The Major Downside Of Starting A Gallery Wall In Your Kitchen

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Starting a gallery wall in your kitchen may seem appealing. After all, kitchens are often neglected when it comes to displaying art. However, there are downsides to consider before pegging up your most treasured pieces where you can admire them while cooking supper or washing dishes. When it comes to preserving your artwork, kitchens tend to be war zones that can cause irreparable damage.

Positioning your gallery near heat sources such as radiators or heating vents exposes your artwork to high temperatures, which creates thermal tension and dries up moisture, leading to cracked paintwork and warped frames. Over time the paint might even blister, bubble, and lose color. Placing art near your stove, one of the hardest spots to get clean in your kitchen, exposes them to grease and splatters from cooking.

Open walls near the sink are tempting gallery spaces too, but are high-risk zones for water splashes and other spills. Even a steaming kettle is bad news for a painting as the wooden frames absorb moisture and expand, the same way wooden doors do when it rains too much. At the same time, moisture may cause the canvas to shrink. The tension between a swollen wooden frame and a shrinking canvas can cause your painting to warp. Even if you're hanging prints, constant exposure to humidity will buckle the medium that the image is printed on. Over time, continuously being damp will cause mold and mildew to grow on most surfaces, causing both aesthetic and structural damage.

While it may seem impossible to hang art in a kitchen, there are some ways to work around the disadvantages. If you have significant pieces or artwork with sentimental value, display them in a different room. For the kitchen, pick less valuable pieces that you're prepared to risk some damage to. That way, if and when they need replacing, it won't sting as much. Consider having prints made of your favorite pieces instead of hanging the originals, particularly if they suit the vibe of the kitchen.

Choosing the right frames for your art is also important. Framing your artwork under glass gives it a protective layer that helps keep it safe from the rigors of kitchen life. While this doesn't guarantee one hundred percent protection, it does go a long way to keeping your images safe. You can also opt to seal your art with a clear protective sealant such as GRAS Aleene's Acrylic Sealer Spray, which is a non-yellowing waterproof sealant.

A stress-free option is to invest in outdoor canvas art that is printed on waterproof canvas. These pieces are designed to hang outdoors in the elements. They won't run or fade due to high temperatures, moisture levels, or even rain. Artwork with this level of toughness makes for perfect pieces for an in-kitchen gallery wall and everything that goes along with it. Enjoy art without worrying about it getting damaged.

Larger kitchens have the luxury of space, and open walls away from sinks, ovens, and radiators are ideal for your gallery wall. Just check whether the wall receives direct sunlight as that is also detrimental to artwork. However, not all homes have kitchens with walls that are perfect for displaying art in this way. There are some workarounds that make kitchen galleries possible.

Open kitchen shelving provides a safe place to display a collection of art. The shelf itself provides some protection from radiated heat, while still showing off your stylish pieces. If you're going for an open shelf display, pair your artwork with other essential decor items for kitchen shelf styling. Artwork can also be free-standing on a countertop, though we'd recommend glass covered pieces near working areas, rather than block-mounted canvases.

Those with induction ovens can use the oven backsplash for hanging art. As induction stove tops don't radiate heat, the backsplash becomes a much safer spot to display your art than if you had a regular oven. Just bear in mind that your art will still contend with steam and smoke from cooking. You can always opt for a gallery wall of beautiful dishware, such as the decorative leaves and soft pattern of Bico Botanical Valley Salad Plates, or the whimsical flowers and bold colors of Rockgoldbug Ceramic Plates. When they get dirty, smoke-soiled, or greasy, pop them through the wash, hang them up again, and your gallery wall is as good as new.