7 Gallery Walls For Every Room - And A Fail-Safe Way To Hang Art!

Are you a fan of gallery walls? They've been rocking the interior world for a while now and it looks like they are here to stay! The great news is, as long as you have the wall space, they can go just about anywhere and make a great feature! I've rounded up some of my favourites from around the web for a room by room guide:

In the sitting room
The Danes are masters of gallery walls. The one below has been circulating the web for a while now, but I'll never tire of it! Made up of exhibition posters from Louisiana Museum of Modern Art as well as pieces by other Danish artists, it adds a whole load of personality to the sitting room!

In the dining room
A selection of prints (including Portrait J*)  trail all the way from the ground up in Theo-bert Pot's dining room against a millennial pink backdrop. See the rest of Theo-bert's creative home here!

Theo-bert Pot

In the Stairway
The stairs is an ideal space for art and photography. In Louise's home, a gallery wall adds a wonderful splash of colour to an otherwise white space. Think about mixing up a series of thin frames* to add interest. FYI - Louise's homes is one of my favourites! Hop over to take the full tour!

Louise / Mor till Mernee

In the bedroom
Who says a gallery wall needs to be perfectly aligned? These pictures arranged above a bedside table have been placed at different heights by Avenue Design Studio for a charming and relaxed look.

In the home office / studio
In this creative studio, artist Edith Rewa's own pretty illustrations have been combined with other work for an entire wall of inspiration.  Not an artist? You can always collect  pictures you love from magazines, cards and other places and create a giant moodboard!

Edith Rewa / The Design Files

In the bathroom
Honestly WTF has ditched the frames to create a gallery wall using prints from Society 6 in the downstairs loo!

Honestly WTF

In the entrance / hallway
What to do with a long, narrow entrance way without eating into the space? Add a gallery wall like Johanna Landbo's to brighten up your entry and exit each day (don't miss the full tour of her Danish home along with a few small space hacks here).

Got the art, but not sure where to start? (I'm a poet, but I just didn't know it!). Here's a guide I created a while ago. It's my fail-safe method for picture hanging (ever since my husband went a bit nuts over all the unnecessary holes in the wall!):

1. Take a large roll of paper and draw around each of the pictures you intend to hang. Cut out the template.
2. Stick them on the wall with blu-tac - and play around with the templates until you have a composition you're happy with. Quick tip I learned: artwork looks best if it's around two thirds of the width of the furniture beneath it (of course rules are there to be broken and this is definitely not an instruction - more a guide if you're feeling stuck!).
3. Measure the distance of the hook on the back of the picture (both vertically and horizontally)
4. Mark out the same spot on your template on the wall.
5. Hammer a nail through the marked out spot
6. Tear away the template leaving the nail in place and you're ready to rock!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on gallery walls. Do you have a favourite from the above round-up? Do you have one in your own home?
Have a lovely day friends!

Niki

//affiliate links marked with *

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My Malmö Studio: New Gallery Wall!

If you stopped by on Saturday, you'll have seen a first glimpse into my new studio in the centre of Malmö. I moved in last September and can't tell you how great it is to have a permanent desk somewhere out of home  - I was honestly climbing up the walls! I share it with upholsterer extraordinaire Carina Grefmar and designer and CEO of Swedish Ninja Maria Gustavsson - both such talented, inspiring ladies! It was an empty shell when we first got it and Maria and I set about making the desk. This week I finally put something on the wall too: a gallery wall thanks to Posterlounge who sell thousand upon thousands of posters and prints!

Designing The Gallery Wall
I'm always a little cautious about creating a gallery wall since it involves a whole lot of drilling, so I played it safe by designing it on my computer and then using recycled paper, nails and a spirit level before hanging the pictures!

The Prints
I've been feeling so inspired by Danish gallery walls lately. They often have a relaxed, eclectic vibe going on and not afraid to incorporate colour and pattern. I went through the Posterlounge website picking out all the prints I loved and then narrowed them down to a selection which worked well together. I also combined white and natural frames.

Get the look


1. Scandinavian design with marble and gold by Radu Bercan
2. Watercolor Lines in Blue I by Nouveau Prints
3. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly by chungkong
4. Picture frame LOFT (White)
5. Angel by Paul Klee
6. Composition trees I by Piet Mondriaan
7. Adjacent Abstraction I by Emma Scarvey
8. Picture frame LOFT (Natural)
9. Composition in Black and White by Piet Mondriaan

Thank you so much to Posterlounge for helping me feel even more at home - it's amazing how art can transform a space!

If you'd like to add more art to your walls, the fab team at Posterlounge are offering My Scandinavian Home readers a 10% discount with code SCANDI10! Woohoo! Do share if you create your own gallery wall, I'd love to see it!

Next step... a rug. Watch this space!

Niki

This post is brought to you in paid collaboration with Posterlounge, however all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too. Thank you for supporting the businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible.

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New Gallery Wall in The Window Nook (Plus 25% off!)

Collaboration: There are many elements which help to make a home personal. One of my favourites is art. And despite being so happy with our window nook at home, I realised this was exactly what was missing! I gathered the My Scandinavian Home team for this one since there was paint, prints and one very heavy vintage lamp at stake (and my husband does get jittery when it comes to drilling holes in the wall!). Here's what we did with a little help from prints and frames from Desenio: 

1. Red Bubblegum 2. Let The Light In 3. Legs 4. Dandelion 5. Birds

I'm a big fan of art photography (probably because I love taking photographs!) which is why the selection is made up of this genre. I was also looking for something that reflected my love of light (hey, it's pretty dark in Sweden half of the year - it's hard not to become obsessed!) and nature - but also wanted to add a playful /strong element (hence the Red Bubblegum portrait). I was actually slightly nervous about this piece but it has become my favourite print (and that's saying something as I have many and love them all!).

It's easy to think changes in my home are a spontaneous, quick fix affair. This is sometimes the case, but more often than not there's so much that goes on behind the scenes! For the gallery wall Gen put together a 3D drawing to scale in SketchUp so we could see exactly how the prints might look across the two walls (I love a gallery wall that goes around a corner!). 

Don't worry, you don't need to be a pro at this kind of stuff (I'm certainly not!) - Desenio has a great create your gallery wall tool which is really easy to use and perfect for figuring out which prints and frames go with which and the sizes you'll need to order.

Another great move (which I can recommend!) was to tape paper templates of the prints to the wall to see how they'd look and play around with gaps etc. The beauty of this, is that once you're happy with the layout you can hammer the nails through the paper and then tear it away - and then you're ready to go! Happy wall, happy husband!

So pleased we mixed and matched the Desenio frames (two oak and three black). The wood adds a lot of warmth which is important when the majority of the prints are black and white.

I hope you like the results as much as I do!

If you're looking for art for your walls, the code “myscandinavianhome” gives 25% off posters* at Desenio between Tuesday 13th and Thursday 15th of March, 2018 (bargain!).

*Except on the handpicked / collaboration poster category and frames.

Now all that's left is for me to go and chill in my window nook for a few hours (now, wouldn't that be nice?! Bah! Not going to happen!).

Have a happy day!

Photography: Niki Brantmark / Interior designer: Genevieve Jorn

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An Art Exhibition In Your Home? Meet the Danish Women Behind the Concept!

In celebration of International Women's Day, I thought I'd shine a light on two inspiring women from the Scandinavian art and design scene who I've been following for a while! Meet Mette Helena Rasmussen, a graduate from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, and Anne Aarsland, an art history and Visual artist graduate from the University of Copenhagen. The pair met through a mutual client in 2017 and founded KUNSTSALONEN through which they curate public exhibitions in private homes across Denmark. To date, they've held five successful exhibitions (FREDERIKSBERG SALONEN, AMAGER SALONEN, AARHUS SALONEN, ØSTERBRO SALONEN and KØBENHAVN K SALONEN (featured above) showcasing the work of over 35 artists at a time. I caught up with the pair to find out more about how the 'nomadic platform' works and their best tips for creating an incredible gallery wall!

A gallery wall in KØBENHAVN K SALONEN in the home of artist Lis McDonald (complete list of artists featured here). 

How did you meet?

We had been following each other on instagram for a while and met on a styling project for Artemide Lighting. The press event was held in Anne's apartment. 

A mother and daughter enjoy the exhibition in a private home in central Copenhagen last weekend. 

When did you decide to collaborate?

The press event turned out to be a cool experience and Anne enjoyed the guests, the talks and how her home was part of something different for a short period of time. We had a glass of wine (or two!) and talked about how we could do something together. We didn't really know what exactly, but came up with ideas for something like networking, exhibitions, social events, parties etc. 

Artists featured above all tagged here. 

How did you come up with the idea?

We wanted to contribute to the Danish art scene and somehow arrived at the idea of holding a curated art exhibition in Anne's private home. 

Work by Carsten Crone Caroc, Sarah Schönbeck, Mie Olise Kjærgaard, Martha Kramer, and Line Busch at last week's exhibition captured by Tia Borgsmidt.

What inspired the name?

Our first exhibition was called FREDERIKSBERG SALONEN inspired by the salons in Paris and the tendency to use homes for literature gatherings, music and poetry events. We were also inspired by the fact that people are starting to rent personal spaces through Airbnb and Gomore.dk. 

Eye-catching art by Kunstsalonen co-founder Anne Aarsland (left) in the KÖBENHAVN K SALONEN exhibition. 

How did you organise your first event?

We invited several contemporary artists and all of them accepted. We installed the art in Anne's home (seen in the last two pictures in this post) and invited everyone we knew. It was a huge success and gave us confidence to develop this active, nomadic platform for showing art and arrange exhibitions in other private homes across Denmark. 

Making final touches to the AARHUS SALONEN exhibition

How does it work?

We curate and invite selected artists to showcase their work in a private home for a weekend. The generous hosts (who are passionate about contemporary art) invite us to use their homes for a week. People visit the exhibition and buy the artwork. It's a true pleasure to work on this project! 

A drool-worthy gallery wall in the home of Mette Helena Rasmussen.

How do you select the artists?
We mostly show Danish artists, but we have featured work by Swedish artist Johan Furåker, Norwegian artists Jeanette Sættre and Arne-Marius Skogås as well as Iranian artist Frank Shoi and Brit Nicholas Imms.

And finally, what are your best tips for creating a perfect gallery wall?
Our best tip is to collect great art! Organise your artwork in tones and colours that work well together. Combine large scale works with minor works and bring in three dimensional pieces to give the wall a vivid expression.



What a truly inspiring idea! Thank you for sharing this with us Mette and Anne!

If you're heading to Denmark, you might like to time your visit with their forthcoming exhibitions:

FUGLEBAKKE SALONEN, Frederiksberg, Copenhagen 10 - 12 May
MORS SALONEN, Jutland in August

Keep an eye out for more information here (and follow along on instagram here).

In case you're feeling inspired to create your own gallery wall this weekend - this guide might come in handy! Or perhaps, if you live in Denmark, your home might just be the location for their next exhibition! Would you be keen? I have a feeling I'd want to keep all the artwork!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend friends!

Niki

PS Stuck on a room and could use a little help? We're offering 20% off a new room design through My Scandinavian Home Studio online interior design service with the code MYNEWROOM until 7th May, 2019. We'd love to help you!

Photographs 1 to 6 by Tia Borgsmidt 

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My New Home Office Gallery Wall (From Desenio!)

Kindly sponsored

Since I've been working from home a lot more than usual, I felt I needed to do a little extra with my home office. It's in the corner of my bedroom, so I am always keen to ensure it's pretty to look at too! The answer? Lots of art! I created this gallery wall using prints from Desenio - who sell a huge collection of affordable artwork and ship to over 30 countries worldwide - such a great online resource! As you'll know from other parts of my home - I love a great gallery wall, it's a perfect way to breathe life into a space. My new one has been made up of some beautiful pieces from the collection as well as a blend of different frames and other wall hanging solutions. Read on to find out more! I hope you like it as much I do! 

The art I chose is all fairly earthy for a calm look - and yet the style varies from portraits and landscapes to more abstract art. 

Do any stand out to you? In case you're curious, the prints include (from left to right): Weimar Shapes No1 (21 x 30) - hung with polka dot washi tape, Gobi Desert (30 x 40) in a light wood frame, Painted Shapes No2 (30 x 40) in a magnetic wood poster hanger, Opus No5 (30 x 40) in a black picture frame, Berlin Arches No2 (50 x 70) in a white picture frame, Tove Frank Hush (50 x 70) in a light wood frame and Stairs of Art No1 (30 x 40) in a white picture frame. 

I think it's always nice to add another element to a gallery wall - like a row of hooks or shelf, it brings the whole look to life and means you can swap in and out elements according to your mood (and without creating a load more holes in the wall! - Been there, done that!).

I particularly love the light wood picture frame. It's the lightest one I've seen, and it has a real warmth to it but it's also very subtle. I think the Stairs of Art No1 is my favourite out of all the artwork (tucked away int he corner) - I've always had a bit of a penchant for photographic architect photography! 

I think I'm going to be much happier in this little corner now. It's amazing what a difference artwork can make!

Did you like any of these prints in particular? perhaps something caught your eye for your own home? 

If so, I can highly recommend Desenio prints and frames, they're really affordable, yet very good quality and there's a massive selection to choose from. Hop on over to the online store to take a peek! 

Stor kram from Sweden! 

Niki

Thank you so much to interior designer / stylist Helen Sturresson for working with me on this shoot. 

This post was sponsored by Desenio, however all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love. Thank you for supporting the wonderful businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible. 

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10 Super Stylish Ways to Display (or Hide!) Your TV

When I show home tours I'm often asked - "but where's the TV"?! I completely understand, after all, almost every household has one, and they don't often feature. Why is that?! Well, let's face it, a big black rectangle doesn't always make the prettiest shot. But that's what makes inspiration for ways to display our goggle boxes even more important. After all, the viewing position often means it needs to take pride of place in the room! So, here it is folks, a long-awaited blog post dedicated to the telly. I hope you find these 10 genius ways to artfully display - or hide  -  a TV in your home inspiring (feel free to add your own in the comment section below). Here's to binge watching Netflix in style!

Visible

Micaila Britton
1. The 'just another thing on the wall ' trick (top and above) - Helsingborg based Ruta Vitesson (top) and Chicago girl Macaila Britton (above) have both place their flat screens between two shelves, surrounding it with treasures such as art, books and plants for a cosy look and feel.

Muk van Lil

Simone Polk

2. The gallery wall - concealing your TV as part of a gallery wall has never been easier thanks to the arrival of The Frame TV (seen above and below) which displays art instead of a black rectangle when your TV is not in use (genius!). Many modern TV's also allow you to showcase your own photography which can look equally lovely and even more personal!



Kate La Vie
3. Statement art - in a creative home, a TV that can be camouflaged as art makes a huge difference and even add to the space!



Katerina Dima
4. The vignette: help your telly to fit in by including it in a monochrome display which includes plants, candles and cushions. Ikea Bestå units provide the perfect platform and mean you can hide cables, remote controls and other unsightly things underneath. Perfect!

Rikki Lancaster

5. Tone on tone! Let's face it, the TV is never a problem when it's on since it's providing entertainment. The decorating issues arise when it's off! I love this idea of opting for a sleek black TV and mounting it on a matching black wall, it almost disappears!




6. Upstage the TV: place a bold piece of art on the wall beside the telly and your eye will be drawn to that instead of the black rectangle. Extra marks for a beautiful daybed like this so you can turn your back on the flat screen (literally) when not in use too!




7. Create balance: if your goggle box is the only black rectangle in the room, it'll be sure to stand out. Balance the look with other black items (especially if they're rectangular) and the look will be easier on the eye. I love the contemporary fireplace in this sitting room!

Entrance

8. The raiseable TV: This super clever hidden TV solution first appeared in a home tour back in 2015, and I've never forgotten it! The bespoke unit has been designed to cover the radiators and conceal the TV when not in use. Genius!

Amber Interiors / Tessa Neustadt

9. The closet TV: At first glance it's hard to guess where the TV could possibly be in this cosy room. Look closer though, and you'll spot a set of barn doors above the fireplace!

Brady Tolbert / Emily Henderson

10. Behind closed doors: Don't want to see it at all when it's off, but still looking for easy access? Why not stash it in a freestanding cabinet - whether built-in or an enviable unit like the one in Brady Tolbert's bedroom - you'll forget it's even there!

There are just so many clever solutions here, don't you think?

Do you have a favourite?

I mentioned the other day that I've also found a way to hide the TV in my sitting room - and it doesn't involve any of the solutions above. I really hope I get a chance to photograph it and share it with you soon (it's very simple, but often those solutions are the best, right?!).

Do you have any tips for displaying a TV that I haven't covered? If so, I'd love to hear about them!

Niki

PS I have been watching so many series lately (which I blame on the cold and darkness!). A few of my favourites include Big Little Lies, The Affair, The Handmaid's Tale, Killing Eve and Dr Foster. I need a new one now - guh! any tips?!

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