Living Room Gallery Wall Fit for a Colorful Maximalist Soul

Right after Christmas whilst un-decking my halls, and officially determining this the final year for my hot pink Christmas tree, I realized I was ready to move on from our living room's pink accent wall as well. Something about a new year called for a fresh start and I was anxious for a cleaner slate. I dipped into a can of my trusted Valspar Du Jour and got to work erasing all traces of my 2014 color-crazed zeal. 

And then I was all, wait, this is boring. More color! More pattern! 

I didn't set out to create a massive gallery wall, in fact my plan was just to incorporate a few thrifted pieces I already had and try to create a small but impactful cluster of art. This was supposed to be one of those quick and cost-effective updates, but it's now the end of June, so naturally it was neither.  

The whole idea hinged on finding a focal spot in our house for the Frank Stella print I'd recently found tucked in a corner at a local junk shop, for $4 I happily became its new owner! 

I don't know if you can tell from these photos, but it is large (4' wide, specifically) and the only spot in our house I could think to put it was way up on the right corner of this wall. So high. So weird. Thus to make its crazy high placement seem intentional I decided on grouping other pieces of art nearby. The small piano window in the center of this wall has always made decorating a bit tricky, but incorporating it in to the overall gallery wall structure, as if it were a piece of art itself, made the most sense to me.

And then it just kind of snowballed from there. I started with art I had, pieces currently homeless, others pilfered from places I thought were already their forever homes. But every time I'd create a grouping I liked there'd always be one spot – if there was just something this size... color... style... for that spot then I could call the wall finished. 

It forced me to get creative, and also spend way more money than I had intended – new frames to update some of the thrifted art, repurposing a (sadly discontinued) brushstroke paper placemat from Idlewild Co., and enlisting Luke's computer prowess to create that pink and blue triangle print, my homage to the wall's previous incarnation. 

I love how that Rifle Paper Co. Ostrich art print I found at hutch pairs with the thrifted Norman Rockwell Aviary print above it!  

And just as I was losing steam and running low on ideas Jenny Komenda came out with Jenny's Print Shop – so many affordable prints perfect for this project! I went with Peonies and Agave.  

The rest of the room stayed basically the same. Although after removing the Christmas tree I decided not to put the white tulip table back in. Instead I added these green arm chairs. Not at all comfortable for any lengthy sit, but I am so about that 80s sculptural shape.

I mean we don't have the TV in here so it's fine.  

It took a while to pull it together, but I'm really happy with how the gallery wall has updated the living room. It's bright and punchy, and each piece tells a story.

Here's hoping we move before I create another reason to photograph this room.