Decorating guide

How to create a gallery wall

By Sofía Alegre Costa · Model and photographer · Last updated: 10 June 2026 · Read: 8 min

A well-composed gallery wall isn't down to luck, or hammering in nails until it "looks right". It's a composition, with its own rules of spacing, alignment and rhythm. This guide walks you through planning a gallery wall step by step: choosing between a diptych, triptych or grid, getting the spacing between pieces exactly right, and combining formats and series so the whole wall reads as one.

What a gallery wall is (and when to choose one)

A gallery wall, or photo wall composition, is a set of two or more pieces that work together as a single visual statement. Compared with one large-format piece — which brings focus and calm — a composition adds narrative, rhythm and personality. It's the right choice when:

• You have a long wall or a hallway that calls for repetition and a visual journey.
• You want to tell a story across several images from the same series.
• You like the "collector's wall" look, with pieces of different sizes living together.
• You'd rather have several mid-sized prints than one large-format statement piece.

If you're starting from scratch — sizes, hanging height and lighting — before moving on to multi-piece arrangements, start with how to decorate a wall with photography. This guide focuses specifically on multi-piece compositions.

Diptych, triptych or grid: which layout to choose

The three most common — and easiest to get right — layouts are:

If this is your first gallery wall, the diptych and triptych are the safest formats: fewer pieces, easy to measure, and they almost never fail. The grid and salon-style layouts give you more creative freedom, but need a bit more planning up front.

Diptychs and triptychs: ideal with photography series

Two- or three-piece compositions work especially well when the pieces belong to the same series: they share a palette, technique and narrative, so they fit together naturally without forcing it. A few examples from Soul in Prints designed to be paired:

• Crossing I and Crossing II — from the Headlines collection, in black and white. Two moments from the same crosswalk, perfect as a vertical diptych in a study, office or entryway.
• Saltwater I and Saltwater II — from the Arenales collection, sandy tones and warm light. A horizontal diptych that brings a sense of space above a sofa or headboard.
• Crystalline I — from Piedra y Sal, mineral texture and contrast. Pairs with either of the diptychs above as a third piece to form an asymmetric triptych.
• Mesh I — from the Aqua collection, water reflections. Works as a "bridge" piece between warm-toned series and black-and-white series, ideal for a four-piece grid.

The practical rule: within a diptych or triptych, keep the same material and, where possible, the same frame style. Consistency of finish is what makes two or three pieces "read" as one composition, even when the images themselves are different.

Spacing: the 5-7 cm rule

Spacing between pieces is probably the single detail that separates a professional-looking gallery wall from an improvised one. The reference we use at Soul in Prints:

• 5-7 cm between pieces works for the vast majority of compositions: enough room for each piece to breathe, while still reading as a connected set.
• Less than 5 cm starts to feel cramped, especially with wide frames or matting.
• More than 10 cm breaks the sense of unity: each piece starts reading as a standalone work rather than part of a composition.
• Keep the same spacing in every direction (horizontal and vertical) within a single grid, so the eye doesn't pick up on irregularities.

Practical tip: cut paper templates the exact size of each piece (including its frame) and tape them to the wall before drilling anything. That way you can fine-tune the spacing to the millimetre without making extra holes.

The centre line: the axis that anchors the composition

Every multi-piece composition needs a reference axis that ties it together. The two most common approaches:

• Horizontal centre line — useful for diptychs and triptychs in a row: the centre of each piece (or the centre of the whole set) sits at standard hanging height, between 145 and 160 cm from the floor to the centre of the composition.
• Vertical centre line — useful for grids and vertical arrangements above furniture: the vertical axis of the set should align with the centre of the furniture or the available wall space, not necessarily the physical centre of the wall if it's asymmetric.

In a 2x2 or 3x3 grid, the "centre line" is really the crossing point between rows and columns: that point should sit at standard eye-level height (around 150-155 cm) so the composition feels balanced as you walk into the room.

Combining formats, black and white and colour

Mixing formats (portrait and landscape) and palettes (colour and black and white) is possible, but it needs a unifying thread. Three ways to achieve it:

• One material across the whole wall. Mixing canvas and cotton paper makes a wall feel disjointed even if the images work together. Pick a single finish for the whole set — see the options in cotton paper, canvas or pearl.
• One dominant palette with an accent. For example, three black-and-white pieces from Headlines plus one colour piece from Aqua as a point of tension: the contrast works because it's deliberate, not accidental.
• A clear size hierarchy. In a salon-style composition, let one piece clearly act as the "anchor" — the largest — with the rest decreasing in size around it. Without hierarchy, the eye doesn't know where to land first.

A well-composed gallery wall isn't viewed piece by piece — it's seen as a whole first, and only then does the eye start to travel across each work.

Steps to plan your composition before you drill

1. Measure the available wall and decide whether your composition will be horizontal (above a sofa, headboard or console) or vertical (along a staircase, in a narrow hallway).
2. Choose the layout: diptych, triptych, grid or salon-style, depending on the space and how many pieces you want to include.
3. Select the pieces, prioritising series or palettes that already speak to each other — like the Crossing I/II or Saltwater I/II pairs.
4. Cut paper templates to the actual size of each piece (including frame) and lay them out on the floor, keeping 5-7 cm of spacing between them.
5. Tape the templates to the wall, check the centre line, and adjust before marking any drill points.
6. Hang the anchor piece first (the largest or most central) and work outward to keep the spacing consistent.

Still deciding between one large piece or a multi-piece composition? Our guide on what size print to choose for your wall compares sizes and proportions to help you decide.

Frequently asked questions

How much spacing should there be between pieces in a gallery wall?

Aim for 5-7 cm between pieces. Less than 5 cm feels cramped, especially with wide frames; more than 10 cm breaks the sense of unity and each piece starts reading separately. Keep the spacing consistent both horizontally and vertically.

How do I choose between a diptych, triptych or grid?

A diptych (2 pieces) works well in narrow spaces or with a pair of images from the same series. A triptych (3 pieces in a row) is ideal above a sofa or headboard. A grid (4, 6 or 9 pieces of the same size) brings order to large walls or long hallways. If it's your first gallery wall, start with a diptych or triptych.

Can I mix black-and-white and colour photography on the same wall?

Yes, as long as there's a unifying thread: the same material and finish across all pieces, one dominant palette with a single colour accent, or a clearly larger "anchor" piece that organises the rest. Without that thread, the wall can feel disjointed.

How much does it cost to create a gallery wall with fine art photography?

At Soul in Prints, open editions start from €65 per piece, with prices varying by size and material. A mid-sized diptych or triptych is an accessible alternative to a single large-format piece, and every print is made to order and shipped worldwide with tracking.