Time for a Gallery Wall?

This is the before, well, before gallery wall that is!

I moved a few pieces of furniture around in my living room after the Christmas tree came down and I realized that I am faced with a rather large and rather bare wall! Well, the wall was no surprise but as usual things got moved around in preparation for Christmas decorating and....once again, as usual, returning things back to where they were before the major holiday is, well, very hard for me! I tend to look at this as a new opportunity when my family says I should just put things back the way they were.
But...
I have always had two ideas that I thought could work on that wall. Problem is, I have never been able to decide which would work best. Of course, the one idea, building a library would be more work and somewhat permanent.  

I say "somewhat" because anybody that knows me realizes that nothing is every truly permanent.  My children are so used to me moving furniture around that I sometimes imagine them one day owning a home where everything stays put just out of spite! But then again, I grew up in a home where the dining and livingroom traded spaces on a fairly regular basis.  Hmmm.....could these matters already be determined?


My inspiration for the library wall came after a visit to our friends in Tadoussac this past summer.  I fell in love with the library they built in their livingroom.  Stunning!  I also grabbed a good book off the shelf and spent two solid days reading.  Definitely an argument for the library!

My other idea, somewhat simpler, is to create a gallery wall.  This requires a lot of pre-planning perhaps and of course a good size collection of art.

But look at these.....!!!! It is hard to resist.  One consideration, and maybe it is not a real factor...but...the wall...is 18 feet high.

Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn

Coastal Living Magazine

I love, love the effect of black frames in both these photos! Of course the turquoise blue wall adds an interesting element as well.

Photo from Domino Magazine

Photo by Victoria Pearson, Traditional Home Magazine

Or do I take a great photo and get it enlarged.  Fly with the bird idea as seen above?!

Photo: Australian Vogue Living

Wow!  Looks interesting, artistic......great, but perhaps too much work, not to mention frames etc. etc.

                                            Photo: Traditional Home Magazine

I really love the effect of floor to ceiling paintings, and in this case they are all sketches I believe!! 

Or, what about 6 large frames!  Very organized, together, calm.

Well, here is my wall, my space.  Give me the weekend and let's see what I can do!  Any suggestions?

Yikes!  Need something...fast!

A tantôt!