Living Room Tweak List: A Gallery Wall


Oh, hello fabulous new gallery wall!

One of the reasons I love blogging so much is that I've got an instant (talented!) audience for feedback. In the past, you guys have helped me with choices like how to spruce up my built in wine rack and what to do with my plantation shutters in my living room. When I first shared my living room tweak to do list with all of you, a few of you mentioned that it might be a good idea to liven up the wall behind the sofa. 

I originally intended to make the wall into an "entryway" with a built-in shelf, perhaps a bench and a place to throw your stuff when you first walk in the front door. But the space just doesn't work for that much stuff, so we decided to move that area into our breakfast nook where we created a mini mudroom. And then I more or less forgot to do something with this poor little empty wall.


So at your suggestion (thank you!) I added "tackle wall behind the sofa" to the living room tweak to do list. But I still wasn't quite sure what to do with the space, so I simply decided to build around the mirror that was already there and work with (free!) items that I already had around my house to create a whimsical, fun gallery wall.


Since I learned the process from many of you, I won't spend too much time on my "how to" for the wall. The quick version is that I laid out my items on the floor, traced newspaper in the shape of each item and then played with the newspaper shapes by taping them onto the wall. 



Once I got the look right, I nailed through each newspaper sheet and started hanging!

Let's take a little tour through the gallery wall, shall we?

These panels were finds in the clearance aisle at Target some months ago.

 

Next to some tiny framed fabric sits one of my favorite pieces- a photo taken from our trip to Puerto Rico last spring. I snagged a Groupon for one of those photo-to-canvas deals and paid only $40. It's honestly one of my favorite things in my house and such a fun memory to see every day!


Next to a picture of one of our favorite places in the world (Sanford Stadium!) is a shadow box I picked up from Goodwill for $1. I popped it open and replaced the watering can and plastic flower that you can see in the photo below with some moss and our initial.


The "Bless This Home" sign you see above turned into a new chalkboard for the wall!


The rest of the wall hosts lots of family photos and other fun souvenirs, including my DIY clothespin art frame that I moved over to the gallery wall from the other side of the room.


It took me awhile to get used to the busy wall, but now it has grown on me. I love it!




And the most exciting part? This project is the last thing on my living room tweak to do list!

LIVING ROOM TO DO LIST:
5. paint walls a new neutral color
6. add new rug
9. spruce up wall behind couch

I'll give a full before and after tour of the whole living room later this week.
What do you think of my new gallery wall?!

Sharing with:
Between Naps on the Porch
Thrifty Decor Chick

47 comments:

  1. ahhh it came out great!!! i love it :) esp your little shadow box - I'll have to hunt one down to replace on the frames on our wall. what a neat way to capture momentos.

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  2. WOW! It looks amazing. I love the chalkboard welcome sign - I have a similar sized sign that I'm seriously tempting to chalkboard it right. this. second!

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  3. Ahhhh...so much better! It makes the room feel complete! Great job...and love the whimsical painting!

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  4. You did a great job with this! (my favorite might just be the picture of Sanford!)

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  5. Love the diy clothespin frame! I'm going to make me one too :)

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  6. Love it! I like that it's all a modpodge of different things. It add so much interest to that wall!

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  7. I love bringing momentos and photos into a room with a gallery wall...adds so much personality to a space. Great job!

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  8. I love gallery walls, great choices on this one! WOW, the list is all done, my lists take me much longer...I think my 6 yr. gets in the way too much!

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  9. I love it! I don't think it's too busy at all - it adds a whole new dimension to the room. I love the combination of all that you put together! So many different elements on one wall... this will be an awesome conversation starter as guests come over to your house :)

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  10. I am about to work on a gallery wall myself. Great looking!

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  11. Love it!!! I too like the pic of Sanford- gooooooo Dawgs!! :)

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  12. I love the new gallery wall! Those canvases are lovely and the framed fabric pieces? Love!

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  13. Looks great!! I love having personal pictures or mementos around the house. It's so fun to look at and remember great memories, and plus it's fun to share with friends and family when they are over.

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  14. It looks great :) I really like the clothespin frame too... very cute :)

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  15. I love it, Michelle. I love all of the personal pieces and that canvas photo rocks! How fun. Wall looks great.

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  16. LOVE IT! I have been wanting to do this same thing in my house. I like how you used small and larger pieces. Looks great!

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  17. New wall looks great and I love that you didn't make it all pictures.

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  18. I love the new gallery wall! You totally nailed it! Lots of personal touches and memories, which makes the space that much more inviting! Great job girl!

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  19. Great job! I love your work-with-what-you-had approach! It really fills that space nicely!

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  20. This looks SO good. Love all the colors and the variety. I just put up our very first photo wall, too. Great minds think alike?

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  21. You really HAVE been busy!! Love the new gallery wall. So much personality and great way to take up a big wall.

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  22. Love, love, love the gallery wall! I'm in the process of gathering frames, pictures, etc for my own gallery wall at the base of my stairs....but I've been kind of scared to actually DO IT! Thanks for taking us through putting up yours...you've inspired me to stop stalling on my own. :)

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  23. Looks beautiful! And I'm in love with your DIY Clothes Pin Picture frame! I have an extra frame in my office, so I should put it to use. :)

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  24. Mazel! I love a gallery wall!

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  25. it looks amazing michelle!

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  26. Oooo I love it Michelle! It turned out wonderfully. We had one in our old home and hoping to get a few going here too:)

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  27. i love gallery walls! you did a great job! love all the variety!

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  28. It looks amazing, Michelle! Look how it compliments everything else so wonderfully :) and congrats on finishing up that list!

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  29. I think it's awesome!!! Just what that wall needed, and looks great with the rest of the room and the peek of stripes!

    And I can't believe you've already blown through your list when I'm only halfway through mine!

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  30. I love it! It warms up the space nicely! It's the perfect depiction of your fun personality!

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  31. Drooling over your gallery wall- I think it's great to have things on the wall that mean something to you. And you had the perfect wall space for it!

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  32. Looks really great Michelle - also makes me want to get going on our wall in our living room. It's got two lonely pieces up there and screaming for some more friends to join them. I love the clothespin frame - I might have to try that. Enjoy your new fun wall!

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  33. MICHELLE!!!! That gallery wall just MAKES your living room!! I love the placement and prints in every single one!! You should be extremely proud!!!

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  34. Oh, I love the moss and monogrammed filled shadow box and the chalk board!!

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  35. Wow, Michelle, way to power through that to-do list! Your gallery wall looks fabulous...I'm totally inspired to finally finish ours...which so far has ONE sad and lonely picture hanging. Well done, girl! Xo, Katie

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  36. I love the canvas photo too! What a great picture. Really good job, it's a fun collage and really livens up your room!

    heyhomeslice.blogspot.com

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  37. I love your new gallery wall, Michelle! It looks great with the mix of frames. :)

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  38. Nice! My favorite part of the gallery wall is the chalkboard sign with "Welcome". Would be fun to change the word depending on season, etc.

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  39. It looks amazing! What a difference how it totally jazzes up that space back there. Love all of the fun things too -- that canvas picture is awesome! Great job, as usual!

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  40. Love your new gallery wall! It looks great! I really like the mix of photo types and canvas.

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  41. Your gallery wall looks great, I just did one too.
    http://fivebrothersonesister.blogspot.com/2011/11/gallery-wall.html

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  42. Such a great gallery wall - love all the personalized art! -Jill @ Junky Vagabond

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Thanks for stopping by! I'd love to hear what you think. I ♥ comments.

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