my secret for hanging straight gallery walls

i LOVE gallery walls, don't you?
(in fact, i have over 300 images of gallery wall idea on my pinterest board here, if you need some inspiration!)

i love gallery walls structured and simple.



i love them loose and eclectic.


i love them balanced.


i love them asymmetrical.


the only thing i DONT like about gallery walls is when the pictures get all wonky.


you know....when the pictures tilt and get out of alignment, and you want to rip them off the wall and throw them out the nearest window?? ugh. i really hate that.
thank goodness i haven't had that issue in a LONG time, thanks to my little secret weapon:

cobra frame tacks.  
(i also blogged about them here.)


available here, the only place i have been able to find them online. i actually called the manufacturer in canada i was so desperate to find them once!
this is what they look like in the package:
(this package comes with different sizes)

they are available in small, medium and large, and one pair per frames is needed.  they simply screw into the back of the frame.


i have found that certain frames (like ikea ribba frames) don't have enough wood for these to attach to, so i just use two nails and hang the frame on the nails.

and the the magic? 
when you want to hang your gallery wall, you just measure and press them into the wall.
they do NOT shift, ever!
(my husband is meticulous when it comes to hanging pictures, so i am lucky! i just show him what i want, and he does all of the work.)  i have had several people ask me if they actually stay on the wall. uh...of course they do! why would i love them if they didn't WORK? ha! ha! i have personally never had any picture i have hung with the cobra frame tacks fall off the wall.



we recently hung a gallery wall in my living room, as part of my living room refresh. i have used the venetian watercolor set together before, and i was really happy with the ordered look, but i wanted to mix in some different pieces this time.

here are a few of the layouts i was considering:




as soon as i put the antlers in the mix, i knew i had found the answer!



the wall in progress:



a quick before:



after:

do you have any secret weapons for hanging gallery walls?

art in bedrooms

as i was sifting through some of my scanned images,

i came across these lovelies.

i really loved how art 

plays a significant role in each bedroom...

and how different each display is.

same frames. 
same mats. 
different sizes.

different colored images.

notice how the pieces are hung so that

a consistent perimeter is maintained?

identical frames, mats and sizes.

different images.
so lovely.

one large piece really unifies the color scheme
in this bedroom.
and that frame is pretty incredible, don't you think?

 small piece.

 big impact.

a large grouping of identical pieces

results in a very graphic look.

i totally adore this bedroom...

the grasscloth wallpaper, the daybed,

the little lucite tables, the bolster pillows,

the drum chandelier...yum.

a random collection of paintings add

color and quirkiness to this pretty bedroom.
ahh. so many options.
which one is your favorite?

dynamite stencil idea

i saw this post as design mom, and thought it was too
awesome to NOT share!

gabrielle's son wanted a large wall poster of napoleon dynamite,

but when the estimates came in close to $500, 

she decided to use a projector and trace the image onto the wall.

i love the grey-blue color she used for the stencil,

and the pops of yellow in the room  are delicious!

also love the chalkboard closet doors...

and the striped quilt.
great job gabrielle!
thanks for letting me share your awesomeness.

13 days of thankfulness: day 8

i am thankful for:
beautiful wallscapes.

black and white photography.
framed maps.
and beautifully hung
art.

pictures from kenneth brown, nate berkus, elle decor,

traditional living,house beautiful