How to Hang Pictures Salon-Style Like a Pro (No Wonky Walls!)

Want that gorgeous “I definitely didn’t just hammer nails randomly” gallery wall you keep pinning? The secret is salon-style (a.k.a. Petersburg hanging) – the 19th-century trick of packing art floor-to-ceiling in a beautiful, organised chaos.

Here’s exactly how to nail it (pun intended).

1. Pick a loose theme

• Monochrome photos, botanical prints, wildlife, Greece shots… anything that ties the collection together. A common colour palette works wonders even if the subjects are different.

2. Frame choices

• Modern look → thin black/white/oak frames, maybe two finishes max
• Vintage vibe → mix in some ornate gold frames, but space them out so it doesn’t look like a charity-shop explosion

3. Choose your wall

• Small awkward wall → go floor-to-ceiling
• Big living-room wall → centre the cluster above the sofa (bottom edge of lowest frame 8–10 inches above the sofa back)

4. Plan the layout (the layout before you touch a hammer Best method ever:

• Trace each frame onto kraft paper or newspaper
• Cut out, label the back with the print name
• Blu-tack them to the wall and shuffle until it looks perfect (No more “oops that’s crooked” holes!)

5. The magic rule (that you’re allowed to break) 

• Try to line up at least one edge or corner of each frame with its neighbour and keep gaps roughly equal (about 2–3 inches). Or… ignore the rule completely and go full boho – your wall, your rules!

6. The fool-proof hanging trick

• Hold frame in place → pencil mark along the top centre
• Flip frame over → pull wire taut (or measure to hook) → measure distance from top of frame to hanging point
• Transfer that exact measurement down from your pencil line on the wall → hammer time! Result: hangs exactly where you planned, first time.

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