Gallery Wall Planner: How to Design Your Layout Step by Step
Gallery wall created with the Artfully Walls Wall Designer.
A blank wall is full of promise, and just a little intimidating. The Artfully Walls gallery wall planner is a free tool that takes the nerves out of it, letting you arrange art on a scaled wall, swap frames, and see the whole thing in your own room before you spend a cent. You can open the Wall Designer and start playing in a couple of clicks.
It really does take the guesswork out. Instead of measuring, taping paper templates to the wall, and hoping it all lines up, you try different arrangements, sizes, and frame styles right on screen, then order exactly what you laid out. Here is how to make the most of it, step by step.
Using a Gallery Wall Planner for Designing Dream Gallery Walls
The planner is built to feel easy, whatever your comfort level with design. The interface stays out of your way, so you can put your energy into the art instead of wrestling with the tool.
Part of the fun is the sheer range of art options, plus all the framing choices for making a piece your own. Mix mediums, styles, sizes, and frames until the group clicks and everything suits both your taste and your room.
Best of all, you get to see the finished arrangement in your actual space. That means you can be confident the wall fits before you buy, and try on a few different looks while you are at it.
How to Use the Gallery Wall Planner: Step by Step
Here is the whole thing, from your first pick to checkout. Each step builds on the last, so work through them in order or hop back to tweak whenever something feels off.
Choose Your Art
The Wall Designer opens with a big library to dig through. Browse mediums, styles, artists, and sizes, whether you are drawn to abstract paintings, classic portraits, or contemporary photography. You are looking for the pieces that stop you, the ones that fit the mood you are after.
Choose the Background
Swap between backgrounds to see how your art reads in different room settings, or upload a photo of your own room for the most true-to-life preview.
Use Rulers and Grid
Spacing and alignment are what separate a polished wall from a haphazard one. The rulers and grid show you exact dimensions and placement as you arrange. For spacing, 2 to 3 inches between frames keeps a grid tight and crisp, while up to 6 inches suits a looser, more relaxed look. Center the whole grouping around 57 to 60 inches from the floor and it lands right at eye level.
Choose Room View
Preview the wall from a few angles, including living room, chaise, and console views, so you can see how it plays against real furniture and find the spot that fits.
Get Detailed Art Info
Once your picks are in place, the planner lays out the details for each one: artist, size, print type, price, and more, so nothing about your choices comes as a surprise.
Experiment with Frames
This is where it gets fun. Pair sleek modern frames with classic wood, or set a bold color against a run of monochrome. It is the quickest way to see what works before you commit, and where the wall really starts to feel like yours.
Edit and Modify Your Wall
Nothing is locked in. Add pieces, pull some out, rearrange, and keep experimenting until the whole thing clicks.
Add Your Art to the Cart
Then the satisfying part: send your finished wall to the cart, and the layout you designed becomes a real set of prints and frames, ordered in a click.
Inspiring Gallery Wall Layout Ideas
A gallery wall layout sets the tone for the whole room, so it is worth picking one that suits your style. A handful come up time and again:
- Grid: equal-size frames in even rows and columns, clean and orderly.
- Salon style: a dense, layered mix of sizes that fills a wall from floor to ceiling.
- Linear or single row: pieces lined up along one horizontal or vertical axis, great above a sofa or up a hallway.
- Staircase: frames stepped to follow the rise of a staircase.
- Asymmetrical cluster: varied sizes balanced around a central anchor piece for a collected, organic look.
For a rough starting point, six to nine pieces fill a standard living room wall nicely, while three to five is plenty for a narrow hallway. And if you would rather borrow than build, the gallery walls are full of ready-made groupings to recreate or riff on.
Choosing the Best Gallery Wall Art for Your Needs
At the end of the day, a gallery wall is personal, so start with art that speaks to you and suits your space. The Wall Designer makes the pairing easy, showing how different styles, sizes, and colors sit together so the pieces flatter each other and the room. Think of it as a little curation of your story, not just something to fill a wall.
FAQs
Is the gallery wall planner free?
Yes. The Artfully Walls gallery wall planner is completely free to use. Design as many layouts as you like, and you only pay when you order the prints and frames you have settled on.
How much space should you leave between frames on a gallery wall?
Aim for 2 to 3 inches between frames for a tight, cohesive grid, or up to 6 inches for a looser feel. Whatever you choose, keep it consistent so the grouping reads as one composition.
What are the rules for designing a gallery wall?
There are no hard rules, but a few things help: think about balance, color, and spacing, and mix up sizes and orientations to keep it interesting.
What is the best room for a gallery wall?
Almost any room can take one, though living rooms, hallways, and bedrooms are naturals, where a gallery wall can hold the space together as a focal point.
What is the best layout for a gallery wall?
That comes down to your style and your space. Symmetrical layouts feel classic and calm, asymmetrical ones feel more modern and lively. Try a couple and see which feels like you.
Can I upload my own gallery wall art ideas?
Yes. You can upload your own images or ideas and see how they fit into the design.
Where can I get inspiration for creating a gallery wall?
It is everywhere, from design magazines to Pinterest and Instagram, and our own Inspirations section is a good place to start.
Ready to see it on your own wall? Open the Wall Designer and start arranging, one frame at a time.
Art included: Absolute Color : Gray, Pink, Cream and Olive by Carolyn Reed Barritt, Buoyant Hat by Meta Wraber, Galerie Temporaire 09 by Eleni Psyllaki, Cat Walk #7 by Beate Tubach, Power Color 1: Love is Real (Ivory to Blue Colorway) by Jessica Poundstone, Power Color 2: Your Presence Is Required (Blush to Crimson Colorway) by Jessica Poundstone
Published on: January 28, 2024 Modified on: August 13, 2026 By: Artfully Walls
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