How to Choose the Anchor Artwork That Makes a Gallery Wall Click

Bold, geometric, and bursting with energy—this Kandinsky artwork is a perfect anchor piece, effortlessly drawing the eye and setting the tone for a vibrant gallery wall.

A gallery wall shouldn’t feel like a maths problem. And yet… somehow it often does.

Too many pieces.Too many sizes.Too many opinions.Not enough confidence.

The truth? Most gallery walls don’t fail because of colour, frames, or spacing. They fail because there’s no anchor piece.

Once you understand what an anchor piece is - and how to choose one - the rest of the decisions suddenly feel lighter, clearer, and oddly enjoyable.

Let’s break it down.

What Is an Anchor Artwork?

An anchor piece is the visual centre of gravity in a gallery wall.

It doesn’t have to be:

• the biggest piece

• the most expensive piece

• the most dramatic piece

  
  

But it does need to be the piece that everything else quietly agrees to orbit around.

Think of it as:

• the sentence your gallery wall is built around

• the rhythm the other pieces fall into

• the “this is what this wall is about” moment

  
  

Once the anchor is chosen, the rest of the wall stops arguing with itself.

A bold abstract print anchors this colourful gallery wall, proving that a statement piece can bring playful energy and cohesion to any space.

Why Gallery Walls Feel So Hard Without One

When people start with multiple pieces at once, they end up:

• endlessly rearranging layouts

• second-guessing scale

• worrying whether things “go together”

• abandoning the idea halfway through

  
  

That’s because the brain wants hierarchy.

An anchor piece gives your eye somewhere to land - and your decisions somewhere to start.

Without it, every print is shouting.With it, everything else knows when to speak softly.

5 Ways to Choose the Right Anchor Print

1. Choose the Piece That Makes You Feel Something (Not the One That “Matches”)

Your anchor piece should be the artwork you’d keep even if you moved house tomorrow.

Ask yourself:

• Which piece would I rescue first if I had to?

• Which one still feels right when trends change?

• Which one feels like me, not just my décor?

  
  

Matching comes later. Meaning comes first.

A playful, larger-than-life portrait like ‘Candy Queen’ makes a fearless anchor—proving that scale and personality set the mood for your entire gallery wall.

2. Let Scale Do the Heavy Lifting

Your anchor artwork is usually (not always) one of the largest pieces on the wall.

Why?

• Larger pieces naturally command attention

• They ground smaller works visually

• They make spacing and layout decisions easier

  
  

A good rule of thumb: If you removed everything else, the anchor print should still look intentional on its own.

3. Pick the Emotional Tone, Not the Exact Colour Palette

Your anchor sets the mood, not the matchy-matchy rules.

Is it:

• playful

• dark and dramatic

• nostalgic

• rebellious

• calm and grounding

  
  

Once the tone is clear, other pieces can:

• echo it

• contrast it

• soften it

  
  

They don’t need to copy it.

Placing a striking artwork above the sofa instantly defines the gallery wall’s starting point - making layout decisions easier and creating a natural visual anchor for the room.

4. Decide Where the Wall Begins (Physically)

Anchor pieces often sit:

• above a sofa

• above a sideboard

• at eye level in a hallway

• at the centre of a staircase wall

Placing the anchor first answers half your layout questions automatically:

• spacing flows outward

• balance becomes clearer

• awkward gaps disappear

Start with placement, not perfection.

5. Build Outward, Not All at Once

Once the anchor is up:

• add one supporting piece at a time

• step back after each addition

• stop before it feels “finished”

The best gallery walls evolve. They’re allowed to breathe.

What Makes a Bad Anchor Artwork?

It’s rarely about taste - it’s about role.

A poor anchor piece is usually:

• too small to lead

• emotionally neutral

• chosen purely to “tie things together”

• something you’re already unsure about

If you’re hesitant before it’s even on the wall, it’s not the anchor. It’s a filler.

The Shortcut: Start With the Anchor, Then Edit Ruthlessly

The easiest shortcut? Start with your anchor artwork at the centre, then let your gallery wall grow naturally around it—editing as you go for a confident, collected look.

Here’s the quiet secret most stylists won’t say out loud:

A great gallery wall often uses fewer pieces than you think.

Once the anchor is strong:

• some pieces become unnecessary

• others suddenly feel obvious

• negative space starts working for you

Confidence replaces clutter.

If You’re Stuck Right Now…

If your gallery wall feels frozen mid-decision, don’t start again.

Instead:

1. Identify the piece you wish was the anchor

2. Temporarily remove everything else

3. Build back slowly

You’ll know you’ve chosen correctly when the wall starts to feel calm - even unfinished.

Want to Go Deeper?

If you want more information on foolproof layouts for gallery walls, click here.

If you want to skip the planning altogether and buy a ready-curated gallery wall, click here.

If you want more information on choosing art for a gallery wall, click here