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Gallery wall planner

Plan a gallery wall to scale. Choose a frame size, grid and spacing, then get the total wall area, a scale drawing and the exact nail position for every frame.

Gallery wall planner

The size the frame is sold as — the artwork opening.

in

2–3in is the working range. Hold it identical everywhere.

in

How wide the frame itself is. Added to every edge.

in
in

57–60in. Treat the arrangement as one picture.

in

Top of frame down to the taut wire or D-ring.

Frames
6
3 across × 2 down
Arrangement size
44 × 34.5
inches, outside edges
Each frame occupies
13 × 16
11×14 opening + 1in moulding
Margin either side
26 in
on the wall you gave
44 in across34.5 in tall · blue dots mark the hooks

Hook heights from the floor

  • Row 1 (top down): 72.3 in
  • Row 2 (top down): 53.8 in

Hook positions across the wall

  • Column 1: 32.5 in from the left edge
  • Column 2: 48 in from the left edge
  • Column 3: 63.5 in from the left edge

What the planner works out

Give it a frame size, a grid and a gap, and it returns the three numbers that actually matter at the wall: how much space the whole arrangement occupies, whether that fits the wall you have, and where every hook goes.

The hook positions are given as heights from the floor and distances from the left edge of the wall, because those are the two measurements you can take with a tape measure without any reference points of your own.

Why outside dimensions matter

A frame occupies more wall than the number it is sold as. An 11x14 frame with a one-inch moulding measures 13x16 on the wall. Across three columns with 2.5-inch gaps, that is 44 inches rather than the 38 you would get by planning from the sold size — a six-inch error, which is the difference between fitting a wall and not.

That is why the planner asks for the moulding face width separately, and it is the single most common reason a carefully measured gallery wall does not fit.

Spacing, honestly

Two to three inches between frames, and — far more importantly — the same gap everywhere. Inconsistent spacing is the reason most gallery walls look wrong, and it is entirely fixable with a tape measure.

There is an optical effect worth knowing: a vertical gap looks larger than a horizontal gap of the same measurement. Some framers compensate by making vertical gaps slightly tighter. If you do that, do it consistently, and do not do it at all on your first gallery wall.

Still cut the paper templates

This tool gives you numbers. Numbers are not the same as seeing it. Before drilling, cut paper rectangles at the outside dimensions the planner reports, mark the hook point on each, and tape them up. Step back across the room. It takes an hour and it is the step that turns a plan into a decision.

Then drill through the paper at the marks and tear it away.

Beyond the grid

A grid is the most reliable gallery wall layout and the one this planner covers. Three other layouts work well and need more judgement than arithmetic: a shared centre line with mixed sizes, a clean outer rectangle filled irregularly, and a dense salon wall. All three are covered in the gallery wall guide, along with how to choose frames that hold a mixed collection together.

For the fixings themselves — what holds what weight, and when one hook is not enough — see how to hang a picture frame.

8 questions

Frequently asked questions

How much space should be between frames on a gallery wall?

Two to three inches between frame edges, held identical across the whole arrangement. Closer than two looks cramped; wider than about four and the frames stop reading as one group. Measure the gaps rather than judging them — vertical gaps consistently look larger than horizontal ones of the same size.

How do I plan a gallery wall before drilling?

Cut paper templates the size of each frame, mark the hanging point on each, and tape them to the wall. Rearrange until it works, then drill through the paper at the marks. This calculator gives you the measurements; the paper step lets you see them at full size first.

How high should a gallery wall be hung?

Treat the whole arrangement as a single picture and centre it 57 to 60 inches from the floor. Individual frames then land wherever the layout puts them. Above furniture, leave 6 to 10 inches between the furniture top and the lowest frame.

How many frames do I need for a gallery wall?

At least five. Three read as a row rather than a wall and four in a grid reads as a block. Five or more gives an arrangement enough complexity to look considered rather than accidental.

Should gallery wall frames match?

At least one of frame colour, frame size or mat colour should be consistent throughout. All-matching frames are the safest choice and always work. Mixed frames need something else holding them together, usually a single mat colour.

Why does the planner ask for the moulding width?

Because a frame occupies more wall than the size it is sold as. An 11x14 frame with a 1 inch moulding is 13x16 on the wall, and across a three-column grid that difference is six inches. Planning from the sold size is how arrangements end up too wide.

What is the easiest gallery wall layout?

A grid of identical frames — three across by two down, or three by three — with even spacing. It requires no design judgement, looks intentional by construction, and is what this planner is built around.

Can I mix portrait and landscape frames?

Yes, and it improves most arrangements. Keep the outer boundary of the whole group to a clean rectangle so the irregularity stays internal. For a first gallery wall, though, a single orientation in a grid is far easier to get right.

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