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Toronto framing specialist Tara Gavin shared three ways to give a gallery wall a deliberate look: use a considered color palette, make use of mat space and print family photos in black and white. Her advice comes from a project for a Toronto family that fit within a 31-inch-wide area.
Toronto framing specialist Tara Gavin says a successful gallery wall starts with a clear design direction, not a matching set of frames. In advice published by House Beautiful, Gavin outlined three ways to make a collection feel intentional: vary frame and mat colors, use negative space around photographs and consider printing family pictures in black and white.
Gavin, founder of On the Wall Framing in Toronto, developed the approach for a gallery wall commissioned by design studio Kessler Levitan for a local family of five. The available space was just 31 inches wide, and Gavin described the project as an example of how a narrow wall can become a focused design feature.
Instead of relying only on white mats and wood frames, she combined oak and black frames with burgundy-colored mats and frames. Gavin said the burgundy brought warmth, oak kept the display from feeling too formal, and black supplied contrast. She suggested that people could also select a mat or frame color that relates to a prominent shade elsewhere in the room.
Her other recommendations concern the photographs themselves. Gavin’s team uses mat space to give images room around them and sometimes places more than one photo in a frame or positions a photo off-center. For collections taken under different lighting or with varied color palettes, she said black-and-white printing can make the pictures look more consistent as a group. She presented it as an option, not a requirement.
Three Choices Shape the Display
Gavin’s advice offers a practical framework for people trying to make a collection of personal photographs look cohesive without buying a complete set of matching artwork. The suggestions focus on choices that can be adjusted to suit an existing room: frame finishes, mat color and image treatment.
The approach also makes room for personal material. Gavin told House Beautiful that photographs stored on phones or in boxes can become meaningful art at home. Her example suggests that a gallery wall’s visual unity need not depend on images being professionally produced or sourced from an art collection; presentation can help connect pictures made at different times.
That is design guidance, rather than a guarantee that any particular combination will work in every home. Wall dimensions, the images available and surrounding furnishings will affect the result. The report gives one project and Gavin’s methods, not a tested formula or a claim that there is one universally correct arrangement.
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A Narrow Toronto Wall
The House Beautiful report centers on a specific commission by Kessler Levitan for a Toronto family of five. Gavin had 31 inches of width to fill, leading her to treat the wall as a compact composition rather than simply arranging a large number of frames across a broad area.
Her broader framing approach, as described in the report, involves varying scale, mat colors, frame finishes and photo placement. The resulting advice is not limited to narrow walls, but the project is the main example offered for how those choices can work together. House Beautiful does not identify the project’s completion date or provide measurements beyond the width.
“The secret to doing a gallery wall right is to make sure it has a “design direction.””
— Tara Gavin, founder of On the Wall Framing, quoted by House Beautiful
Advice, Not a Universal Formula
The source does not provide a full layout diagram, frame-by-frame specifications, or guidance on exact spacing and hanging measurements. It also does not report how the family responded to the finished wall or whether the design has been evaluated beyond Gavin’s description.
Black-and-white printing is offered as a way to unify photographs, but Gavin does not say it is necessary for every project. The best color palette and arrangement will depend on the images, wall and room; the report does not claim that the featured burgundy, oak and black combination suits every interior.
Plan Before Hanging Frames
For readers adapting the recommendations, the next step is to choose a design direction before committing to a layout. That can mean selecting a small palette, deciding whether the photographs should remain in color, and testing how much mat space or variation in frame size the collection needs.
Gavin’s account does not announce a follow-up project or a new service. House Beautiful presents the guidance as design advice; no additional plans or updates are specified in the source.
Key Questions
What is Tara Gavin’s main rule for a gallery wall?
Gavin says to start with a clear design direction, so colors, frame finishes and photo placement work as a considered group.
Does a gallery wall need white mats and wood frames?
No. Gavin’s featured project combined burgundy mats and frames with oak and black frames. She also suggests choosing colors that relate to shades already present in the room.
Why use black-and-white family photos?
Gavin says black-and-white printing can create visual consistency when family photographs come from different times, lighting conditions and color palettes. She presents it as an option, not a requirement.
How can mat space change a gallery wall?
Gavin uses negative space around images to make them feel distinct. Her team may also place multiple photos in one frame or position an image slightly off-center.
What space was featured in Gavin’s example?
The Toronto project for a family of five had 31 inches of width, according to House Beautiful. The report does not provide the wall’s other dimensions or a full hanging plan.
Source: housebeautiful.com
