To say that gallery systems are popular is quite an understatement. Whether it’s for decorating at home or a place of business, you’d see many videos wherein people use wall tracks and picture rail hanging systems for hanging pictures, art, and other wall decorations.
In this article, we recommend a list of specific spaces where you can and can’t use gallery systems to promote “hanging with intention.” This way, we can practice strategically placing our decorations in nooks and crannies where our frames and picture hangers will be less likely to be damaged in the long run.
Shall we get started?
The Ideal Places 👍🏼
Gallery hanging systems can be used in many places. As long as the walls are straight, even, and with minor exposure to extreme heat and wetness, that could damage your pictures and art and compromise the strength of your picture hanging system.
Here are specific examples of where you can install gallery systems:
At Home
- Living Room
Entrance Area
Hallways
Bedrooms
Stairways
The house has many possibilities for getting creative with gallery systems. That's because of the ample wall space available, your role as the decision-maker, and the abundance of memories and hobbies within the household waiting to be displayed.
Based on the examples of the online community of creatives, you can showcase family memories in the living room, hallways, and stairways. In the entrance area, consider hanging artwork, decorative frames, or mirrors. Finally, in the bedroom, you have the option to display personal pictures, creative projects, and more.
Gallery systems are an ideal hanging solution for at-home usage because they allow you to hang multiple frames simultaneously, eliminating the need for frequent nail or wall hook placements.
With gallery systems, you only need to install our Wall Tracks (100 or 101) or wall channel with rods once, and that's it. All subsequent adjustments can be made by simply sliding the cables sideways or the cable hooks or monkey hangers up and down. Moreover, if your house has built-in picture rails, you won't need to deal with screws at all, as we offer picture rail hooks specifically designed for that purpose!
For larger walls, we recommend using Wall Tracks and Brass Gallery Rods. For houses with picture rails, we suggest using our Gallery Kits. For narrow spaces, we recommend utilizing our Stand-alone Gallery Systems.
In Your Personal Spaces
- Personal Art Studio
Personal Office
Moving on to workspaces – a place where you need to be comfortable so you can stay focused. It's a setting that should reflect your personality and align with your headspace, creating a conducive environment for productivity and creativity.
One way to achieve this is to surround yourself with things that you like or need to help you work. For example, you can create an art or photo gallery wall with your favorite pieces or set up a wall organizer to neatly arrange all your tools.
If you prefer the latter, check out one of our previous articles to learn more about it: How to Build and Mount a Wooden French Cleat Wall Organizer
If you like a gallery wall better, we recommend focusing on your aesthetic and personal preferences when choosing the type of gallery system to use. We recommend using the Wall Tracks for modern, contemporary looks. On the other hand, if you're leaning more towards a vintage look, we recommend Brass Gallery Rods.
In Offices or Commercial Settings
- Meeting Rooms
Employee Break Rooms
Hall of Fame
Cafe or Restaurant Walls
Hotel Lobby
Mall Corridors
Airport Lounges
Gallery Systems are one of the most ideal hanging systems you can use in public spaces such as offices and business establishments. As mentioned earlier, you only have to install the wall tracks and gallery rods once and never have to deal with screws again afterward (unless you need to add more of them).
You drill your walls less, adjust placements of pictures and art with ease, and hang multiple frames at once – all while keeping your wall in good condition. This allows you to change it up every once in a while by swapping pictures and art pieces to match the season (Valentines, summer, Halloween, Christmas, etc.)!
There are many possibilities for public spaces like offices, restaurants, hotels, malls, airports, etc. You can choose from our entire selection of gallery systems based on your space, ambiance, and the number of frames or decorations you would like to hang.
The Less-Than-Ideal Places 👎🏼
As much as we'd like to use gallery systems wherever we want, we simply can't risk using them in locations with awkward spacing or harsh external conditions that could potentially damage your frames, the pictures or artwork within, and the picture hanging hardware you've used.
The following places are examples of where we wouldn't recommend using gallery systems:
Rooms with Sloped Ceilings or Uneven Walls
One thing about gallery systems is that you have to install them on straight, even surfaces. Otherwise, your photo or art display won’t look as beautiful. An example of this is an attic. They are typically located on the top floor, where the ceilings are sloped. That means installing a gallery system in such a space would be challenging, as it would look awkward, or the cables would dangle like a chandelier rather than adhere to the wall.
What you could do instead is to install the gallery system on the walls that aren’t sloped. However, it’s worth noting that replicating gallery wall ideas isn't the only way to decorate an attic. You could build storage systems or use the traditional hook and nail to hang just one frame!
Bathrooms
It’s not very common to think about hanging frames in the bathroom, let alone using gallery systems. However, some folks decorate their bathroom walls. It’s a possibility, but you have to consider ventilation.
According to Art.com and Architectural Digest, it’s okay to hang art in the bathroom as long as you keep it away from direct exposure to water, use the exhaust fan, keep steam buildup to a minimum, and open windows whenever possible.
The recommended spots to hang a picture or art in the bathroom are above the toilet, across from it, and beside a window or mirror. Should you decide to bend the rules and decorate your bathroom walls regardless, you can use our Stand-alone Gallery Systems or Bear Claw Screws.
Outdoors
Like bathrooms, the outdoors is not the first place you’d think of when you want to use gallery systems. However, there are places outdoors where you can display some frames, like a lounge, patio, or outdoor dining space. However, even if you’d want to decorate a bare wall outdoors, the outside world can have harsh external conditions such as rain, snow, and the heat of the sun. These weather conditions pose a threat to your pictures, art, and the picture hanging hardware used.
Final Thoughts
Working with gallery systems is a lot of fun, so make sure you enjoy decorating a space that resonates with you. Let it reflect your personality and unique style, a testament to the artistry that defines you.
Should you need assistance with installing any of our gallery systems, feel free to email us at support@picturehangsolutions.com. Our team is always ready to help!
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