Every day I feel so blessed to be a part of a community who live and breathe art-felt passion. From my printers and framers right through to installation professionals, it truly takes a village of experts to get my art out into the big, wide world! This week, I was super happy to welcome Daniel Unitt of Picture Perfect Hanging into my home to hang a personal selection of art and photographs that have long awaited a permanent place on my wall. 

Having released two new gallery wall collections this year, you might have noticed that it’s a look I’m well and truly committed to. Originally known as salon walls, gallery walls date back to the 1600's when the French utilised them to display a myriad of different sized and different textured art, in one space. Europeans have long LOVED a gallery wall and Australians are now starting to learn that we don’t need to fill a space with one large piece - we can fill it with many! And I’m all about it.

So what are the rules to installing art in your home and curating a gallery wall? I asked expert and second generation picture hanger, Daniel Unitt, and this is what he had to say.

When hanging a gallery wall, what do you look out for the most?

It’s important to have a good variety of shapes and sizes on a wall. Don’t be afraid to mix photographs and different art mediums. Incorporate pieces behind glass and on canvas or paper and mix and match frames. Don’t sweat the small details because sometimes the quirkier the better! Even if there are objects you would like to incorporate such as plates and mirrors - variety adds a different dimension and point of interest to the curated body of works. 

So are there any rules? 

The only rule is to keep your selection of works organic. Hang what you love and you can’t go wrong - just so long as your placement is right! To ensure this, I try not to hang pieces too dispersed, I like to keep the gaps relatively close but not too tight. This closeness forms a sense of unity, so even if the pieces are extremely different the fact they have been placed in consideration of one another brings them together. And don’t be afraid to hang a gallery wall around a heat / cooling controller or lighting pendant, obstacles can add a lot of interest!

What's an important tip to remember when forming your group of artwork for a gallery wall hang? 

I try to find a good shape and work out the limitations to the outer edge of the frames so there aren’t any outliers in the group. I begin by laying the arrangement on the floor in front of the wall so that I can visualise space and do all the measurements before commencing the install. The overall shape of the group will often be guided by the pieces that my client has. For example, if their works are varying and a-symmetrical they hang tends to be more interesting and comes together like a puzzle. Whereas symmetrical pieces naturally require a more structured hang. 

So this is the end look for my gallery wall as hung by Daniel himself! I was so pleased to finally see my walls filled with art that I have collected over the years. If you’d like to get in touch with Daniel you can find his website here. Or for inspiration, follow him on Instagram!