We were lucky enough to nab some time this week with the awesome and ingenious Bay Area interior designer (and construction company co-producer) Jen Hayden to talk on the topic of gallery walls.
First, here’s a bit of background on Jen, and then we’ll get down to brass tacks and Jen’s juicy answers on her design manifesto and the ins and outs of setting up your own gallery wall.
Jen is a Toronto native, with a degree in Art and Art History, who made her way westward, first to LA in the 90s to pursue photography and movie poster and album cover design, and then north to SF to the Ansel Adams Center. Then, she met a boy/craftsman/builder from Ireland… and Shazam!, 3 boys and 15 years later they are still happily married, living in the ‘burbs outside the city.
Jen and the ‘hubbs run Ryan Construction together, and Jen Hayden Style + Design was born a few years ago, largely in response to the recession. With the construction industry coming to a screeching halt, Jen saw a real need for more practical approach to home design, with a strong focus on function (especially as a mom to 3 boys!).
With innovation and authenticity in mind, Jen began to empower clients to create spaces where great style and function could coexist. Jen’s fine arts background continuously emerges in her work; she seeks local artists and craftsmen for her projects and encourages clients to do the same and to choose old and used over shiny and new. For Jen, pre-owned (and loved) things have a story and ultimately reflect and become an essential part of your personal history.
Jen is “a sucker for clean lines”, compares sofas to male ballroom dancers and is not above throwing elbows to get to the perfect oil painting at a flea market.
All right, let’s get down to business with Jen!
What is your favorite piece of art you have hanging in your home? Can you tell us the back-story behind it?
We have an old tattered survey map from my husband’s late father who worked for the Department of Agriculture in Ireland. It’s scribbled all over with notes and comments in his hand. While back in Ireland, we sorted through old belongings in my husband’s childhood home, found the map, and knew it had to come home with us. It was just too special to let go. I salvaged a frame from Goodwill, and with the help of my local frame shop, it looks amazing. To have something so personal and so authentic to our lives is incredible. It is hard to even compare it to other pieces of art. It’s the definition of priceless.
What’s the best art deal you ever scored?
If I had to choose one at this moment, it would be a lithograph called Gothic Shadows, scored for pennies from the White Elephant Sale in Oakland years ago. It is stunning black and white silhouette of a gothic cathedral paired with a vibrant basil green stripe and a thin fuschia stipe that divides the image. It is as striking in it color as it humbling in its content. It is so pretty to me that it hangs alone because it is a showstopper.
What are you loving right now?
Right now, I’m loving nature. I love the outdoors and wish constantly to feel the connection to outside; I think I moved from Canada to California so I could stay outside barefoot longer. I am currently feeding my love of nature with a wonderful project I am producing with Laura White and Jude Hellewell of Outerspace Architecture. All the “creatives” in the project are all sharing our ideas on Pinterest as a visual resource and dialogue space. I just bought a book on native plants.
Sum up your design aesthetic in 3 words.
Authentic. Innovative. Unconventional.
What item of furniture should every home have?
Seating, because that would be awkward
What’s your favorite room in your home?
My favorite room in my home is our home office. Since we both run our own businesses out of the house, so we decided to forgo the traditional dining room and living room set up and converted the original living room in to a large home office. It has a huge fireplace and my supplies are close at hand. I like to see my “stuff”…my books, my paints, my textiles…so that it is accessible and at the same time inspiring.
What’s your favorite wall?
My favorite wall is the wall that surrounds our great room in the very core of our home. It was originally created to sit above a homework station that I had created for my boys who needed my firm [but loving] guidance to make it to the end of the school year. It is a very loose salon wall that hosts a theme of sorts. It houses images from my husband and my native lands of Canada and Ireland. It definitely speaks to the boys about where we are from and what we value. It includes a candid photo of a special day, a 200-year-old family heirloom and a bunch of found items and flea market finds…nothing of value other than it is totally priceless to us.
Now, onto the topic of gallery walls…
Why do you think gallery walls are great additions to a space?
The gallery wall is the perfect opportunity to declare a space your own. Figuratively, not literally, because though we all love our wedding photos, I think one can do better in reflecting his or her personal style by hanging. When you take the time to curate a collection for a gallery wall that is uniquely your own, the whole room becomes very personal. I had a client that purchased small historical maps every time he traveled to Asia. They had been sitting in a closet for years. By taking the time to hang the collection the home immediately held greater personal significance.
What are your top tips or considerations for putting together a gallery wall?
- YOU CAN’T HANG THE THOUGHT. You can’t hang it if you only thought about buying it or that picture is still lost in your photo stream.
- Start with one of your own pictures. We all have something in our phones these days and here is a crazy thought…PRINT IT!
- Go artist open studios every year and make a point of not coming home with something new. San Francisco Open Studios is starting this month. Communities all over the country have these kinds of events where artists open their doors directly to the public. It is wonderful way to see lots of art and get a sense of what you enjoy.
- Finally, find your local art gallery and tell them you would like purchase art. They may offer rental programs that apply to your purchase or they will let you take the work home to see how it resonates in your space. They also will actively help you find work that meets your budget and preferences.
For gallery walls, do you suggest unifying by a color scheme, theme, frame style, etc?
There are several types of gallery walls and how you tie it together depends on the space that it is going to fill and what type of inventory you have. But yes, there should be a method to the madness. The pieces should be cohesive not only with each other, but with the room they occupy. Gallery walls range from perfect grids with identical frames to a variety of frames where the edge of the grouping is loose and open to more work. If you are starting from scratch with no inventory at all, think about the kind of wall you would like to see in the end.
What are the logistical/practical considerations for installing a gallery wall?
Do you have all the supplies that you need? You can purchase simple hanging kits at local hardware stores that include hanging wire, hooks and nails of various sizes. These kits will also indicate the weight of the item they are able to support. You will need a tape measure, pencil, painters tape and paper [if you follow my next tip] a level and a hammer. Sobriety also helps.
Do you have any insider tips for installing a stunning gallery wall?
It really does help to have a plan before you begin. One really useful idea is gather all the pictures you are going to hang and then transfer each measurement to paper [parchment, newspaper, roll of kids craft paper]. Cut out the measured paper version of your picture and tape it to where you think you would like to hang it on the wall. First and foremost, this will give you a visual of what you are doing. In addition, if you are trying your hand at a gallery wall, you can install the paper first and not be concerned with errors. You can even leave the paper there while you measure the wire on the back of the frames to determine where to nail in your hook. This allows you to pencil in your measurements and mark your spot with ease. Go ahead and nail onto the paper because you can simply rip it off after.
Experience has also shown me that people get so nervous about making an error that prevents them from even trying. So I have approached this fear by encouraging them to save a jar of their interior wall paint [appropriately labeled] in their house with a small container of dry wall compound [mud] and a 4” putty knife. It seems to take the pressure off and they know that if they make a mistake it can be easily remedied.
What is your favorite backdrop/paint color for a gallery wall?
I don’t have a favorite, but I would definitely consider the inventory of work and select the wall the compliments it best. For example in my own house, the rich color of Narragansett Green [BMHC-157] (as seen in the photo below) was far more forgiving for my cheap vintage picture frames. Their blond unfinished features were no longer tired and washed out, but rather a cohesive element adding light to the space while creating a calming effect for the wall.
Photo by Lindsay Ferraris
Do you like to add 3D object d’art, wall pieces, or souvenirs to an art wall? Why/ why not?
Yes of course! But the risk is always of becoming Ponderosa circa 1978 where they hung everything from trumpets to baby carriages. Anthropologie is a very current example of how to successfully use 3D objects d’art. They often use them in their installations—typically really inspiring and not misplaced.
Photos by Lindsay Ferraris
What do you think you are most influenced by when designing a gallery wall or a home? (Whether it be your travels, friends, history, certain colors, moods, etc.)
Without a doubt, I am most influenced by my client’s story every time. I put together worksheets that ask relevant questions so I can better understand who they are beyond the context in which I have met them. I ask them to think about how they live or where they have been. I see myself as a facilitator of who they are … or a translator if you will. This understanding then transcends all the design decisions in the home to better reflect the client and not me.