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Tool School: Our New Studio Gallery Wall

by on Feb 28, 2019

This post is sponsored by The Home Depot

On today’s episode of #toolschool we’re talking about gallery walls:

I don’t think I’ll ever be over gallery walls. No matter their size, shape, or style, they never disappoint me. I love how much personality they have. I love that they can be perfectly symmetrical and organized, or relaxed and eclectic. No matter your style, the one thing you need when creating a gallery wall is balance. 

 

I recently created a gallery wall in the new shop we’re creating in the Curbly studio. It was different than any I’ve done before, and I discovered one brilliant trick to help me along the way. Read on to find out the secret weapon that will make your gallery wall come to life (without 75 extra nail holes).

 

Before we get into the nitty gritty of this wall, let’s take a little walk through the Curbly gallery wall archives…


This lived in our dining room for years was assembled using Ikea RIBBA frames, beloved family photos, and the beautiful brains of Emily Henderson (plus the beautiful braun of Orlando Soria – who was the first person to prove to me that you really can measure twice and hammer once when assembling your wall). 

Dining Room Gallery Wall Styled by Emily Henderson
Photo: Melissa Oholendt

 

Curbly House Gallery Wall by Emily Henderson
Photo: Melissa Oholendt

 

We’ve since replaced it with a collection of modern art prints that we love. But, seeing these photos makes me nostalgic 

I don’t know if our new dining room wall arrangement technically qualifies as a gallery wall, because it’s only made up of five frames. But, I’ll say this: The frames are huge, and the layout is gorgeous, and it spans the whole wall. It looks like a gallery to me.

Minted Art Gallery Wall

 

Minted Art Gallery Wall

The arrangement we created in our new shop space includes a mix of frames, which instantly gives off an eclectic vibe. The wall consists of powerful women, and we wanted to come up with a way to make the experience of looking at the wall more personal. We mixed little mirrors into the wall so that women would see themselves in the wall. I love the concept, and I really love the way the wall came together. 

 

A few more gallery wall resources

Want to know how to start your gallery wall today, even if your art collection isn’t complete? We tackled the subject a few years ago, and the tips are still relevant:

Gallery wall how to
 

Wondering how to build out an impressive gallery wall without spending an impressive amount? Here’s how to hang a gallery wall on the cheap:

Affordable gallery wall tutorial - how to make one without spending much money

 

How to Speed Up Your Gallery Wall Game

 BOSCH 40FT Green Cross Line Laser

Like most ‘tricks’, this one really is just about having the right tool for the job. In this case, that tool is a laser level

Because this gallery wall involved so many different types of frames (black, wood tones, and metal), and because the frames were several different sizes, and because it wasn’t laid out within concise borders (like our dining room gallery), I needed to keep things bound and straight. I used a Bosch digital laser level to help accomplish this goal. The level was a godsend, because it allowed me to create straight lines, while being mindful of the boundaries of the wall.   

BOSCH 40FT Green Cross Line Laser

Thanks to our #thdprospective partnership with The Home Depot, we’ve had the ability to test out several laser levels over the last few months. The one I grabbed for this job was the Bosch 40 ft. Self Leveling Cross Line Laser with VisiMax Green Beam. Here’s why it’s a good choice:

 

  • The green laser is extra-visible, up to four times more than standard red beams
  • With a 40-ft range, it’s more than capable enough for around-the-house uses
  • It can be mounted on a tripod, or use the included clamp to attach it to almost anything
  • It’s self-leveling, which means it’s always easy to find a level line

In addition to being great for hanging artwork, a laser level like this one is helpful when putting up shelving, aligning cabinet doors or hardware, setting tile, and just about any other use case when you want things to be straight and accurate.

 

I’m thrilled with how the gallery wall turned out … stay tuned for a full reveal (and a peek at our new shop) coming soon.

 

 

 

This post is sponsored by The Home Depot. All opinions are mine alone. Thanks for reading, and for supporting the brands that make Curbly possible.

I acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with me to participate in the ProSpective2018 Campaign. As a part of the Program, I am receiving compensation in the form of products and services, for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences are my own words. My post complies with the Word Of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.

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3 Comments

  1. Great post!

    Just curious, have you tried any augmented reality apps to preview a gallery layout with pictures?

  2. You mentioned that the RIDGID 18-Volt Impact Driver has three speed settings, which is a feature you haven’t seen on impact drivers before. In what situations would you recommend using the different speed settings, and how do they affect the performance of the impact driver