Budget-friendly secrets turn your apartment into a gallery
Mastering the art of decorating a humble space starts with a trip to flea markets and garage sales
Young renters face a daunting task: How do you hang artwork in an apartment without breaking the bank?
Sure, it’d be lovely if we could all spend hundreds — or thousands — on stunning paintings for our bachelor pads, but most millennials don’t have the cash or space.
On top of that, where’s the sense in dropping serious coin on a piece of artwork that perfectly fits your living room wall, only to move again a year or two later?
Enter the gallery wall — a mash-up of potentially inexpensive artwork, prints, photos or whatever else you’d like. It’s an always-trendy way to liven up a space with artwork and will cost you far less than buying big original pieces.
And, if you move, you can simply rejig the layout and move pieces around to different walls and spaces.
It’s a technique Milton-based interior design consultant Vanessa Francis has mastered.
Her own personal gallery wall features a mix of photos she took on her iPhone during a trip to Portugal, a few prints from online shop Minted, an original painting and a poster she’s been hanging onto since her university days.
“That’s the beauty of gallery walls,” she says. “You can do whatever you want.”
We asked Francis and a few other local interior designers for their top tips on creating a striking gallery wall that will add visual interest to your apartment — without costing a small fortune.
Find your artwork “If you are starting from scratch, find two to three pieces that will be the jumping-off point for the whole gallery wall and build around them,” suggests Lindsay Konior, a principal designer at Qanuk Interiors alongside Sarah Keenleyside.
Buying prints is an easy way to start. It’s worth checking out the AGO and local galleries for inexpensive versions of artwork by everyone from the Group of Seven to local up-andcomers.
You can also try a print shop like Telegramme Prints and Custom Framing for fine art posters, lithographs and screen-prints — or snag mass-produced prints at wellknown spots such as HomeSense, West Elm, Ikea or Urban Outfitters, notes Jenn Backstein, interior decorator at Jenn Backstein Interiors.
It’s also worth scoping out flea markets and garage sales for quirky finds. “It is amazing what you can create on a budget with crazy collection of old oil paintings, watercolours and old photos,” says Kirsten Marshall, owner and lead designer at Palmerston Design Consultants. Consider other objects such as mirrors, too, or threedimensional finds such as mounted antlers from an antique shop. You can also try rummaging through your own stuff to find items that add a personal touch. “Those old pins that you inherited from your great aunt, the ticket stub from that amazing Prince concert,” says Konior.
But if your heart is set on original, one-of-a-kind artwork, she recommends purchasing something from a student artist — like the hip young painters and photographers of OCAD, for instance, who have exhibitions throughout the school year. “The quality of work is phenomenal, and who knows, you might end up with a future AGO-worthy piece,” says Konior. Frame things on the cheap Low-priced frames are easy to find — and many include built-in mats — at stores from Walmart to Ikea, local garage sales, and online marketplaces such as Kijiji and Craigslist.
For a minimalistic look, Backstein suggests getting three to six black or white frames. For something more eclectic, buy a variety of secondhand frames in different shapes and sizes. “Perhaps some oval, some square, and one rectangular for example,” she says. “Paint each one a different colour and scatter them on your wall.”
Francis recommends aiming to have fewer larger frames, rather than too many tiny ones — otherwise your grouping looks too busy.
You can also skip the frames entirely. “If you don’t have stuff to hang, find some fun floating shelves and display bowls, photos or vases,” suggests Marshall. Arrange your gallery Once you’ve gathered enough pieces to work with, measure out the complete area of wall that you want your gallery wall to fill, says Konior. Tape out these dimensions on the floor — or better yet on a large sheet of craft paper, and use this space to figure out your ideal layout composition.
“Then tape this template on the wall and nail right through the paper with picture hanging hooks,” she says. “Simply tear the paper away once all the nails are in and you are ready to hang your perfect gallery wall.” (Pro tip: If you’re worried about damaging an apartment wall, use 3M’s Command picture hanging strips — no nail holes, no torn paint when you inevitably move.)
It’s also worth keeping in mind how people will be viewing your gallery wall, according to Backstein — likely from a sitting or standing position. She suggests hanging art at eye level or slightly lower.
“And lastly, pay attention to the size of the art,” she adds. “If you are working with a large wall, make sure to place a large enough piece of art on that wall so it doesn’t feel lost or too small on the wall.”