How to create a photo wall

A photo wall is a timeless form of interior decor, showing off snaps and artwork on an eclectic mix of wall art pieces. The best part? There are no strict rules to creating a great photo wall – just a few clever tricks to make it look like you hired a designer (spoiler: you didn’t). Whether you’re looking for living room photo wall ideas, or maybe photo wall ideas for the bedroom, scroll on and get ready to transform that blank space.

Find the perfect spot for your photo gallery wall

That big empty space above your sofa? Prime gallery wall territory. For a family photo wall idea in the living room, opt for something vibrant as your focus piece like a group photo on acrylic or aluminium, surrounded by lighter mounted prints of each family member. This also makes for a great kitchen, bathroom or dining room photo wall idea – anywhere you have a blank space is perfect.

A photo wall for the bedroom

For something more personal, opt for next to your bed, where your moments can live amongst soft lighting and cosy textures. For photo wall ideas for the bedroom, mix in aspirational quotes on small posters with serene nature shots or cute animal wall photos on canvas prints – dreamy.

If the kids share a room, a nice photo wall idea is to make mini gallery walls on either side. Simply creating different sizes and formats of photo prints lets them create their own little zone (and save you from any “this side is mine” debates). For a gallery wall with a mix of photos and art, upload photos of the kids drawings onto canvas prints to show off your little Picasso’s.

Need a photo wall idea for small spaces? No problem

Shelves and mantelpieces are underrated gallery spots. Lean a few pieces against the wall, and pop some framed photos on the wall above it for instant depth. Staircase photo walls are also a good spot, perfect to admire a wedding photo wall on collage prints in a range of sizes. Even that awkward corner can be turned into your new favourite spot by creating multiple photo frames for the wall (both our canvas and poster prints can come framed).

Select the images for your photo wall

The most dynamic displays are gallery walls with a mix of photos and art. Turn your holiday landscapes into large acrylic prints, those candid camera roll shots of your nearest and dearest into framed posters, and pop some copyright-free artwork or quotes onto smaller lightweight mounted prints for a photo wall that’s truly you.

You can also just use what’s available in your camera roll for a photo montage wall, and stick to a colour palette or a theme. Family milestones, seaside adventures – a bit of a story can make your collage wall with photos feel cohesive and curated. Add photos of a similar vibrancy to a collage print. Or if you’re struggling to make things match, go monochrome – a black and white photo gallery wall looks immaculate on acrylic or aluminium prints. You can also add to it with new memories on multiple photo frames for the wall over time.

Too many photos to choose from?

Collage prints are a great hack to have multiple photos. No need to wonder how to display photos on the wall as they’re all in one piece. Perfect for that little slice of wall you’ve been wondering what to do with.

Or simply go mini – our smallest wall art pieces (20 x 20cm for single photo square canvas, poster, aluminium, acrylic and mounted) mixed in with some photo prints can pack just as much punch in a compact space. This is a great photo wall idea for homes of all sizes.

Mix and match to create a photo montage wall

Texture is your friend here. Mix posters with canvas, and throw in sleek acrylic or aluminium pieces to add depth. Whether you’ve got space for a three photo gallery wall or 12 photo gallery wall, switching up the variety of wall art pieces you use is sure to make for a show-stopping display.

Play with size and orientation too. A go-to method for creating a photo gallery wall is to anchor the display with one or two large portrait framed canvas pieces, and sprinkle into smaller square and landscape mounted or poster prints. Framed photos for the wall can also help tie it together, and make even mismatched photos feel intentional. You could also slip in a ticket stub or map for scrapbook, collage wall photo vibes.

Our top tip for how to arrange photos on a wall

Lay your wall art creations on the ground first, shuffle them around, and see what clicks. A good photo gallery wall keeps the big ones spread out and slightly off-centre so they draw attention, with smaller pieces in the gapes, and verticals and horizontals mixed around to guide the eye. When it feels right, snap a quick pic and start transferring it to the wall. This can make creating a photo gallery wall much more seamless.

Feeling inspired? Dig out your camera roll favourites, play around in our Editor, and watch your photo wall come to life as you fill your cart with quality decor.

Start creating a photo wall