2, 4, 6, 8, Who Do We Appreciate? Planning!
We celebrate planning because when we skip it, we pay the price. Case in point: the gallery arrangement we just installed above our sectional.
Here’s how it went. Long ago we decided to fill the large empty area above Karl with a grid of oversized frames. Our idea was a bigger, bolder version of the frame grid we used to have above the couch in our old den.
Instead of 8 x 10″ frames, we chose 20.5 x 20.5″ Ribba frames from Ikea for a stronger visual impact (we already owned and liked four of them, and they’re very affordable).
After some rough measurements and holding up a couple of frames, Sherry and I agreed on a grid of six frames — two rows of three — centered on the wall so there would be breathing room on either side for two table lamps on a future console table behind the sectional. Note: we had temporarily moved our 5 x 8′ Pottery Barn rug into the guest room while relatives stayed, so we were working with the current setup and a softer play area for Clara until we get a larger rug.
We went to Ikea and bought six matching Ribba frames, since the color can vary slightly between production runs and we didn’t want a mixed look. Back home, I suggested we tape the paper inserts to the wall to determine height and spacing before drilling. The paper that comes inside the frames is nearly the exact size, so it makes an easy template. We taped up two sheets to judge the height first.
This is where things went off track. Sherry suggested taping up the remaining sheets so we could see all six at once. I waved it off — maybe I was eager to start drilling, or maybe I assumed the layout would translate fine without the full mockup. I told her the arrangement would look fine and that we didn’t need to tape the rest. Famous last words.
She reluctantly trusted me, so I started drilling. It took time to measure, mark and double-check alignment, so after a while I had five of the six frames hung.
Then Sherry said the arrangement looked too small. We needed eight frames, not six. I hated to admit she was right: five (and even six) frames looked undersized on that expanse of wall. They floated awkwardly and didn’t achieve the bold impact we’d imagined.
**I would have shown a picture of Karl sitting beneath the poorly placed frames, but I was too annoyed and embarrassed to take one.**
This was on me. If I had taken the few extra minutes to tape all the paper templates up front, we would have seen the issue before a single hole was made. I would have photographed the full mockup to illustrate why that extra effort matters. Duh, John. Lesson learned.
So we took down the five frames, sulking a bit, and re-measured everything so eight frames would be perfectly centered above the sectional and aligned with the ceiling beam. That meant removing the ten screws I had already put in (I’d used two per frame for security), then measuring, marking, drilling and installing sixteen more screws for the new configuration. Fortunately, the two Ribba frames we already owned matched closely enough to avoid another trip to Ikea, and we were able to complete an eight-frame grid.
The eight-frame arrangement looks right — balanced and proportional. Once we build the long console table and add matching lamps on either side, the whole vignette should read as intended: intentional, anchored and polished.
We’re still deciding what to put inside each frame. Family photos are an option, or perhaps bolder, more graphic prints to make a stronger statement. For now, we’re just relieved the hanging process is finished, even if it was accomplished the hard way. The mistake cost only time and a little humility, not money — though there are still a few stray holes and pencil marks that need patching. Sigh.
But let’s be honest: patching is Sherry’s department. Enjoy, babe.
Have you ever skipped a small planning step and paid for it later? We can’t be the only ones. Share your stories — bad planners, unite! Hearing about similar mishaps is strangely comforting.
Psst — we also discovered a simple frame solution that makes it easy to rotate kids’ artwork without removing the frame from the wall, which is handy for families who like to swap displays frequently.