Colourful Gallery Wall Ideas
A colourful gallery wall looks joyful rather than chaotic when every print shares one design thread: the same style, the same border or the same accent colour. Then you can use as many bright colours as you like. Hang the prints in a neat grid with even gaps of about 5 cm and the order of the grid calms the colour down.
Below is a ready-matched set of six retro Japanese animal posters in indigo, teal, tangerine, red and mustard, with sizes, a layout you can copy and tips for balancing bold colour.
The set: Grid of six A3 (3 x 2)
About 99 cm wide and 89 cm tall with 5 cm gaps. Centre it above a sofa, sideboard or desk.
- Danse des créaturesA3· £27.00
- Saut dans la jungleA3· £27.00
- Harmonie en VolA3· £27.00
- Créatures joyeusesA3· £27.00
- Danse en forêtA3· £27.00
- Chat et SourisA3· £27.00
Multi-buy savings apply automatically at checkout.
Prints for this look
The colour palette
Why six bright prints work together
All six come from one series of vintage-style Japanese posters, inspired by old matchbox labels. Each one has a single bold background colour, playful animals drawn in the same flat printmaking style, a yellow title label and a cream border. Those repeated details are the colour thread: the backgrounds change from indigo to orange to teal, but the style never does.
In the grid, warm and cool backgrounds alternate like a chequerboard. Top row: a fox and crane on indigo, a striped raccoon dog on tangerine, a crane and calico cat on teal. Bottom row: a raccoon and fox on mustard, a raccoon dog on cobalt blue, and a leaping cat on poppy red. No two neighbours share a colour, so the wall feels balanced. See more of the series in our Japanese pop art.
How to hang it
- Lay the grid out on the floor in the order shown, warm and cool colours alternating, and check that no two matching colours touch.
- Mark the centre above the sofa, sideboard or desk. The middle of the grid should sit around 145 to 150 cm from the floor, with 15 to 25 cm between the furniture and the bottom row.
- Hang the top row first, starting with the middle print, then the bottom row. Keep every gap the same, about 5 cm, across and down.
- Use a level on every frame. In a grid, one crooked frame stands out straight away.
If the wall is narrow, use four of the six in a 2 by 2 grid instead. Try both in the gallery wall planner.
How to keep a colourful wall from looking chaotic
- Keep one thread. One style, one border colour or one repeated accent ties the prints together, however bright they are.
- Use a strict layout. A neat grid with equal gaps lets you be bold with colour. A loose cluster of bright prints is much harder to get right.
- Calm it with mounts and frames. White or cream mounts and simple frames in one finish give each print breathing room. These posters already have a cream border built in.
- Pick up one colour in the room. An orange cushion, a teal vase or a mustard throw makes the wall feel part of the space.
For more bright ideas, browse our colourful wall art.
Sizes at a glance
| Size | Centimetres | Inches | Works for |
|---|---|---|---|
| A4 | 21 x 29.7 | 8.3 x 11.7 | Shelves, desks, small gaps, sets of 3 |
| A3 | 29.7 x 42 | 11.7 x 16.5 | Hallways, side walls, pairs |
| A2 | 42 x 59.4 | 16.5 x 23.4 | Above a sideboard or small sofa, the anchor of a gallery wall |
| A1 | 59.4 x 84.1 | 23.4 x 33.1 | Above a standard sofa or bed |
| A0 | 84.1 x 118.9 | 33.1 x 46.8 | Large walls, open-plan rooms, statement pieces |
All our A sizes fit standard off-the-shelf frames, and every print is made to order on museum-grade matte paper.
Multi-buy savings apply automatically when you order more than one print.
