Somewhere out there is a woman who hung a perfect gallery wall on the first go. No extra holes, no spirit-level tantrum, no partner asked to "just hold it there" for forty minutes.
We don't know her. We're not sure we'd like her.
For the rest of us, here's how to put together a wall of prints that looks deliberate, says exactly what you've been thinking, and doesn't end with you sobbing into a box of Rawlplugs.
Step one: pick your loudmouth
Every good gallery wall has one piece that does the talking. Usually that's your biggest print, so start there. A 50 × 70 cm print in the middle gives everything else something to orbit, like a friend holding court at the bar.
Something with a bit of swagger works well. Sad… But Make It Expensive in Bold Modern is a strong contender, because if you're going to have feelings in your living room, they may as well be well funded.
Step two: mix the four styles (yes, really)
Our prints come in four styles, and they're designed to get along. Mostly. Think of them as four friends who look nothing alike but always end up at the same table.
Editorial: an elegant italic setup line, a bold black serif punchline and a little red full stop, on warm cream. The calm one. Quietly savage.
Bold Modern: tall burgundy capitals on blush pink, with a fine border to keep them in line. The one who doesn't whisper.
Dark Glam: rich gold lettering on near-black. The one who arrives after midnight and somehow looks better than when she left.
Playful Unhinged: a scrawled handwritten line, a big black punchline and a smudgy red lipstick kiss. The one who started the conga.
The trick is balance. Dark Glam is heavy, so one or two go a long way. Editorial and Playful Unhinged share that warm cream background, so they sit happily side by side. Bold Modern adds a hit of pink to stop it all getting too serious. And nothing about this is ever too serious.
If mixing feels like too much commitment, stick to one style and vary the sayings. Very chic. Very "I have a plan". Nobody needs to know you don't.
Step three: sizes, and why they matter
All our prints come in three sizes:
- A4 (21 × 29.7 cm): the supporting cast. Great in clusters.
- A3 (29.7 × 42 cm): the reliable middle child.
- 50 × 70 cm: the main event. For the wall that needs telling.
A good starter wall is one 50 × 70 cm, two A3s and two or three A4s. Mixing sizes stops it looking like a noticeboard in a dentist's waiting room. They all fit standard A4, A3 and 50 × 70 cm frames, which you can find practically anywhere.
If you buy framed, remember the size you pick is the artwork size, and the frame adds about 2 cm on each side. Measure for that before you start drilling. Ask us how we know. Actually, don't.
Step four: frames, or how to look expensive
Every print comes unframed or framed and ready to hang, in black, white, natural or antique gold. Two schools of thought:
All the same frame. Tidy, grown-up, gallery-ish. Black frames make the sayings pop. White feels fresh. Natural wood warms everything up.
A deliberate mix. Black and gold together look very "I've got a candle that cost more than my shoes". Natural and white feel softer. The key word is deliberate: pick two finishes and repeat them, so it looks like a choice rather than an accident.
A gold frame round a Dark Glam print? Honestly, it should come with a cocktail.
Step five: the actual hanging bit (deep breath)
- Paper first, holes later. Cut paper templates to the size of each frame and stick them up with masking tape. Move them about for a day or two. Live with it. It's cheaper than filler.
- Find your middle. Hang the centre of the whole arrangement at roughly eye level. Above a sofa, leave a gap of a hand or two between the furniture and the bottom frame, so nobody headbutts a print when they sit down.
- Keep the gaps even. Around 5 to 8 cm between frames looks considered. Use the same gap everywhere and it'll look sorted, even if you aren't.
- Work from the centre out. Hang your loudmouth first, then build round it.
- Use a spirit level. Your eye lies. Especially after the second glass.
- Get a second opinion. Preferably from someone who'll tell you the truth. Bring wine.
Step six: let the sayings talk to each other
This is the fun bit. A gallery wall of AiLF prints isn't just decor, it's a conversation. Put a soft one next to a savage one. Let them argue.
Try Friends Hold… What We Don't Feel beside Dead Inside. Still Hotter Than You. One's a hug, the other's a raised eyebrow. That's most friendships, to be fair.
Or keep it themed. A kitchen wall of Drink It… Don't Think It, Wine… Knows Too Much and Pour It Out, Wear It Better says everything your guests need to know before they've taken their coats off.
Can't be bothered to choose? Fair enough. Our gift sets are three prints already picked to get along on a wall. Decision fatigue: solved.
And the bit your bank balance will like
Gallery walls need more than one print. That's the whole point. So: Mix and match: buy 2 prints and save 10%, buy 3 and save 20%. Three prints for a gallery wall works out a fifth cheaper, and you'll have earned it after all that measuring.
Have a browse through all 140 art prints, or All of It, Darling if you want the lot.
The boring but important bit
- Printed to order on museum-quality art paper.
- Three sizes: A4, A3 and 50 × 70 cm.
- Unframed, or framed and ready to hang in black, white, natural or antique gold (framed prints deliver to the UK and Europe).
- Free UK tracked delivery.
- Mix and match: buy 2 prints and save 10%, buy 3 and save 20%. It comes off automatically, no code needed.
Got a question? Our FAQs have answers, most of them sensible.
Now go forth and hang. If it goes wrong, it's a feature. If it goes right, please tag @ailfsworld, I'd genuinely love to see it.
Susan x 🍷
