I Procrastinated on Setting Up a Gallery Wall for Years — But This Site Made It So Easy

I’ve wanted a gallery wall since I moved to New York City a decade ago. I always pictured my space filled to the brim with framed art, but as a renter and a person who is just generally afraid of difficult and unfamiliar projects, I get so much anxiety about creating holes in my walls and accidentally hanging up something unevenly (I don’t have the best spatial awareness — there’s a reason why I work with words). 

So when the opportunity arose to test some gallery wall frames from Artifact Uprising (a company that I’ve purchased from before), I took it; I knew that this would be the pressure I needed to finally make a gallery wall in my living room. I knew that I liked Artifact Uprising’s prints and brass easel frame because I bought it for my dad as a sentimental Father’s Day present that he still claims is his all-time favorite. So I decided to put my trust in them for this gallery wall journey. 

Artifact Uprising offers a modern-yet-timeless gallery frame that will match most home decor aesthetics. The sizes vary from 8”x10” to 30”x40” and the frames come in walnut (which I selected), maple, oak, black, or white. You can choose from paper backing to flexipoints (I got a combination of these).

The framing and photo print site allows you to order blank frames, so you can upload photos that you’ve taken and have them printed and added to the frame, or you can add your own art to the mat they send (either inside or on top of, depending on the frame).

I got an 8”x10” frame and uploaded a photo that I took on my iPhone 13 from a trip to Glacier National Park in Montana in 2021. I was able to see exactly how it would look in the mat and crop it according to the frame, which I appreciated. It also warned me if a photo was too low-quality, which was also the case when I ordered prints from Artifact Uprising last year. It is important to keep in mind that iPhone photos aren’t usually up to quality printing standards, so if you’re hoping to blow up one of your vacation photos to a 20”x20” size, you might want to consider investing in a DSLR camera or buying some art prints instead (I like Society6 for this!). 

I also ordered one 14”x11” and two 20”x20” frames blank to add my own prints to after the fact. The total, with shipping, was $580. I would recommend uploading your own photos if possible, because it takes the stress out of adding your own art to the frame.

The ordering process was easy, after I had mocked up a gallery wall with blue painter’s tape. I decided to get four frames and then add smaller hanging decor objects, like small mirrors, after I got my base, so this isn’t the final gallery wall. The frames and prints shipped in about a week and arrived at my apartment fully intact. The frames came with their own nails and special hanging equipment, which I appreciated as someone who is always hesitant to put objects on the wall. I love how sophisticated the walnut frame looks and I was impressed with the quality of the wood. I also enjoyed ordering everything from one place, instead of hunting for frames individually. It allowed me to plan out everything at once, because I didn’t have a plethora of art lying around my apartment. 

My only wish is that the bigger 20”x20” frames allowed you to slip your print inside the mat instead of on top of it, which would have made the hanging process a bit smoother for me on the large frames.

For a limited time, Artifact Uprising is having a summer sale and is offering 15% off sitewide and 20% off when you spend $150 or more with the code PRINTSUMMER. I recommend taking advantage of it, because you could save up to hundreds of dollars on frames. 

Buy: Artifact Uprising Gallery Frames, $58.65, normally $69