A gallery wall, a single wall with several artistic elements on it arranged artfully, is a current trend in interior design. While these walls are popular with younger adults who like to share their decor on social media sites, they’re also an excellent home decor project for senior citizens to work on.
Gallery walls allow older adults to display not just photos that are important to them. They also allow them to display other works of art and memorabilia that they have a personal attachment to, helping those in a senior living community in NJ or anywhere else tell a personal story with their design.
Gathering Objects to Create a Senior Citizen’s Gallery Wall
Many seniors have decades of photos, award certificates, artwork, architectural elements, souvenirs and other elements that can be used to create a gallery wall. The first thing an older adult should do is go around their home and gather the eclectic objects they might want to include on their gallery wall.
In addition to collecting the objects, the time looking for and sorting through their old memorabilia could be an enjoyable walk down memory lane.
Playing with a Gallery Wall Layout Will Stretch a Seniors Creativity
Before anything gets hung on a wall, a layout needs to be created. The size of the gallery walls should be mapped out on a table or a floor so objects can be arranged and rearranged as creatively as the senior desires.
A senior citizen who is designing a gallery wall may find that not all the objects they’ve chosen will fit in the space they have. That’s okay. They can keep playing with the layout until they’ve made a satisfying layout with as many pieces as they can.
Once the layout is decided on, a photo should be taken of the objects before they’re picked up so their placement isn’t forgotten.
Senior Citizens May Need to Ask for Help Hanging Objects on a Gallery Wall
Once all the creative decision making is done, it may be wise for a senior citizen to get some help hanging objects on their gallery wall. While some things such as a small framed photo may be easy to hang, other objects such as an odd-shaped, heavy architectural item will be more difficult.
For the safety of the older adult and to make sure objects are hung on the wall securely, asking someone who has experience hanging objects is a wise choice for senior citizens.
Once they’ve done the work needed to create a gallery wall, senior citizens can stand back every day and look at the objects from their lives that mean a lot to them. They can also invite others to take a look at their wall, taking the time to tell the story of each piece they’ve chosen and explained why it’s meaningful to them. The wall can be more than just an interior design element. It can also be a sort of autobiography that says a lot about its creator.
About the Author
Kelsey Simpson enjoys writing about things that can help others. She lives in South Jersey and is the proud companion to two German Shepherds and spends her free time volunteering in dog shelters.
