Gallery wall arrangement of several framed art prints — An evenly spaced grid of colourful prints hangs above a green sofa.

Guides

How to Hang a Gallery Wall: Layout, Spacing & Fixings

First Published: 13 August 2022

Last modified: 24 October 2026

Plan and hang a gallery wall with confidence, from choosing prints and testing layouts to marking the real hanging points. Practical advice on spacing, frame sizes and suitable fixings helps a collected arrangement feel comfortable in its room.

1. Measure the Wall as Part of the Room

A gallery wall works best when it belongs to the room around it. Before choosing the first fixing point, look at the furniture, doorways and routes beneath the wall. The collection should have a clear relationship to those elements, whether it sits over a sofa, beside a dining table or along a landing.

Measure the usable area, allowing for switches, wall lights and doors opening nearby. Record the width and height available, then decide how much of it the group should occupy. There is no need to fill every empty stretch. A smaller, deliberate arrangement can be more comfortable than a scattered display reaching into awkward corners.

Think of the outer edges of the complete group as one large shape. Over a sofa or sideboard, consider that shape in relation to the furniture, rather than centring each picture independently on the whole wall. Check the proposed position from the doorway and from a seated view.

Also look at the conditions throughout the day. Reflections can make glazing difficult to see through, and prolonged direct sunlight is unhelpful for paper artwork. Once you have a suitable area, photograph it and keep the measurements nearby. They will give the next decisions a useful boundary.

Living room with a brown sofa, framed artwork on the wall, and a lamp. — Different subjects and frame sizes form a mixed gallery wall above a sofa.

2. Choose a Connection between the Pictures

A successful group needs a relationship, but it does not require every picture to match. You might connect works through a subject, repeated colour, similar frame or a shared amount of pale space. Choose one or two of those threads and allow the rest of the collection to remain varied.

For a nature-led arrangement, compare Westloft’s Fern Leaf and Morpho butterfly prints. Consider how their shapes and colours sit alongside photographs or artwork you already own. They are individual options to explore, rather than a prescribed pair or a ready-made set.

A Pomegranate print can introduce a recognisable subject into a more mixed collection, while Ocean Galaxy offers an abstract direction. You do not need all four. Compare the actual images at your intended sizes before deciding what the arrangement needs.

Include the frames when assessing the group: a wide surround can make a small image feel substantial. Westloft’s guide to choosing art for a personal home explores ways to mix subjects and styles. Begin with the works you most want to see, then use supporting pieces to create balance.

Six botanical pictures demonstrate a regular grid with repeated frame sizes.

3. Test a Grid or a Looser Arrangement

Lay the framed pictures on a clean, protected floor, using the wall measurements as your boundary. A grid gives equal-sized frames a clear rhythm; mixed sizes can work around a larger anchor picture, a shared centre line or a consistent lower edge. Choose a structure that helps the particular works you have.

Use the outside frame edges to measure gaps. For a modest domestic grouping, a gap of roughly five to eight centimetres can be a useful starting point, then adjust it to suit the frame sizes and available wall. It is a trial spacing, not a rule that every arrangement must follow.

In a grid, consistent gaps make small discrepancies easy to notice, so measure carefully. In a looser group, similar spacing between neighbouring frames can provide order even when the outer silhouette is uneven. Avoid leaving one small picture isolated unless that separation is intentional.

Photograph a few options before moving anything to the wall. Check whether a dark or large image pulls the whole group to one side. Try swapping positions rather than adding more pictures immediately. The botanical grid shown here illustrates repeated frame sizes, but its bathroom setting should not be taken as a placement recommendation for paper artwork in damp or splash-prone areas.

Three framed works share a horizontal arrangement above a sofa.

4. Transfer the Layout with Paper Templates

Cut paper templates to the complete outside dimensions of each frame and label them to match the pictures. Position them on the wall using a temporary method suitable for that surface. Even low-tack tape can disturb some finishes, so test discreetly and follow its instructions rather than assuming removal will be harmless.

Use a tape measure and spirit level to reproduce the floor arrangement. Check the group from the doorway and the usual seating position before making holes. Leave the templates in place long enough to notice whether a door, lamp or tall object interferes with the proposed layout.

The hanging point is not necessarily the centre or top of the frame. Examine the actual hardware on each picture. Measure its position relative to the top and sides, accounting for the way it sits when supporting the frame. Transfer those measurements to the matching template; do not use one frame’s measurements for every picture.

For a simple centred hanger five centimetres below the frame’s top, mark the fixing point five centimetres below the template’s top at the same horizontal position. Two hangers or a hanging cord require their own measurements. Keep labels and measurements with each picture to avoid mixing them up as you work.

A single framed illustration hangs above a sofa beside tall windows.

5. Match the Fittings to the Wall and Frame

Gather the measuring tape, pencil, spirit level, templates and the tools required by your chosen fixings. Weigh each complete framed picture rather than estimating from its size. The wall construction, frame hardware and load all affect the appropriate fixing; the heaviest frame in the group deserves particular attention.

Identify whether you are fixing into masonry, plasterboard or another construction before choosing fittings. Follow the fixing manufacturer’s instructions and stated limits for that substrate. Do not assume that a nail or a plug suitable elsewhere in the home will work here, particularly where older plaster or previous repairs make the surface uncertain.

Check for concealed pipes and electrical cables before drilling or driving fixings. Use appropriate detection and other available information about the wall; a detector is not a guarantee that the area is clear. If the construction or services remain uncertain, have a suitable professional assess the position.

Adhesive hanging products are conditional options, not a promise of damage-free hanging. Check compatibility with the frame, wall finish, weight and room conditions, including application and removal instructions. Avoid improvising around an unsuitable surface. Westloft’s framing guide can help with the visual choices, while the actual hanging system needs to suit the finished object.

A large bottle illustration provides a single focal point above a fireplace.

6. Hang, Check and Leave Room for Change

Once the positions and fixings are confirmed, begin with the anchor picture or a clear reference row. Hang one frame, check its level and compare its actual position with the template before continuing. Work outwards in a manageable sequence, checking the gaps against neighbouring frames as well as against your measurements.

Remove templates carefully and inspect each frame’s seating on its hardware. A frame that appears level from the front still needs to be securely supported. Keep people clear of the area while lifting, and get help with large or awkward works rather than balancing them while reaching for tools.

Step back after a few pictures, not only at the end. Small deviations can accumulate across a row. Correct the cause before hanging the next frame, and avoid forcing a picture into alignment by leaving it poorly engaged with its hanger.

Photograph the finished group and retain the measurements, especially if you may change a print later. The single framed work shown here is a useful reminder that the number of pictures is a choice: a wall does not need a gallery arrangement to be complete. Start with a group you enjoy, and add only when a new piece makes the whole collection better.

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How to Hang a Gallery Wall: Layout, Spacing & Fixings

1. Measure the Wall as Part of the Room

2. Choose a Connection between the Pictures

3. Test a Grid or a Looser Arrangement

4. Transfer the Layout with Paper Templates

5. Match the Fittings to the Wall and Frame

6. Hang, Check and Leave Room for Change

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