Decorating
Picture Perfect: 7 Tips for Creating a Black-and-White Gallery
Black-and-white images are elegant and timeless – here's how to arrange them for maximum impact
A wall of black-and-white images is a look that will never go out of style. It’s easy to understand the enduring appeal – by removing the distraction of colour, black-and-white photos and prints allow us to focus on form, composition and contrast, and when properly framed and arranged on the wall, they can create a dramatic feature. Here are seven tips for making a black-and-white wall arrangement with wow factor.
1. Choose images that speak to you
Art is personal, so start by choosing images that you enjoy looking at. It may be landscapes, city scenes, portraits, animals or family photographs. And don’t feel the need to restrict yourself to one particular theme for your wall display. One of the great things about eliminating colour is that you don’t have to choose images that harmonise perfectly with each other; the fact they are all black and white will automatically create a sense of cohesion.
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Art is personal, so start by choosing images that you enjoy looking at. It may be landscapes, city scenes, portraits, animals or family photographs. And don’t feel the need to restrict yourself to one particular theme for your wall display. One of the great things about eliminating colour is that you don’t have to choose images that harmonise perfectly with each other; the fact they are all black and white will automatically create a sense of cohesion.
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2. Select frames with care
Choose frames that enhance rather than outshine your images. If order and symmetry are your goals, select the same frames. Or, for a more eclectic arrangement, choose frames of different shapes and sizes. Alternatively, consider going frameless – a look that works particularly well with larger images.
Simple black frames will give monochromatic images a sleek, modern look, while white frames will create a minimalist, reductive effect. Metallic frames, such as gold or copper, will add a touch of luxe.
Choose frames that enhance rather than outshine your images. If order and symmetry are your goals, select the same frames. Or, for a more eclectic arrangement, choose frames of different shapes and sizes. Alternatively, consider going frameless – a look that works particularly well with larger images.
Simple black frames will give monochromatic images a sleek, modern look, while white frames will create a minimalist, reductive effect. Metallic frames, such as gold or copper, will add a touch of luxe.
This home office features a combination of framed and frameless pictures. The images above the bookshelf are the same size and have the same frames, while the images beside them and on the floor are frameless and of different sizes, creating a touch of the unexpected.
4. Consider positive and negative spaces
Black-and-white images amplify the positive and negative spaces within an image, as they depict light and dark areas and the relationship between the two. You can apply this same thinking when it comes to creating a gallery: consider how to amplify or balance positive and negative space, and decorated versus plain walls.
When you think about positive and negative space, consider the whole room rather than just the wall. For example, this living room plays with asymmetry, with an ensemble of framed images in the lower lefthand corner and the righthand side left unadorned.
The key is to trust your eye and to create a space that you enjoying being in. You may find a greater sense of calm in an ordered and symmetrical space, or you may feel energised in a more organic, informal space.
Black-and-white images amplify the positive and negative spaces within an image, as they depict light and dark areas and the relationship between the two. You can apply this same thinking when it comes to creating a gallery: consider how to amplify or balance positive and negative space, and decorated versus plain walls.
When you think about positive and negative space, consider the whole room rather than just the wall. For example, this living room plays with asymmetry, with an ensemble of framed images in the lower lefthand corner and the righthand side left unadorned.
The key is to trust your eye and to create a space that you enjoying being in. You may find a greater sense of calm in an ordered and symmetrical space, or you may feel energised in a more organic, informal space.
5. Focus on composition
Without the distraction of colour, black-and-white images have a strong focus on composition, and your black-and-white gallery should too. Consider how the images and frames play into the composition of the entire room. This bedroom, for example, has a bedside table and lamp made from fine black steel that complements the slim black frames on the images above.
Without the distraction of colour, black-and-white images have a strong focus on composition, and your black-and-white gallery should too. Consider how the images and frames play into the composition of the entire room. This bedroom, for example, has a bedside table and lamp made from fine black steel that complements the slim black frames on the images above.
6. Plan the layout
Whether you’re going for an ordered or eclectic display, work out the layout and positioning before you hang your frames on the wall. From there, your collection may have space to expand, whether in an ordered or more organic fashion, as you continue to collect.
See more modern dining rooms
Whether you’re going for an ordered or eclectic display, work out the layout and positioning before you hang your frames on the wall. From there, your collection may have space to expand, whether in an ordered or more organic fashion, as you continue to collect.
See more modern dining rooms
For a symmetrical arrangement: A symmetrical, ordered layout is easier to pull off than a loose, eclectic one. But you’ll still want to play with different arrangements on the floor before affixing images to the wall.
For an organic ensemble: The trend to hang art all over the wall is referred to as ‘salon style’, taken from 18th- and 19th-century Parisian salons. This type of display forces viewers to focus on the collective effect rather than individual pieces.
There’s power in numbers for an organic ensemble, so start with at least five works. You might aim for one central piece, progressing from large to small pieces as you move outwards. However, as your collection accumulates you might include larger pieces around the edges, or you may want to rearrange and refresh the composition. Keep images two to three centimetres apart for a cohesive composition.
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There’s power in numbers for an organic ensemble, so start with at least five works. You might aim for one central piece, progressing from large to small pieces as you move outwards. However, as your collection accumulates you might include larger pieces around the edges, or you may want to rearrange and refresh the composition. Keep images two to three centimetres apart for a cohesive composition.
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7. Think beyond walls
Just like art is a personal choice, so too is how you display it. Be creative with where and how you create your gallery, guided by the space, your style and the images themselves.
Instead of automatically hanging the images, consider propping them up on the floor, which will give you a casual look. A propped arrangement is a good choice if you’re running out of wall space, if you want the flexibility to redecorate down the track, or if you rent and you’re not allowed to put holes in the walls.
Just like art is a personal choice, so too is how you display it. Be creative with where and how you create your gallery, guided by the space, your style and the images themselves.
Instead of automatically hanging the images, consider propping them up on the floor, which will give you a casual look. A propped arrangement is a good choice if you’re running out of wall space, if you want the flexibility to redecorate down the track, or if you rent and you’re not allowed to put holes in the walls.
Another option is to prop images on bookshelves. This space clusters a variety of black-and-white images on two shelves and the floor, creating a layered and informal look. The images on the shelves have wider white mats than the images on the floor, which helps to anchor the composition.
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Do you love black-and-white gallery walls? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like, bookmark or share this story. Join the conversation.
More
Browse more decorating stories
Black-and-white images have a timeless, sophisticated quality that transcends trends. Indeed, some of the world’s finest photographers – Henri Cartier-Bresson, Herb Ritts and Richard Avedon, to name just a few – worked exclusively in black and white, creating some of history’s most iconic images.
If you’re looking to add a touch of elegance to your home, while giving guests a hint of who you are and what matters to you, a wall of black-and-white photographs or prints is a great place to start.