The Rules for Hanging a Gallery Wall - and Why You Can Ignore Them All (Except One)
- Sep 1, 2025
- 5 min read
If you’ve ever googled “how to hang a gallery wall,” you’ve probably seen the same rigid advice repeated everywhere: measure everything… map it out… match the frames… keep to a theme… hang at eye level…
Honestly?
Most of those rules are nonsense.
Gallery walls aren’t exams. They’re creative, emotional, and personal. And the “rules” often make people more nervous about starting.
Here’s the truth: you can ignore almost all of them.
Except for one - the only rule that genuinely matters.
Rule You Can Ignore #1: “Everything must match.”
Absolutely not!
Mix your frames, mix your styles, mix your eras. Pair a bold abstract with a vintage sketch and throw in a modern portrait. Contrast gives your gallery wall life. Honestly, the best rooms feel eclectic, like careless (but chic) and natural... you just happen to have collected prints, over time, that make for a great gallery wall. Even if you bought a complete set of art prints (because why not) and somebody else did all the hard thinking for you, you want it to look like it just evolved.
Matchy-matchy belongs in catalogues - not in homes with personality.
Rule You Can Ignore #2: “Use perfect, even spacing.”
Symmetry is optional. Besides, life is too short! I agree, a roughly even(ish) spacing around them is nice, but, that doesn't mean they all have to be measured beyond something vague like... they're all roughly 3-4 fingers apart!
A slightly irregular gallery wall often looks more interesting, more collected, and less forced. Real homes don’t need to look like showrooms. You're not selling something. This is a home. Let it feel like one.
Let it feel organic, not engineered.
Rule You Can Ignore #3: “Frames must line up perfectly.”
Your guests aren’t carrying spirit levels.
Tiny imperfections create warmth and character. A gallery wall with a little wobble feels lived-in and loved - perfection usually feels sterile and steals joy.
Interesting story - I once spent half a day measuring (just me and my trusty spirit level) a perfectly level picture rail in my living room. Only, my home is old and nothing is level, straight, or plumb. Now, it annoys me every time I look at it because it doesn't follow the line of the coving... I wish I had just trusted myself!
Rule You Can Ignore #4: “Stick to one theme.”
Only if that brings you joy. And, that's the key - if you like it, that's enough of a reason to have it. Mix that floral painting with that bold abstract... it's your home.
Otherwise? Choose art because it sparks something in you - not because it fits an aesthetic box. Some (I was tempted to say all, but, somebody would dig out one just to prove me wrong) of the best gallery walls break all the “matching” rules.
Rule You Can Ignore #5: “Everything must hang at eye level.”
Whose eye level?
I’m 5’ 10, Alex is 6' 4 and tall enough to reach shelves I pretend don’t exist, so I don't have to dust them, and my partner is 5' 6. Then there is my grandaughter... her eye-level is definitely changing every day! There is no universal standard. This is another example of the "roughly" version of measuring.
Hang things where they feel balanced in your space with your furniture. Besides, only you know how high your ceilings are, how tall the back of your sofa is, the height of your sideboard (I could go on but you get the idea.)
So… What’s the One Rule You Should Actually Follow?
Start with an anchor piece. Always.
Choose one print — the one that feels like “you,” the one you keep going back to, the one that makes you smile — and build everything around it.
Your anchor does three powerful things:
1. It sets the tone.
Colour, mood, energy — this is your North Star.
2. It simplifies decisions.
If it supports the anchor, it stays.
If it clashes in the wrong way, it goes.
3. It reduces overwhelm.
You no longer need twelve prints that work together.
You only need pieces that work with one.
Start with one print you love. Although, annoyingly, some layouts work with two anchor prints (if you haven't read it yet, please head over to our layout guide by clicking HERE).
Everything else becomes easy.
A Rebel’s Secret Shortcut: The 3–5–7 Rule
Designers swear by it - and you’ve probably used it without realising.
Odd numbers naturally feel more balanced and intentional. You can use 3–5–7 in two brilliant ways:
1. For your gallery wall layout
· Three prints → anchor goes in the middle.
· Five prints → anchor sits just slightly above centre.
· Seven prints → anchor becomes an offset focal point for that effortless, curated look.
This works even if you’re “winging it.” In fact, this is probably why I love this. I'm a huge fan of hanging the centre print and then working outward (usually using the "make all three fingers apart" school of measuring.)
2. For decorating surfaces
This is one of my favourite lazy-girl secret for sideboards, shelves, and tables:
One print + one plant + one decorative object = instant styling success.
Odd-number groupings always look better - no faffing, no formulas, no measuring tape.
Lazy-Girl Hanging Hack: Use 3–5–7 to Avoid Measuring Everything
If you’re hanging three prints:
1. Find the centre point of the wall.
2. Hang the middle print first.
3. Move left and right the same distance for the other two.
No maths.
No floor layouts.
Two measurements total.
Done.
It’s the easiest hack you’ll ever use.
Does Size Matter? (The Tip Nobody Says Out Loud)
If you’re torn between two sizes?
Choose the smaller. I know you've probably seen a hundred Instagram posts telling you to go large - BUT, I'll also bet they were trying to sell you art???
You can mount a smaller print to make it feel bigger - but you can’t shrink a too-large print once it’s framed and on your wall.
And yes, oversized mounts make everything look more luxurious.
Final Word: Build a Gallery Wall That Feels Like YOU
Break the rules.
Trust your instincts.
Start with one anchor piece and let everything grow from there.
Your home should feel like you, not a Pinterest-perfect template.
Love this? Here’s More Gallery Wall Wisdom
These guides pair perfectly with this post:
OR... save yourself time and buy a curated gallery wall collection, by CLICKING HERE
