Creating an Eclectic Gallery Wall with Vintage Art

Today Alice W. of  Alice Wingerden is here to share about creating an eclectic gallery wall with vintage art. Alice has a beautiful eye for design and shows us by mixing old art and vintage items, you can create a beautiful and aesthetic gallery wall display on empty walls in your home that are just begging to be a focal point.

Hello everybody! I am so glad to be here today to share my impromptu gallery wall. I was thrilled when Jennifer asked me to contribute to her fabulous blog and I look forward to sharing my decor style with you. Today, I am starting with an impromptu eclectic gallery wall that I put together a bit on a whim. There are so many great posts out there about planning out your gallery wall, how to arrange it just so, and step by step tutorials for putting it together. I think those are awesome.

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But sometimes…I let creativity fly and like to just wing it.

The inspiration for this particular gallery wall came from a collection of antique fashion prints that I have in picture frames. I started hanging them on the wall together but the composition didn’t feel done. One afternoon, I decided to fill this wall, in my art studio, with more framed vintage images and collected items. I live in a smaller home that only has two bedrooms, so my art studio takes up half (or more) of the master bedroom.

Small spaces can have big impact  when artwork is made to be a focal point on a blank wall

Our bed was on this side of the room for awhile, until I decided to switch things up and move the studio over here. Now, I have a inspiring wall art to look at while creating. To create this look, I started by hanging framed art pieces in a small grouping, in the middle, and spread out. I had my mother over when I put it together to help me eye each piece  for placement before putting nails in the wall. I know this process might scare some people, but since this is a section of the room that hardly anyone goes in but me, I knew that only I needed to enjoy it. If this many nail holes scares you, try 3M hooks as hanger hardware wherever possible when hanging a piece of art instead of using a hammer and nail. I would have done that if I had some on hand, but I was antsy to get this wall done.

For more ways of styling a gallery wall, see this post about using the magic square method.

Don’t be afraid to mix and match different frame styles and different sizes for a fun and eclectic vibe

When hanging the art, I asked myself What do I love?  That is the question I asked as I grabbed pieces to try out on the wall. Besides antique fashion prints, I love old religious items, so I included an old art print and some vintage rosaries. I added a few romantic images along with a pastoral sheep scene.

Sticking to similar color schemes helps to keep the collaged gallery wall feeling cohesive

I paid attention to the details of the different styles of pieces as they were coming together. There were hints of green in the old different frames and fashion prints, so I picked up on that and added a decorative plate and a painting that had a similar shade of green.

An eclectic gallery wall does well with a variety of textures and shapes, so I added a textile wall hanging, an old ruler that I shaped into a W (for our last name), and some of my grandmother’s art tools. My grandfather gave me the metal number 6. It is his house number and was the one used on my grandparents’ home for many years. I love adding pieces with sentimental value to my decor.

All together it is definitely not “perfect”, and some “expert gallery wall designers” would probably find many faults with this lack of planning and layout, but I am all about finding beauty in imperfections. I think it makes a house a home. It’s not perfect, but it is me. And in the end, that is what matters when it comes to decorating our homes isn’t it? That you love what you live with and that it expresses who you are and the story that you want to tell.

I hope that you enjoyed this post and will come visit me at my blog Alice Wingerden : This Creative Life. Please follow along with me on Pinterest or Instagram. Some other posts you may enjoy: