Let’s jump right in:

So, you want to decorate with Faux Taxidermy Wall Decor and make your home look beautiful? We're here to help! This is our definitive guide on exactly how to find the right piece and how to decorate to get the most out of your new Faux Animal Head or Skull so your home looks like it’s made for TV!

This guide has two parts:

We’re gonna jump right in and start with the fun stuff: product recommendations! Or if you just want to shop all Faux Taxidermy, just click here! But we really think you should read part 2: The Design Guide as well. The Design Guide will contain lots of fun information that will help you understand how to best incorporate faux animal wall art into your home and make it aesthetically pleasing.

We may be a bit biased (we did write this), but these sections are our personal favorites from the Design Guide:

• Planning: How we want our home to look
• Picking: It could be a favorite animal, color, or size
• Designing: With lots of room types, let’s finalize that right look
• Layout: Where oh where should it go?
• Shop All Faux Taxidermy

We’re committed to updating this guide frequently so we can always include the latest products and what we’ve learned from creating, designing, and curating the perfect home!

Last updated October 21, 2020

JUMP TO THE RIGHT PART OF THIS GUIDE

What is Faux Taxidermy?

Well, there's regular taxidermy and then, there's faux taxidermy... the animal-friendly, chic alternative! Over the years, it has become a popular trend in interior design and it seems to be sticking around. Why wouldn't it? It allows us to bring nature into our homes and enjoy the animals that we love without any harm! And that's pretty much the point, right? Faux Taxidermy displays animals via sculptures made from materials like resin, metal, and even cardboard. This decor is just as majestic as the real thing, but more modern and completely chic and animal-friendly.

Most Popular

The perfect Faux Animal Head for your home really depends on personal preference, it could be a favorite animal type, a preference of style from modern to bohemian to farmhouse, or detail (faux skulls have more detail than the faux heads), as well as preference of color to match the tone of an existing room.

If you know the exact room you’re looking for, we can already start pointing you in the right direction. We recommend you start by reading this part of the guide.

If you still don’t have that perfect room picked out yet

Animal, color, and room aside, we put together a couple of the most popular items, and luckily, these also happen to be personal favorites as well!

Most Popular Faux Animal Head: White Faux Deer Head

The Large 21-inch White Faux Deer Head is considered a classic in the Faux Taxidermy world and is the most popular item. It’s classic, subtle, and most importantly, universal, making it a crowd favorite as the easiest option to add to any room for that quick right outta TV look!

 

Hand sculpted with crazy detail and boasting 21 inches tall, 17 inches wide, and most importantly, 15” DEEP, this adds a crazy amount of detail and dimension to any room. This is what gives your home that POP factor, when people walk in and see a sculpture like this, they immediately are drawn to it, letting it be the focal point of the room to tie it all together, that easy, POW!

Hand painted in a soft white, its color is easy and universal both to room, wall colors, existing wall designs, and furnishings, just go ahead and imagine popping this beauty up on that wall!

Recap

Pros:
-Classic White-tailed Deer Head Design.
-21” tall by 17” wide, and 15” deep for INSTANT depth and pop to any room.
-Plug and Play allows it to be beautifully painted white for an added pop into any room, regardless of existing decor and furnishings.

Cons:
-Not the best option for an already dull room (consider more color or design!) Check out the picking the right piece part of our guide here.
-May be a bit too big for a nursery or smaller room. (Check out the Mini version of this Faux Deer Head here or check out the product by room part of our guide here.)

 

Most Popular Faux Animal Skull: 14” White Faux Deer Skull with Gold Antlers

The Mini 16” White Faux Deer Skull with Gold Antlers is a twist on the classic Faux Deer Head both in design and color, making for something smaller and even more unique!

If you’re the designer type that already has an eye for unique pieces and needs a little bit more…UMPH, this piece is for you! The design of the faux skull, with the added gold antlers, will take a bit more of an eye for the right placement (see this part of the guide here) but when placed properly, it will give you the WOW factor!

*Careful: get ready for lots of conversation starters! : )

Hand sculpted with even more stunning detail and having a dimensional, yet subtle, 16” tall, 14.5” wide, and 9.5” DEEP, it adds an extremely detailed, more subtle dimension to any room. This guy looks best in a nursery, smaller room, or already well decorated room that calls for a little color POP without all the dimension. Can you say gallery wall?

Hand painted in white with gorgeous gold dipped antlers, that lightens up a dark room. it adds a little more color pop without getting too crazy. The mix between size and color makes this a clear fan favorite in the faux skulls category!

Recap

Pros:
-More detailed twist on the classic Faux Deer Head.
-16” tall by 14.5” wide, and 9.5” deep for a more subtle depth, letting the faux skull’s detail shine.
-Painted White with Gold Antlers, it can still be fairly universal with a bit of a color pop to pull it all together.
-Perfect for a nursery or smaller room.

Cons:
-Be careful adding this piece in a room with lots of other metallics, like silver or rose gold. Check out our color guides in the picking the right piece part of our guide here.
-May be too small for a large home or living room.

 

 

Most Popular for the Perfect Nursery: 9” Gold Faux Lion Head

The Mini 9” Gold Faux Lion Head is mini, but fierce! The perfect little guy for your little guy, looks AMAZING above that crib or as a nice compliment to a gallery wall.

We love this piece because it’s such an easy add to white or dark color walls in smaller rooms, nurseries, and already built out gallery walls. It adds enough pop and style while still being small and subtle. For more information on decorating nurseries or placement, see this part of the guide here.

*RAWR not included : )

Hand crafted with a fierce look and a level of detail that you have to see to appreciate – we’re not LION! This mini little guy is dimensioned after a perfect nursery sized 9 inches tall by 8 inches wide, and 4 inches deep. Big and bold enough to hear it roar, but still cute and fierce (this little guy still has some growing up to do)

Hand painted in a metallic gold, it brings light to any room; it adds a whole lot more level of fierce! The mix between lion, size, and color makes this the perfect nursery, or gallery wall decor! (Like this guy but want it bigger? Be sure to check out the Large Gold Faux Lion Head here.)

Recap

Pros:
-The perfect nursery decor.
-9” tall by 8” wide, and 4” deep is the perfect little guy for a nursery or gallery wall.
-Painted in Gold , it’s a stunner that looks fierce!

Cons:
-Like all golds, stay away from other metallics and stick with white or darker colored walls. Check out our color guides in the picking the right piece part of our guide here.
-Too small for a living room or larger room, check out the larger version here.

 

 

Most Popular Unique Faux Taxidermy: 8.5” Natural Faux Human Skull

The 8.5” Natural Faux Human Skull tabletop piece is a crowd favorite for unique Faux Taxidermy decor – look at the holidays getting into the action! Depending on decor style, this stunner is great for skull lovers, medieval decor , or that perfect Halloween prop for a spooky good time.

As a unique human tabletop piece, this really needs no introduction, whether holidays or not, you can just plop it anywhere, if that’s your thing, of course. Or you can just bury it in your neighbor’s backyard for a fun prank ;)

*For a personal favorite joke, make sure to ask people why the ghost went to the bar! (for the boos!) It’s our article, so we’re allowed to add jokes if we like : )

Hand crafted and detailed to be realistic in both size and color (come on, this is decor , not science, so don’t expect the frontal lobe size to be perfect.) We like to call this guy Darwin, because it just seems right. Darwin is sized at 7.5” tall, 5.25” wide, and 8.5” deep.

Hand painted in a multi-natural colored look; it checks all the boxes to be the perfect Human Skull decor! This section is notably missing other parts to the design guide, why? Simply because Darwin is unique enough to either flow or go. So, go ahead and trick or treat yo’self.

Recap

Pros:
-Unique, Halloween, HUMAN SKULL, need we say more?
-7” tall by 5.25” wide, and 8.5” deep is the perfect realistic & natural human skull.
-Skull lovers, look no further!

Cons:
-Tabletop piece – most Faux Taxidermy is for the walls, this is for the tables – come on, they need some Faux Taxidermy love too!
-Fits best with a medieval or skull themed room, it’s a classic.
-You probably like it or don’t, but the census is out, and this is one of the crowd favorites!

The Design Guide: Essential Reading

Like all home decor, picking the right pieces for the right space in the right home can get a bit complicated, or shall we call it, too many options! : ) By now, we imagine that you’ve maybe picked out the perfect piece, or you could still be looking, so we’ll either help ya figure out where to put that new favorite, or what to get for that perfect space – orrrr if we’re real lucky, we can help you figure out which piece to pick for the space you want so you’ll have the perfect space. Just be sure to invite us over for the housewarming party!

Our goal in this section of the guide is to help you take a deep breath and show you how to plan the right home & look, pick the right piece and space, design the perfect space, and layout the perfect wall.

We’ll start with the basics, the fun stuff, and then we’ll slowly add more and more detail as we go. So, by the end of this guide, you’ll be a Faux Taxidermy wizard with the perfect looking home of your dreams!

Contents:

1. Planning: How we want our home to look
2. Picking: The Right Animal
3. Picking: The Right Color
4. Picking: The Right Size
5. Designing: With lots of room types, let’s finalize that right look
6. Layout: Where oh where should it go?
   
7. Shop All Faux Taxidermy

1. Planning: How we want our home to look

How you want your home to look is an important aspect to consider before adding any decor. The most important question to begin with is: What style are you going for?

(Click here to see our descriptions of all the major decor styles below!)

The good news is that Faux Taxidermy can fit the bill with almost every decor style! Over the years, it’s become quite the popular trend in interior design due to its versatility to any style., I mean, you are reading this guide, aren’t ya? Folks love the idea of displaying beautiful creatures from nature, but don't always love the "real thing!” That’s where the idea of Faux Taxidermy comes in – combining nature with beautiful modern sculptures made from materials like resin or metal that are just as majestic as the real thing, but more modern, completely chic and animal-friendly. (We think that deserves a 2 thumbs-up!)

• For the Rustic or Farmhouse Decor lover looking to add a natural vibe that creates a natural focal point to your room, consider a Faux Deer Skull or Faux Deer head with some metal arrows or rustic wall clock.
  • This pairs best with some beautiful wood furniture, metal accents, and patterned fabrics that will help to create the perfect farmhouse look!
• If you’re looking for more of a Mid-Century Modern design, one that has lots of sleek lines, organic and geometric shapes, and different & contrasting materials and colors – there is usually one thing missing, a dramatic accent piece!
  • Adding a white faux taxidermy piece to a dark colored wall lends itself perfectly to this design style!
• Maybe you’re more transitionally styled – featuring almost a calming balance but with an unexpected mix to break it up, lending to a home with warmth and a relaxed feel.
  • What’s more unexpected than a Faux Deer Head hanging above your fireplace? When done right, you’ll find that the addition of faux taxidermy to your transitional room is sure to create conversations long after guests have left, as this is one impression making decor accent certain to get their attention!
    
    
  
  
• And of course, for the minimalist – it can still make quite the statement!
  • A bare wall can be nice for some people, but for others it can leave a sense of sadness or a feeling like something is just…lacking, or missing. Consider hanging one large piece like a large Gold Faux Lion Head to pull in the focus; or consider adding in a mini piece in an interesting way, such as a Mini Faux Longhorn Skull or Faux Mini Elephant Head with a frame around it – think white piece with gold frame – how’s that for an interesting statement to a minimalist decor style?
  

This should cover the planning basics, a few of the most popular decor styles with some ideas for the pieces and why – if there is a style you’re going for that’s missing, just drop us a line and we’ll be sure to add it in our next revision!

2. PICKING: THE RIGHT ANIMAL

K, we’ll admit it, this section was maybe one of our favorites to write! What can we say, we’re Faux Animal fanatics!

Decorating with faux taxidermy is so much fun! It’s such a fun and exciting way to add some nature into your home! But, now the question of the section DRUM ROLL…. Which animal do I choose?

There are many aspects to consider here. What room are you decorating? What style is your home? And of course, what’s your preference? Which animal do you absolutely LOVE? Because if you have an idea of the one you love, we’re pretty sure we can figure out how to put it anywhere : )

So let’s begin by reviewing our options, and how this all began!

The white faux taxidermy Deer Head decor was what changed the game!  Both the large and mini deer heads feature the dignified gaze of the elegant white-tailed deer. The natural detail in these pieces are stunning and are a great way to bring nature into your home in a chic and animal-friendly way!

• This leads us to our first Animal of discussion – the Faux Deer Head! These pieces bring all the charm and none of the harm into your home. Best of all, our faux deer head is one that lends itself well to any decor style, in any room in your home.
  • Adding a deer head to your kids’ room or nursery creates a whimsical sense of fun that your kids will love!
  • For a more traditional look, hang it as a standalone accent above your fireplace. This is sure to draw focus and create a much need POP!
  • For more of a country cabin feel, switch out your grandfather’s prized buck with a faux taxidermy deer head for all of the charm and none of the harm of the real thing!
    
    
  
  
• Elephants anyone? Elephweknow : )
  • Elephants are a sacred animal in some cultures and are said to symbolize good luck, wisdom, fertility, and protection of the home!
  • Whether you want to bring some positive energy into your home, or you just like to admire this majestic animal, Faux Elephant Heads are the perfect addition! This piece goes well with other African decor and prints!
  • With Elephant's sadly facing extinction because of the demand for their tusks, this is a perfect way to honor the elephant and bring the African Savannah into your home! The Mini Elephant is also the perfect to add dimension to an otherwise flat space like a gallery wall or your child’s nursery wall! CUTE!
    
    
  
  
  
• This time, we’re not LION!
  • Looking to crown your home king of the neighborhood? Or maybe to hear you ROAR (sorry, we had to!) then we have just the guy!
  • Lions have a masculine appeal that's balanced by their grace and elegance, and this combination lends itself to a dash of uniquely exotic flavor to your home, for sure!
  • Lion’s have always been celebrated for their courage and strength, and would be the perfect way to bring some boldness into your home! Perfect for any room in your home, especially a Large Lion for the Man Cave or a Mini Lion for your kids space! From the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz to The Lion King, these beasts are woven throughout the quilt of kids' pop culture. With this in mind, it’s easy to see that a Faux Lion Head is the perfect addition to your kids playroom or bedroom!
    
    
  
  
• Howl are we doing so far? You guessed it, next up is the Faux Wolf Head!
  • Wolves are a great way to give a room an outdoorsy vibe! Faux Wolf heads are the perfect accent piece for a rustic room with exposed beams or knotty pine features, emulating the look of a cabin in an area where wolves might actually live in the wild. (Let’s just hope they aren’t actually there watching you!)
  • But you don’t have to go all “nature” and “woodsy” with your decor to enjoy the beauty of this majestic animal! After all, the wolf is a symbol of guardianship, ritual, loyalty, and spirit. And who wouldn’t want to add this momento into their everyday life?
    
    
  

Now these are just some ideas to get you started, but remember, most pieces have a mini version – perfect for a nursery or kids' room – as well as a larger piece – perfect for a living room or master bedroom. Use this as a guide to let your imagination roam wild with the possibilities of that Large Gold Lion above the master bed or that Mini White Wolf above the crib!

3. Picking: The Right Color

Now that we’ve made it this far, this is where we really start to narrow down that right piece in that right color for that right room. In this section, we’re going to cover some of the basics and then tie it all together!

When choosing accent colors in your home, never forget the 60-30-10! It’s a timeless decorating rule that can help you put a color scheme together easily, just remember this: the 60 percent + 30 percent + 10 percent concept is meant to give balance to the colors used in any space.

Let us explain…

The 60% is the main color of your room, so, your walls, large accent pieces, area rugs, and furniture would fall into this category. The idea is that this 60% color is what anchors your space and more importantly, serves as a backdrop for the rest of your decor.

Next, is the 30%. This is your secondary color and consists of half as much of this color as your main color. This could be curtains, linens, accent furniture, or an accent wall or gallery wall. This secondary color supports the main color but differs enough to set it apart from the main color to create interest in the room.

The last bit, the 10% remaining, is your accent color. This would be your throw pillows, artwork, and other decor accents. Think that new faux taxidermy animal head you’ve had your eye on. You can pull your accent color from any piece of art or decor in your room. If your main color is white or anywhere in the white family, your accent color should be a dark color to contrast with the main color. And vice versa.

If this 60-30-10 rule doesn’t work for you and you want to think more outside the box with your decor, go right ahead! You may choose to add 2 accent colors, or 3! There are times when one accent color just isn’t enough.  You could choose to go monochromatic, where your main color, secondary and accent colors can be varying shades in the same color family. This creates a more relaxing color scheme for you to enjoy. It is your home…. so do what speaks to you! Just remember to balance your colors and you’re all set!

Now into that 10%, your accent pieces:

• Choose white when: literally any time! Unless you have white walls and all white furniture, then white ALWAYS goes! If you have a room with lots of colors, patterns, and stuff – then white should always be the go to (or if you’re unsure!)
• Choose gold when: Gold is a great way to make a room pop, but it requires a longer answer:
  • With red: looks good, but can evoke a holiday or wintery feeling
  • With non-holiday reds, oranges, and yellows: Gold can always work for a more formal look.
  • With dark blues and purples: Definitely a go! If you’re decorating a Navy or Dark Blue wall, gold should be your pick!
  • With neutral colors: Go gold! Gold is a great way to liven up a space!
  • With white: Take caution! Gold and white alone is a little too cool, but with some other functional design COUGH the 30% COUGH it can be the BEST pair, so if a room is TOO white, stay away.
  • With metals: No go, my friend! Gold is already a metallic, so it needs no more metallics!
    
    
  
  
• Choose white & gold when: A room has a well defined accent color, not many designs & patterns, and other than the color contrasts looks, well, dull – that’s exactly when this is your go-to!

• Choose black when: Similar to gold, this needs a bit more of a quick run through, ahem:
  • With Orange: It works, BUT think Halloween, festive, make sure that’s the look you’re going for!
  • With white: it’s a go! This is one of our favorite combinations – whether you have a black and white themed room, OR a white decorated wall, black is a nice tough to tie it together.
  • With brown: now, this one is a bit more tough – in GENERAL, these two should never go together, but if you’re feeling daring and you’re decorating a log cabin with a rustic wood, go ahead and get wild and give this one a try! The design & detail of Black Faux Taxidermy can make colors vibe differently sometimes : )
  • Pink, Green, Red, Yellow – This is a go! I would like these colors to be in the 30% so it’s not too overwhelming, but black pairs really beautifully with these tones!
    
    
  

There you have it – the color guide for the most popular Faux Taxidermy colors! Just match your room with the color you wanted and voila, we have your color! At this point we’ve found your theme & style, your animal type, and your color; next we’ll help with size, designing, and lay-out – your home is almost ready to be Faux Funified!

4. Picking: The Right Size

If you’re reading this section, then you get a virtual high-five! Because choosing the right size is key to creating that perfect space in your home!

First for the general don’ts:

• Don’t add one small piece to a large empty wall – This will create an underwhelming look & feel!
• Don’t add one large piece to a half wall or a small wall either – This will create an overwhelming feeling!

Second a rule of thumb:

• The general rule of thumb here is to cover about ¾ of your wall with your wall art. This could be anything from one large piece of art, or incorporating several smaller pieces together like in a gallery wall.

Now the fun part, the do’s:

• Do add 1 or 2 large pieces to a blank wall, like above your fireplace or sofa, to draw attention to a focal point and also set a more formal tone for your room.
  • For example, a Large Faux Deer Head above your fireplace is the perfect touch to draw the eye.
  
  
• Do have fun with a gallery wall if you have a large space.
  • Start by grouping 3 to 5 decor accents (or more depending on the size of the wall) and make sure it looks natural by unifying the space with the same amount of space between them.
  • Keep in mind that all of your decor accents for your gallery wall do not have to be the same. Add a small faux animal head, like a small wolf, lion, or deer for a pop of dimension in between your framed pictures!
    
  
  

Decorating a Nursery or Kids Room?

• A smaller piece goes great here, but why not have even more fun by adding a trio of small faux heads above the crib or bed for a whimsical addition to your child’s space?
• Or, if it’s a larger room or nursery, how about a large deer head with 2 small deer heads (or 2 other small animal heads,) one on either side?
• Either display will balance the wall and create a fun focal point in your child’s room!

Don’t forget:

• Bigger is typically better! If you’re buying on a whim and aren’t sure of the size of the space you are looking to fill, it’s better to err on the side of too big as opposed to too small.
• Large pieces fill in a space and create a focal point while small pieces often end up looking like an afterthought. So, go ahead, buy that large piece and design the room around it – after all, it’s your home! : )

5. Designing: With lots of room types, let’s finalize that right look

Now, we all know what the goal is – to get the perfect look in your home. Unfortunately, it’s not quite that easy and can be a bit tricky, so we decided to make a TOP 10 list of tips and tricks to help you out!

Without further ado, here are 10 Steps to follow in order to finalize that perfect look for your home!

1. Find your style.

I know, you’re thinking… Duh! Obviously!… but it’s truly the most important step in figuring out how to go about achieving the look you are going for.  Without an idea of your style, you might feel totally lost on how to decorate your room. There are far too many great ideas out there that can go in many different directions. Once you know your design style, whether it be rustic farmhouse, shabby chic, modern or traditional, to name a few, you can start gathering ideas from the web, magazines, etc and the whole design process starts to fall into place.

*Check the how we want our home to look section above to help pick!

2. What are the functional needs of the room you are designing? 

We loveeeee to focus on décor and making a room look pretty, but it has to have that functional design to both make it “work” and for it to truly feel homey. It’s like a kitchen without silverware or a living room without lights, it may look great and modern, but will always leave something to be desired. 

So, the fundamental question here is, “what is my room currently lacking that would make it function better for my family?” Are you in need of more storage? Consider some furniture pieces that can serve dual purposes, like comfort and function. Also, how is that space used daily and what modifications can be made to improve your daily routine?

3. Remember who will be using the space you are designing.

Is this a space that kids will frequent? In that case, kid friendly is a must! Definitely stay away from white and light-colored furniture, pricey pieces, and keep the fragile decor accents up high, like on your wall! Pro Tip: Keep wall hangings hung high on your wall so little fingers can’t touch. Soft textiles, easy to clean furniture, and distressed tables that can take a beating are great ideas here.

4. Jot down your Wish List (the fun part!)

Write down everything you can think of that you would want to incorporate in your space. This includes textiles, furniture, fixtures, decor accents….everything! Use this list as your jumping off point to help you decide how much you will need to spend to achieve the perfect look. Then, prioritize your list from most to least important. Consider your spouse’s ideas on this too (or not.) it's up to you!)  Some of your design ideas might be DIY projects, while others you will need to buy. Now is the perfect time to make sure nothing is missing, and you can get started on the sourcing process (also with or without spouse approval : )

5. Use Pinterest and other sites for inspiration

Pinterest has so many great ideas when it comes to home decor so using it can help you visualize your ideas, for sure! You might find some new designs that will work well in your home, or, decide that something you thought you wanted isn’t that important in the grand scheme of things. So… use it! It’s super helpful!

Need a good place to get started? Have a (shameless plug) look at ours : )

pinterest.com/wallcharmers
instagram.com/wallcharmers

6. Take measurements

When it comes to design, you don’t want to eyeball it (trust us – it gets risk-ay!) You need measurements, so go measure everything possible and save it in your phone. Then, sketch out a plan or use a room designer app or website to help. This makes sure we don’t over clutter or end up with too much akward space that’s hard to fill.

7. Set your budget

Come up with a number based on all of your research, and don’t forget to include funds for paint, drop clothes, etc… everything you will need to bring your design to fruition! I know, budgets are fun killers, but it can also help to narrow down that wish list : )

8. Go shopping! (the really fun part!)

Be sure to bring your wish list, measurements and inspirational ideas with you… Oh, and any swatches you may have! Then go have fun exploring – remember it’s a journey, enjoy it!

9. Choose trendy accessories

A good idea when decorating, is to keep your furniture more classic and go trendy with the accessories. It’s much easier and less costly to switch out accessories than furniture when trends fade out later. Here is where you will choose your accessories like Faux Taxidermy as a great attention grabber that brings nature indoors in a chic way or any other cool or unique accessories that you’ve been eyeing to tie it all together.

10. Add your own personal touches

After all, it is your home… so tell your story! Add in some old items from your relatives, photos from your favorite family vacation, anything you want, really. These pieces are what tie your history and your family into your home, and best of all… they’re free, so why not?!

6. Layout: Where oh where should it go?

Choosing the layout in your home is one of the most important decisions to make when designing. The layout of the rooms and how they flow is very much based on your lifestyle.

First, you need to consider your room’s function. There is no correct way to create a room layout because each room has its own needs and challenges. The function of the room is your main objective when considering how to lay it out, so we’ll try to get through some examples below so you can tie it together!

1 – Is your room high traffic? If so, you have to keep your furniture layout in mind. It should be easy to get from one end to the other without feeling like you’re walking through a maze (unless maybe it’s Halloween.) In addition, minimize breakable decor accents that could get knocked over easily. Keep those items for rooms with less traffic.

2 – Focal points! One of our personal favorites - every room should have at least one focal point, but most rooms require more.

Before you start adding furniture to your room, think about the focal points first. Look for any architectural features in your room, like a fireplace, mantel, built in bookcase, windows, etc. 

With that in mind, we can start orienting furniture around those focal points. Now, if you have several, then we have to get a little more creative.

Here’s a general rule for laying out a living room with multiple focal points:

A – Place your television on an opposing wall from an architectural focal point.

B – Face your main seating area towards the television on one side of the room.

C – If you don’t have an architectural focal point, then create your own by looking for the largest, most prominent wall in the room, then create a gallery wall with some family photos and add in a faux taxidermy piece to draw the eye.

3 – Symmetry – Often overlooked, symmetry creates drama, a sense of order and balance, and helps to keep your layout looking intentional.  This is true of your furniture as well as your decor accents. If you can’t layout your furniture symmetrically, create symmetry with wall art and lighting.

There are a couple basic symmetry types to go for, depending on the room.

A – Formal symmetry – Where one side of the room is a mirror image of the other, dresses up a space.

Perfect for dining rooms, examples include hanging framed artworks on either side of a large mirror for an elegant, classic look or placing matching lamps or vases at either end of a console table.

B – Informal symmetry – Where we add symmetry by space or area of a room, creating a natural flow that’s not too formal.

Perfect for living rooms, usually the reason a perfectly decorated living room seems to be “missing something,” usually it’s missing a lack of symmetry if everything is too “one-off.” Consider adding a pair of matching table lamps, or a set of matching pillows on the sofa, but don’t stop there! Go ahead and add in two identical decor accents on a wall that looks like it needs it and be sure to position your matching items caddy corner to each other to create symmetry that is pleasing to the eye!

4 – Gallery Walls – Oh gallery walls, the most fun and the most frustrating of any designing! This is a large topic to even begin on, but we’ll try our best to add something fairly brief. I mean, what’s a home design guide without discussing gallery walls?

Like all things decor related, the layout of your gallery wall depends on the look you are going for.

So, let’s take a look at a few popular gallery wall layouts.

1 – Baseline - With this method you are going to draw a horizontal line on the wall and evenly space out your photos both above and below the line. This layout works great if you have a variety of art and frames and is the best one if your gallery will continue to grow since it’s easy to keep adding to!

2 – Box – One of the most popular but time-consuming options. For this layout, you will need a lot of patience since it requires a lot of measuring. But it’s soooo worth it in the end because it will look fabulous!

Simply start with the largest piece of art on the upper right-hand corner of your area, then build a box around it. The box looks best with similar sized and color frames. One of our favorites is choosing all white frames with all really colorful pictures or choosing more fun, but subdued, colored frames with all black and white pictures. See, that wasn’t so hard : )

3 – Climb – Just like it sounds, this will look like a pseudo-staircase, but think staggering steps. This layout is perfect for your stairwell or above a console table with a lamp or other decor accent on it.

If done above a table or console, you just stagger your gallery wall around the decor or around a piece of Faux Taxidermy or another large 3-dimensional piece of wall art. We love this layout because you can still add to is as you need to, and you can have fun with mixing and matching different pieces, art, and sizes! Of course, this gallery wall may not be the best first gallery wall for the not so design/creative oriented as it could be a bit daunting, but don’t let that stop you!

4 – Eclectic – Ohhh yeah, the good ol fashion eclectic gallery wall! Depending on the type of person you are, you might be cringing right now thinking “Ummmm, NO!” But, if you are more of a free spirit and don’t always like things uniform and perfectly symmetrical, then go for it!

 

This one allows you the most freedom to add in any decor items you wish, regardless of size or shape, photo frames or artwork, the sky is the limit! Before we get too carried away, it’s always a good rule of thumb to keep the space between each piece consistent or it could turn out looking like your 4 year old decorated it : )

5 – Grid – For the perfectionist in all of us, there is the grid. It’s the easiest way to make your gallery wall cohesive without having to worry too much about the creative. Simply hang your frames in a grid evenly spaced between each other!

Your frames should all be the same size and color, and you should pick just one form of artwork – either all photos or all art.

 These are just the top 5 gallery wall layouts to consider if you decided to go that route, of course like all home decor, the choice is up to you, and there is no wrong answer, it’s your home!

Conclusion

Welp, there you have it, the best guide for this on the internet. Ultimately, it’s your home, it’s a reflection of you, feel free to have at it and make sure to have some FUN! That’s what life and your home is about.

We’ve covered our top product recommendations as well as our design guide, all that’s left now is to re-read certain pieces accordingly and start doing! Make sure to share your final results with us, we LOVE seeing what people do and come up with!

If there’s anything else you’d like us to cover, drop us a note at Lance@wallcharmers.com and we’ll be sure to continue to add and keep this bad boy updated!