy Yata
9 years ago
Museum putty. It isn't perfect but it will keep things from rattling and tilting off level.

I wonder if a picture rail would suit you best with all your art work hanging from above. The wires would add to the effect I think. I cannot imagine arranging such a wall though, lots of newspaper faux art first?

I need a bit more structure and like picture ledges instead when I want to put up far more stuff on the wall than is necessary. There's the strong horizontal line then the crazy collection of shapes, sizes and colors. Easy to arrange to taste then stuck down top corners with museum putty.
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kahlanne
Original Author
9 years ago
I tend to err on the side of more is more rather than less is more. Like I said my style is very eclectic a cross between farmhouse and bohemian. Arranging the art is half the fun just hate when I decide I want to add a new piece or replace one and it can't be done without removing many to all.

Never heard of museum putty. Thanks for the suggestion.

Cawaps. Do you have regular molding at ceiling height with the picture rail molding beneath? How far apart? How high are your ceilings?
cawaps
9 years ago
I have 9 foot ceilings with no crown molding. In the living room I have a cove ceiling. The rail is 16 1/2 inches below the ceiling. In all the rooms with picture rails, the wall above the rail is painted the ceiling color. With the cove ceiling this is a must because it is a continuous curve; in the bedrooms where the wall meets the ceiling normally it is just a convenience to not have to cut in paint at both the picture rail and the ceiling joint.

You didn't say anything about the style of your house. Ogee picture rails work well in many pre-WWII homes, but not so well in homes built later. Mid-century homes, even traditional ones, had much more minimal trim, and often had lower ceilings. I've looked at more modern (metal) picture rails, but don't have any personal experience with them.
hcbm
9 years ago
I added a gallery wall system to my loft which has no moldings. It comes with stainless steel wires and hooks, all adjust up, down, and side to side. It was easy to install and easy to readjust and move art around. I don't remember the name right now, but here is one that is similar. gallery hanging rail I bought it after seeing it installed at a gallery and liking it. I will say I don't like the way the pictures tend to flop forward a bit at top. I may have to adjust the height of the wire on the back of each art work and thinner frames would be a plus.
cawaps
9 years ago
With respect to pictures tipping forward, I've heard museum putty suggested to prevent that. It's probably obvious from my pics that I have not done that, because it just hasn't been a priority (I'm not that bothered by the tipping).