I bought my first house last year, and as a maximalist by nature, I knew I couldn’t resist adding a gallery wall or two. However, after finding so many similar gallery wall sets on the high street and on social media, I was horrified Gallery wall ideas End up looking equally ‘dated’ and unoriginal.
Fortunately, I quickly got over my fear Gallery wall ideas were going out of fashion When I saw a new, fresh version of it popping up on my Instagram feed. Curated wall displays are more popular than ever, but the new interpretation is more relaxed and eclectic, mixing everything from textiles to ceramics in a uniquely individual display.
This shifting look in gallery walls is a trend experts have Etsy They have also gone ahead by announcing ‘Everyday Exhibits’ as one of their key trends for Spring and Summer 2026.
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(Image credit: Future plc / John Day)
‘For 2026, we are seeing the traditional gallery wall become much lighter. Instead of perfectly matched frames and symmetrical layouts, people are leaning towards something that feels personal and more alive,’ says Diana Isom Johnson, Etsy’s trend expert.
By mixing different frame styles such as vintage wood and aged metals, there is a shift towards a ‘collected over time’ look. Etsy search data also reflects this, with 80% growth in gallery prints and 50% growth in decorative mirrors, as people look to add more depth and texture to their walls.’
Walls artisticallyA brand that has helped champion a new approach to gallery walls, agrees that the trick to keeping it looking fresh is not to overthink it.
‘People tend to overthink the process of curating a gallery wall and stress themselves out. Don’t worry about how the wall “should” look. There are no rules here!’ says Kathy Glaser, CEO and founder of Artfully Walls.
‘At the end of the day, it’s very simple Touch the small nail hole in the wallSo go ahead and experiment to see what feels right for you.’
(Image credit: Future plc / Mary Wadsworth)
‘Having said that, we have some tips to keep gallery walls looking fresh and chic,’ she adds. We suggest mixing styles and mediums. For example, try pairing a line drawing with an oil portrait and a landscape, or combine a photo with an abstract Painting And a piece of mixed media. Unexpected pairings create visual interest and make the art appear to have been collected over time.’
‘If you want to take your gallery wall to the next level, consider incorporating non-art elements like mirrors, sconces or busts. These additions will add depth and texture, making your wall more dynamic and visually interesting.’
Newly inspired, I incorporated a gallery wall as part of my kitchen makeover. While I did my best to follow Cathy’s advice not to ‘stress’, I learned some valuable lessons along the way.
1. Mix ceramics and prints
I picked up both plates second hand and hung them with self-adhesive hanging discs.
(Image credit: Future / Rebecca Knight)
One of the biggest changes in the current trending iteration of gallery walls is the inclusion of anything and everything that can be hung on the wall. Nothing is off limits. ‘Instead of just hanging prints, people are starting to include sculpted ceramics and vintage mirrors in their displays,’ says Diana at Etsy, ‘The best gallery walls look collected rather than coordinated.’
In my kitchen, I interpreted this by integrating several Think plate displayA ceramic coaster and also a framed piece of papyrus in my gallery wall. To help blend the plates into the overall design, I used Self-adhesive plate hanging disc from Amazon To hang them on the wall.
2. Map it out on the floor
A gallery wall laid out on my kitchen floor, not all plates made the final cut.
(Image credit: Future / Rebecca Knight)
I know several editors on the Ideal Home team who are skilled enough to go right in with nails on the wall, but I’m not one of them, so I mapped it out on the floor first.
I collected so many bits and pieces for my gallery wall that it also helped me do some hard editing and planning. It took me an hour of moving things around before I settled on my final curated mix and design.
I still moved the frames a bit after putting them on the wall, so I second Kathy’s advice that the nails are easy to remove and fill if you make a mistake.
3. Only include things you love
My framed Giuseppe Arcimboldo postcards are waiting to go on the wall.
(Image credit: Future / Rebecca Knight)
The gallery wall in my kitchen is loosely themed around food, but the common thread that runs through each piece on the wall is that they are all connected to happy memories or reminders of things I love.
This meant that I took a few risks with what I included as part of mine Consider a kitchen wall. Two of the most notable are Giuseppe Arcimboldo’s postcards of fruit and vegetables Faces I chose him after an exhibition of his work in Vienna. My partner loved them, but I was nervous that people would think they looked ‘creepy’. However, mounted on black card in a frame, it is now one of my favorite pieces on the wall, and I’m glad I wasn’t put off by what other people thought.
4. Keep it growing
A paper placeholder is marking where my shadow box will go.
(Image credit: Future / Rebecca Knight)
While I mapped out the initial design of my gallery wall on the floor, I think the beauty of the new trend for gallery walls is that it keeps growing. I currently have a shadow box with a vintage matchstick box inside waiting to be added to the collection, and I plan to keep adding to the wall until I run out of space.
Gallery wall kit
accommodation
Habitat Natural Ribbed Wood Picture Frame – 5×7″
Mix and match frames on a gallery wall, and don’t be afraid to include a few more decorative pieces like this ribbed wood frame to add texture.
H&M
Text-motif porcelain medium plate
Plates are a relatively inexpensive way to jazz up a gallery wall.
Oliver Bonas
Soy sauce framed wall art
Oliver Bonas has a wide range of embroidered wall art, adding extra texture to a gallery wall.
Dunelm
Set of 2 Hand Painted Flowers Wall Art
There’s a big trend right now to treat the frame and the picture as a mini canvas, with the design spilling out of the frame.
John Lewis
John Lewis aluminum poster frame
I can’t recommend these John Lewis aluminum oak effect frames enough, they are very light, well priced and come in a range of sizes.
Walls artistically
Sunbeam by Kit Agar on Artistic Walls
Line drawings are a great way to freshen up a gallery wall. I included two as a little pair to break up the color accents.
This is my first attempt at a gallery wall and it’s not perfect. But if you like what you include on your wall, you can’t go far wrong when curating your own daily display.
