Wall galleries look simple, but they are not an easy task. We found an article that breaks the process up into steps that will result in a beautiful, slightly offbeat but still balanced wall full of photos and prints that mean the most to you.

1. Selecting photos and frames -- Choose a theme and/or a common color palette as a guiding force in your selection process. Remember that displaying simpler images in large scale and more detailed/complex images in small scale results in a more pleasing, less cluttered layout.

2. Designing the layout -- Remember that achieving the asymmetrical-but-balanced look is easier said than done, and it will take a lot of patience.

3. Defining the dimensions -- Start by placing tape on the wall to define the outer boundaries of the photo area so that you can design an arrangement that works well within the available dimensions of the wall.

4. Arranging and re-arranging -- Place all of your framed photos on the floor in the same relative dimensions as the outer boundaries and then experiment (over and over again) with different layouts. It is even okay to eliminate a couple of photos and add some new ones. Give yourself time to get used to the layout before attaching it on the wall to make sure that you really like it.

5. Documenting the layout -- Once you have an arrangement that you are set on, document the overall layout by taking a panoramic photo on your phone (which is easy to do with the iPhone camera app.) Take detailed shots of smaller sets of groupings. The panoramic image allows you to remember the layout of the photos, while the details hots allow you to see the specific alignment of the one image to its neighboring image. To maintain a sense of order, pay close attention to the alignment of the frames and the spacing between them. Different sized frames cannot be consistently aligned or have consistent spacing throughout the overall layout, so work in small groupings and make mini arrangements of consistent alignment and spacing. Remember to have fun with it!

6. Installing on the wall -- When you are ready to transition the photos to the wall, start in the center of the collage, where the largest images are, and work your way out from there. Use the detail photos on your phone to ensure that the alignment of the frames and the general spacing between them are matched up. 3M picture hanging strips are useful for most of the installing process, except for particularly large frames. These will help you hold a picture in the approximate position while using a tape measure to ensure the correct distance from the neighboring frame to make sure it is straight. Press the frame to the wall when it is ready.

7. Remember that this is not the easiest nor the fastest process, but it is something that you will be sure to enjoy for many years to come. Put in a little patience with your work, and it will be worth it.

Source: Julee, warmhotchocolate.com.

Who doesn't love the elegant look that many upscale homes so successfully have? Have you wished you had more of a staged, organized look? Search no further, because we have found the top ten tips to creating an elegant look in your own home thanks to Meredith from artsandclassy.com.

1. Flowers
2. Hang curtains high
3. Paint your walls
4. Area rugs
5. Custom window shades
6. Switch out lamp shades
7. Create vignettes
8. Use matching containers for storage
9. Replace crappy hardware
10. Use vertical space wisely

Source and full article: Meredith, Arts & Classy.

Add personality and fun to your home with these 10 out-of-the-box home decoration ideas:

1. Add bright pops of color to your kitchen
2. Create hanging art from recycled plastic
3. Fun living room chairs
4. Wine cork bathmat
5. Lightbox chair
6. Oddly shaped chairs
7. Canopy tent bed
8. Colorful doors
9. Bench artwork
10. Skylight

Source: Buzzfeed

Types of Mat

The purpose of adding mat to your prints is to protect and preserve it from damages as well as adding style. The mat separates the artwork from the glass to prevent it from sticking and fading out. There are many different routes you can go while choosing a mat for your prints such as the type, the style, the size and more.

The Types

Paper - This mat is made of paper pulp and it the cheapest mat to get. Often times when you buy a frame this is the mat that is already in it. This type can easily turn brown and the pure white will fade away. To prevent this from happening you can go to a framing store and ask them to switch out the paper mat for a different more durable type.

Alpha Cellulose - Made of wood pulp to prevent decaying.

Sizing:

• Basic sizing is two to three inches of mat. But don’t be afraid to go bigger, if your piece is larger than 11” x 14” try a bigger mat to properly scale it. The mat is supposed to draw the eye toward the piece and based on coloring even toward a specific element in the piece.
• If your matting photographs go with a wider mat to create a contemporary yet polished look.
• When done right, pairing an oversized mat with a small picture can attract the eyes towards the picture and create a strong presence for the art piece.

Color:

• Pick the color based on what best compliments the art work.
• Stick to neutral tones in the gray/taupe scale. Try to stay away from colors that are either brighter or darker than the image you are framing.
• If you do want to add in color, layering mats is a great way to do so. Using a bolder color on the first thin layer will allow the picture to pop without overwhelming the art .

Everyone who has used a hammer and nail on their drywall knows the pesky holes that it leaves behind. By following these rules you can cover up those annoying left behind holes and your wall will look good as new.

What You Will Need:

• Wall patch - A wall patch is an adhesive patch that sticks to your wall to nicely cover up the hole you are trying to fix. You can purchase a wall patch at any hardware store and they are usually between $2 - $7 depending on the size or kind.

• Joint compound or spackle - This is what you use to cover the wall patch. Joint compound is white and similar to plaster. Spackle is a putty substance used mostly for smaller projects.

• Putty knife - This is what you will use to evenly spread the compound or spackle. A putty knife can range in price from $5 - $30 based on its size. You can pick which putty knife size is best based on the scale of your project.  

• Sanding block - You will use this in one of the last steps to sand the surface and make it smooth.

• Paint - Last but not least it the paint to officially cover up and blend with the rest of the wall.

The Process:

• First you want to smooth the surface that you are planning on fixing to remove any chunks of drywall from the hole. Once you have done this clean and dry the surrounding area

• Next use a wall patch over the hole. Wall patches are great for easily covering up holes left behind in drywall. You can purchase one from any hardware store for anywhere from $2 - $7. Make sure to smooth the patch evenly to the wall.

• Once you have the wall patch over the wall you should apply a thin layer of joint compound or spackle to the hole and evenly spread it with you putty knife.

• After the area has dried sand it until it is sufficiently smooth and apply another layer of compound or spackle. You can repeat this process however many times until the area is properly to your liking.

• After the final coat of compound or Spackle has dried, sand the surface one more time and finally wipe it clean. You are now ready for the final step!

• Lastly, paint over the surface and voila your wall is fixed.

Everyone deals with clutter. It can be a pain of a project to take on but fear not, we have some helpful tips about how to easily declutter and still keep your spaces looking and feeling fresh. Because a clutter free space is a stress free space.

1. Organize your nightstand by dividing by it into compartments. The bedside table is always prone to clutter; it’s where you put your things before bed and its where you check to find something when you wake up. Same goes to the infamous kitchen “junk drawer” that seems to eat up everything that you put in it while other things you don’t remember owning magically pop up when you’re looking for a pen. This tip is a great solution to this problem. By adding different compartments you can easily organize and put specific items in definitive slots.
2.  Designate a spot for incoming papers. It always seems that papers are the main culprit of clutter. We always are putting them in different places causing confusion and messiness. By dedicating a tray to all your papers you can keep the overload under control. After a while it will become second nature to put your papers in the tray and you will never have to deal with unnecessary stray papers again.
3. Visualize the room after you have decluttered it. This way you will have a mental picture of what you want and expect your room to look like after you have tackled the decluttering mission. You may even visualize where to put certain things and come up with an anti cluttering notion all by yourself.
4.  Go through all your things (medicine cabinet, drawers, closet etc.) and pull everything out. While doing this use a “maybe” box to put things in that you are unsure of what you want to keep or not. That way when you have finally reached the feat of going through all your things you can go through the box and officially pick what stays and what goes. Yes, this is a big project so you may want to schedule your cleaning time so you are not overwhelmed if you attempt to do it all in one go.
5.  Make it a habit. This may end up being the most important decluttering rule of all. Once you have successfully made you home a clutter free zone do not let yourself fall into the trap again. Teach yourself to pick up the cleaning habits that you acquired so that you never have to deal with the stress of clutter repeatedly.  

Gallery walls are a great way to create an interesting focal point for any room and an equally great way for one to express themselves and create an inspiring homey feel. You can have an organized sleek gallery wall or a more casual mix and match vibe. Either way you choose to go if you follow these helpful tips your gallery wall will be sure to be amazing.

• If you are hanging multiple pieces of art pick one to be the focal point and main center of the collage.

• The grouping of pictures should be considered one unit.

• They should all have a similar theme whether it be subject matter or color scheme to build a collected look

• They should play off of each other and create an organic energy and interesting central point for the room

• Test arrangements by laying everything out and comparing which combinations look best.

• To be able to mark the hanging point of your wall, layout the arrangement you want on a piece of wrapping paper like in the picture above. Then trace around each art piece. Now put the wrapping paper up against the wall and mark where the photos should go through the paper onto the wall. This makes it so much easier when it comes time to put the pieces up.

• To avoid putting too much weight on one side of the collage consider imagining a vertical line going right through the middle of it. That way you can have an even amount on each side of said line and avert having an imbalanced group of photos.

• A group of art pieces should not be more than 6” apart

• To help you space your pieces,  place your hand flat with you fingers tight between each photo. This is a good amount of space between the pieces and assures that you measured evenly

• When hanging horizontally an odd number of pieces is more visually pleasing to the eye than an even number

• For a more formal display use matching frames, but if you want a casual look don’t be afraid to get creative and mix and match your frame choices.

• When making a gallery wall you can personalize it to be as eclectic as you desire. You can throw in mirrors, clocks, signs or anything else that you may want to include to attain your perfect look.

Sources:

http://www.howtodecorate.com/2012/02/how-to-hang-wall-decor-101-2/

http://tidbitsandtwine.com/10-tips-for-creating-a-collected-gallery-wall/

http://petapixel.com/2012/05/07/use-wax-paper-to-plan-out-your-picture-frame-layout-on-the-ground/

http://blog.graylivin.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/gallery-wall-vignette.jpg

• Hang the center of the artwork at 57” above the ground.
• Hanging 57” at center is standard in galleries and museums and it represents the average human eye height.  
• “At center” means that the hook will be higher to allow the middle of the art work to be at exactly 57” above the ground.

Steps to Find 57” at Center:

1. To find the center measure the piece of art and divide by two
2. Then measure the space from the hook on the back of the canvas to the top of the artwork and subtract from the number you found in step 1
3. Then add 57” to that number and that is where you should hang your hook on the wall
4. The hook should hang around 1/3 from the top of the canvas/print
5. When your done hanging use a level to ensure that your art is hanging evenly

Example: 

For example if you are hanging a 24x30 canvas

24/2 = 12

The hook is 3 inches from the top of the canvas

12 - 3 = 9 + 57” = 66

Your wall hook should be 66” from the floor.