Dramatic gallery wall evokes her memories
The favourite things in our homes, how we got them and what they mean
Vanessa Francis loves her gallery wall. Painted a bold onyx to make the art stand out, it’s the focal point of the living room in her Milton home. Fifteen prints and photos framed in black, white and gold create an arresting display behind a low media console.
“I love my gallery wall as it is personal to me and evokes memories of people and places,” says Francis, who’s been a residential interior decorator for more than 15 years.
Part of an update to her open-plan living, dining and entry areas, the wall “adds visual interest and tells a story,” she says. Photos taken during vacations in Barbados, Portugal and Paris are arranged among prints bought online and other pieces with special meaning.
An original painting of yellow pears, for example, was a birthday gift and a white-on-black sketch of flowers is the creation of Toronto artist Alanna Cavanagh, whose work Francis admires.
An original vintage poster was purchased at the Picasso Museum in Barcelona during her travels.
The collection works together because all the pieces have muted tones, she says, explaining the pear painting injects the only dose of colour to the black, white and sepia tones.
In her small house, where the entry leads directly into the dining space and living room, the gallery is part of a 20-foot wall that was originally painted white. Painting it black not only created a better backdrop to show off the art, it helped make the TV “disappear,” she says.
That part of the room also features other favourite items such as a comfy grey sofa, books and a whimsical “see no evil” monkey.
While there’s a mix of textures in the velvet cushions and ottoman, linen-look drapes and nubby carpet, Francis says she wanted everything to be toneon-tone solid colours in deference to the vibrant artwork.
In a nod to her philosophy of “getting the look for less and mixing high and low,” she rounded out the furnishings with an elegant globe-shaped floor lamp from Walmart.
A dyed-in-the-wool DIYer, Francis matted and framed most of the pictures with frames from Ikea, but had the large Barcelona poster professionally done. She bought prints online from Minted, a marketplace of independent artists, and Juniper, which sells art prints of all sizes, styles and types.
Gallery walls are an enduring trend that often prompt clients to seek how-to advice, says Francis, who provides everything from consultations to renovations in the west GTA through her company Vanessa Francis Design.
A good place to start is deciding what colour scheme or mood you want to evoke, she says. “Do you want bright colours, all shades of one colour or minimal colour?”
Vacation photos — architectural shots in particular — and prints “that speak to you” are good choices for affordable artwork, Francis says, advising the use of both horizontal and vertical pieces for interest.
Frames should be similar in style but finishes can be mixed, like her black, white and gold combo. But she cautions to not go too small or the art may get lost on the wall.
To map out a pleasing composition, Francis suggests measuring the wall space for the display then outlining it on the floor with tape and trying different arrangements.
“I knew I wanted the largest Picasso piece to the left of the TV and just above the media unit so that was the starting point,” she recalls.
Francis prefers consistent spacing of two to three inches between the items but says random spacing of up to six inches can work well to create a more eclectic look.
While hanging the art yourself is always an option, she decided to hire a professional from picture-hanging service Artstall “so that I wouldn’t have 85 holes in the wall!”