In this post – I’m sharing my tips for designing a coastal gallery wall.
We’ve been in our new place for about two weeks and it’s been a whirlwind of unpacking and ordering furniture. We still can’t believe this place is ours. Some of the furniture we ordered will (finally) be here next week! In the meantime, I’ve been working on personalizing spaces when and where I can.
Creating a Coastal Gallery Wall
One of those spaces is a small area downstairs that is a passageway between the garage, the laundry room and the stairs to the house. I guess you could call it a mudroom, but a here a “beach room” seems more appropriate. It’s a good spot to take shoes on and off to avoid tracking sand in the house. I decided I wanted it to be a welcoming spot for us when we come in the house, so I added a gallery wall, a rug, a bench and a shoe cabinet.
I should also note that our home is shaped like a trapezoid, so designing around walls that have odd angles has been a challenge! In this particular area, the window wall angles away from the stairway. From the corner on the left, the wall angles slightly out and curves to the right.
The stairway opposite the long wall leads up to the main living area in our home, which means this area is visible when you walk past the stairwell. You can see what I mean about the angle of the wall when viewed from above.
Step 1: Gather Your Pieces and Define Your Theme
For this gallery, the theme is beach memories. To start, I gathered all of the the small pictures and memorabilia we kept from our last place and grouped them together. I could see that they were cohesive in color and style. The pictures shared similar colors, mostly black, white, and natural wood tones. I included a variety of small, medium, and large pieces in frames that were either black or natural wood. I also used a couple of wrapped canvas prints. You can use frames of different colors and materials like I did, or you can keep them uniform for a streamlined look.
We’ve curated a fun collection of distressed wooden signs showcasing local towns and surf spots. Additionally, I’ve begun collecting these incredible hand-painted flags from Slightly Choppy Artifacts in Newport Beach.
I included some of our favorite mementos, such as a photo of a heart made from rocks that my kids made at the beach when they were young. I also included a fun map of the Hawaiian Islands that I found on Etsy to remind us of family vacations on Maui.
The large black and white graphic print has a list of the beach towns in order in San Diego county. It was one of the first prints that I bought for our last place and a lucky find at a local consignment store. There is also a pretty picture of a San Diego lifeguard stand at sunset. The white hexagonal shelf adds some depth and dimension.
Not everything in the collection made it into the gallery. I had to edit for space and continuity. The photo of my kids taking a surfing lesson in Hawaii didn’t make the cut because of its size, so I displayed it on another wall around the corner.
Step 2: Plan Your Layout
Because the walls are pristine, I didn’t want to put a lot of holes in them if I could avoid it, so here’s how I planned our gallery wall.
First, I used kraft paper to trace each piece and cut out the shapes of the items I wanted to use. I was sure to label each one to match the corresponding art. This is especially important if several of your pictures are a similar shape and size.
Next, I taped the paper cutouts to the wall using painter’s tape. I experimented with different layouts until I was satisfied with how it looked. I used regular masking tape, because it’s what I had on hand, but using painter’s tape would be the safest option to protect the wall paint.
One of the things to consider when planning a gallery wall is to decide whether you prefer a symmetrical arrangement or a more free-form, organic look. I decided to make the arrangement more free-form because the space I was working with is very irregular. I incorporated the two small windows into my design.
Step 3: Measure and Hang
Once I finalized the layout, I measured the midpoint between the two small windows and hung the heart picture between them. This gave me a starting point for the rest of the wall. When hanging a gallery wall, I recommend starting from the middle and working your way out, regardless of your design.
My tip for hanging pictures is to mark the kraft paper and place the nail through it. You can then remove the paper and hang your picture. I also used Command strips whenever possible to avoid putting holes in the wall. Lighter pictures were able to be hung using the strips only. Other heavier frames required nails or other picture hooks. For frames that tend to shift over time and look crooked, I added a couple Command strips to keep them from shifting.
Step 4: Step Back and Adjust
Once all your pieces are hung, step back and assess the overall look. Adjust any items that feel out of place or uneven. I like to leave space between the pieces so that I can add or replace items over time.
Step 5: Add Final Touches
The downstairs area has polished concrete floors, so to warm it up I added a washable rug in a geometric pattern. The lighter color lightens up the space a bit, and will hopefully help keep most of the dirt and sand downstairs.
A small faux fiddle leaf fig in a basket adds a little life to the space. The woven gray bench is from Perigold and is a super handy spot for putting shoes on or taking them off. I have a large shell collection, so I took this opportunity to display a few of them.
A shoe cabinet gives us a place to store our shoes between dog walks. I displayed our beach hats on the wall for added texture and to keep them handy on sunny San Diego days.
The picture above the shoe cabinet is actually a magnet board. When our friends and family visit, I print out favorite photos to display on it. It becomes a little gallery wall of its own! We keep a drumstick on top of it to remind us of the time one of our dear friends got bonked on the forehead by it during a local concert. She’s ok and we laugh about it all the time.
Choosing a Gallery Wall Theme
I love a good gallery wall because it’s a great way to personalize your space. There are so many different themes and styles to choose from!
You can make it family oriented with photos of loved ones, vacations, and other special memories. This gallery wall works because of the unifying black and white photos and neutral frame colors.
If you’re an art lover, you can showcase art pieces, paintings and prints. Pottery Barn offers whole gallery wall collections if you want to give your wall and instant update. You can start with one of these and personalize it over time.
One of my favorite gallery looks is collected, with a mix of photos and art and a few quirky accents, like mirrors or other objects.
If you like things clean and minimalist, you might go for black and white images with sleek black frames for a monochromatic look. I love the pairing of these modern frames with the sisal bench.
Creating a gallery wall is a creative and rewarding process. Take your time, experiment with different arrangements, and most importantly, make it your own!
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