Gallery Wall

 

One of my favorite things in my house and the thing I put up first when we move in is always our Gallery wall.

I spend a lot of time collecting things from different places to go up on the wall. I shop antique stores, vintage shops, thrift stores and other craft stores for the things that I want for the space.

Usually they have some type of meaning to us and I love to look at the pictures and be reminded of the love and effort that went into each piece and the memory that comes with it. I have definitely evolved our Gallery Wall over the years and weeded out things I didn’t like (as much) and added in things that I absolutely love. I think our current house finally has a wall where I am over the moon in love with every piece. I weeded out a lot of our brighter colors and went with more neutral themes.

The next few pictures are of what our gallery walls looked like in past houses.

This was two houses ago. You can go here to see that post.

Same house but other side of the room. Go here to see that post.

The was the same house as above but in our front room. Go here to see that post.

This was our last house! You can see the post about it here!

This one was probably the closest to being my favorite but there was still a lot in there that I wanted to add and some I wanted to remove.

Now I have created a wall that I love. And I think that’s what matters the most.

I feel very blessed to have a husband who doesn’t really care too much about what I do with the decor and goes along with my crazy hair brained ideas. When ever I would show him pieces that I wanted to use on the wall he would look at me like I was crazy and then tell him he trusted me. What a sweetheart, right? After this wall was all done he said he was glad he trusted me because he loved how it turned out.

My tips for creating a gallery wall:

1. BE PATIENT!!! If you don’t LOVE it, don’t use it. If you can’t make it work (within reason), don’t use it!!!

2. Gather things that have meaning to you, that way every time you look at the wall you will be happy because you will be flooded with great memories.

3. It’s okay to go outside the “norm”, in fact I highly encourage it, because it doesn’t have your “name” on it if you just copy someone elses.

4. Lay all the pieces out on the floor (measuring your space) so you know where you want them to go on the wall (you can see how I did that here). After it’s all laid out, take a picture (or a few) so you know how to put it on the wall.

5. Use paper (or painters tape) to put your placements on the wall so you know where they are going to go. (go here to see how to hang a picture with more than one hook.

The sign in the palate wood caught my eye the second I saw it and I knew I had to have it for this wall. I love everything about it. I love the characters/people it talks about. So much fun!

The red flower picture was one that I took in the Summer in Alaska (where I grew up) when my husband was deployed.

The baby in the pocket is my youngest… I can’t believe my baby girl was ever that tiny. My husband was in the military and we put her in the pocket of his uniform. I made the frame by stacking two frames together to give it a thicker feel. I used wood glue to add the black frame (which I spray painted and got at Goodwill) to the cream one that I got from Rod Works.

The long black pictures is a painting of the Sacred Grove… a place that has strong meaning for me in my religious beliefs. ( I am LDS, go here to learn more about that.)

In the smaller blue frame is a ticket that I received from the Titanic exhibit that my husband and I attended when I was pregnant with my daughter. I LOVE history and the story of the Titanic has always intrigued me. I watch documentaries all the time about the fated ship. When you go through the exhibit you get a ticket telling you who you are from the ship and you don’t find out until the end of the exhibit whether or not your person survived the tragedy. My person was a 3o year old LDS school teacher who was escorting missionaries home. I cried at how special that was to me and how lucky I was to have gotten her as my person.

The bottom right picture is of my second son a few months before we found out he has Aspergers. He is just the sweetest little guy, hard but so insanely loving.

The lamp is from Homegoods.

We are HUGE Alabama football fans (you can see some of my posts about that here) and so when I saw the wooden pallet Elephant I knew it had to be mine and that it would have its place on this wall.

The black framed Temple Picture is a picture of the Las Vegas temple where my husband and I were sealed. A year and a half after we were married. (you can go here to learn about what that is.)

The white framed aged picture is of my Grandmother.  She was one of my very best friends and I adored her. I spent almost all of my summers at her house and have grand memories of her. She passed away before I was ever married so my husband never met her. I wish she could have but I know that she knows him now. I can’t wait till the day I can see her again. I love to tell my kids stories about her.

The sailor kissing the nurse picture (on the right) is my tribute to WWII. I love reading about history and for some reason WWII is one of my favorite ones to read about. So much to learn about our history and about people’s will to live and will to fight while still trying to maintain a “normal” life.

I have a crazy love for Hydrangea’s… I mean who doesn’t?

I need to add a family picture to the big empty black frame. One of these days I’ll finally print out one of those pictures to put in there. (you can go here to see those pictures)

The giant picture to the left is of my oldest son. They are his baptism pictures from when he was baptized a member of our church (you can go here to see those pictures.)

The elephant picture in the green frame came as the front of a card that my sister-in-law sent me years ago because she knows of my love for elephants (you go here to read about that love and see why I have elephants in my logo.)

I have a thing for old antique pictures and people always as me who is in the green framed picture… it’s no one that I know. I just found it at a thrift store and fell in love with all of it, so I had to have it.

Anyone else put up pictures on their wall like that?

The picture of my grandma I painted with crackle paint. I got the frame at Goodwill and just gave it a bit of TLC. The Sailor frame is also a painted from Goodwill.

The lamp base and shade are from Target.

The route 66 sign is from Hobby lobby as well as the frames and the yellow mirror.

The large print is from Hobby Lobby and the frame is from IKEA.

I love the James Dean kissing picture behind the basket. I found it years ago at a thrift store and knew it had to be mine.

The drift wood frame is from Hobby Lobby and the greenish framed picture of my 3rd son came from Hobby Lobby as well.

The Romeo and Juliet name picture is from Pimento’s in Athens, Alabama.

The canvas print with the Gold Eiffel tower is from Ross.

I just love everything about this wall.

I hate that we are renting and can not paint because I desperately want to paint the wall grey…. but alas I can’t, so this will have to do.

Both of the tables on the side of the TV cabinet I got for $5 a piece at a thrift store and I still need to fix them up (you can go here to read about that.)

The TV cabinet I got at Down East Home years ago, it is definitely my most favorite piece I own. I love everything about it. My husband hates how heavy it is. But he still loves it, as long as he doesn’t have to move it.

I love the chair. I got it right after we moved back to Vegas and it has Bailey 1984 printed on it. My maiden name is Bailey and I was born in 1984…. it was a match made in heaven if you ask me.

I love this picture with my daughters sweet little head in the picture. I just adore that girl.

Anyone else hate having their cords show?

My eyes are automatically drawn to that part of this picture. Ugh!!! I hate it.

Do you love the Tinker Bell Pirate Fairy cameos in each picture?

(black and white blanket is from IKEA)

(green, gray and blue blanket is from IKEA)

I can’t wait to show you guys this whole space. I just love it. Its one of my most favorite places in the house.

(Basket is from Target)

Seriously… just perfection!

I am desperately wanting an Apothecary rolling table to go in this space as the coffee table. I think Im going to have to wait a while for one of those.

Here is a sneak peek at some more of the room…. with those darn cords making an appearance again.

(go here to see how I make my pillow case covers)

What do you think of the gallery wall?

Do you like Gallery walls? Id love to see yours if any of you have one. This wall is definitely what I get the most complements on, but some either love it or hate it.

I of course love it no matter what anyone else things. It’s totally me and I can’t imagine it any other way.

Linking up at these parties:

Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style

 Work It Wednesday at The Turquoise Home

Lou Lou Girls