Staircase Gallery Wall

YES and FINALLY!!

I really dragged my feet on this one..so many decisions! I finally just laid out all of the {Ribba} frames I had been hoarding picked up at Ikea(last November) to get an idea of what I wanted to do. Obviously this wasn't working--maybe for a flat wall but not for a staircase.

I cut out templates the same size as my frames (and the K) and started putting them up on the wall with painters tape.  This really helped me visualize how the wall would look.  I learned this method from the amazing Young House Lovers.
The plan was to measure the distance on the back of the frame to the hanging apparatus on the frame (this varies from frame to frame), then transfer your measurements onto the template on the wall and mark an "x".  Hammer the nail right through the template on the "x" and then remove the template, you've got a perfectly placed nail waiting for your frame. We used a combination of a few methods for hanging our frames but this one was helpful to learn.

Drawing it out on a piece of paper also helped me remember where we were going to put everything because our templates quickly fell down (that's what happens when you go away during the process).
 I swear it was the leprechauns.

We tried out the template method with our first frame,

making sure the nail was level

and then checking...always checking!
Yay! One down...err..up!

 For keyhole type hangers like this one, we used a piece of painters tape and marked the holes right through the tape.

Put the tape on the wall where you want to hang your object,

Checking that it's level, make the holes in the wall and remove the tape.

 Bam!

 The larger frames came with clips and wire for hanging.

We should have paid more attention to the instructions when putting the backing back into the frame after wiring it up..because....

Boo!
{It didn't break on my lap but I was holding all of the broken pieces waiting for a bag to dispose of them properly..yikes!}
Big shards of glass=scary!

 From then on, it went pretty smoothly with the frames going up.  The frames themselves are extremely slippery and a few popped off of the wall so we brought in reinforcements.

The velcro Command strips really helped stabilize the frames.

We hung the frames up before we had the photos for them.(and I even loved them that way!)

The photos were another big decision and I had a lot to go through. I tried to pick a variety of family photos from big events, everyday moments, trips and just favorite shots.  My handy dandy drawing also helped with this and ordering the correct size for each photo and frame. 

I had to take a trip to Ikea(mentioned here) to get a few more frames and then the photos arrived (I used Shutterfly).

 It was really getting exciting now!

 This was one of the frames that broke so we had to replace it (and check the level again). That part of the wall is a little wonky too.   The chewing gum-looking stuff on the wall was museum putty that we used until I could pick up the Command strips.  It worked but you could see it because the frames are black and the putty is light.

 A close up of some of the photos.  I was going to do black and white to make it more unified but I'm so glad I kept them in color.  They go together well, I think because they are all outdoor photos (except one).  I didn't plan the colors or anything as involved as that.

 

The wall and carpeting are so neutral that the colors really pop on the wall and give it a lot of interest that it was desperately lacking.  I was going to paint the "K" black to go with the frames but I really like how picks up the red of the curtains in our dining room so I think I might keep it that way.

Now that we've got one gallery wall under our belts, we are ready to conquer some other walls in the house...maybe an all black & white one this time?
We shall see...
How about you guys, any gallery walls in your future (or present)?
Let's hear the details!!
*My heart is hurting for our country, the people of Boston, the runners, their families and our first responders.  Really there are no words.*

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