If you’re like me, you probably have a few large, empty walls just waiting for some personality. In my house, two spots are begging for attention: a boring stairwell and a freshly remodeled wall in the family room. Both are too big for a single piece of art, so I’ve been exploring gallery wall ideas to fill the space with style.

At first, I thought it would be easy—just hang a few pictures and call it done. But I quickly realized that without a plan, it can easily turn into a cluttered mess! I love having a sense of style and order, so I decided to take a more thoughtful approach.

I started by creating a Pinterest board with over 50 gallery wall templates. These are organized by three types:

Flat Wall

Stairwell

Wall Gallery Shelf

What I learned about creating a Gallery Wall…

It’s fascinating to see how some gallery walls are perfectly aligned, while others have a more eclectic, puzzle-like arrangement. Many templates also include exact frame sizes, which makes planning much easier.

Now that I’ve narrowed down a few designs, I’m focusing on which style works best with my current décor. I’m tackling one wall at a time so I don’t overwhelm myself trying to do both at once. Once I lock in the layout, the fun part begins — choosing wall gallery frames and photos. Of course, my dog Gunnar will make an appearance!

I just started a new Pinterest board that has all kinds of design ideas showing gallery layouts in homes so that’s going to be a helpful too. I’ll be sharing that process with you as I finish more of it later this year.

Have you created a gallery wall before? If so, I’d love to hear your tips! Share them in the comments below.