Bobby Berk x Frameology Q&A

Q: What does a gallery wall bring to a space?

A: What I love about a gallery wall and what it really brings to a room is the ability to fill up a wall, but not with just one big piece. Often, either one large piece of art is too big or too small. The thing that I love about gallery walls is they're just right, you know? I'm like Goldilocks. I'm always looking for the thing that's just right for the wall and a gallery wall is a really great way to bring your own art and your own photography, your own memories, but really fill out the space in a perfect way.

Q: How did the collaboration come to be and why did you want to partner with Frameology?

A: The partnership with Frameology came about when Ben reached out to me through The Expert. He booked a session with me — I thought I was going to be helping somebody design their space, but in fact, it was a business pitch and I loved it. It was great. You know, Frameology is an awesome company whose goal is really to make your home a better place and to make creating those spaces much easier. So it was just a match made in heaven. 

Q: Why was it important for you to design hanging templates along with this collection?

A: I know one of the most frustrating things about a gallery wall is hanging multiple pieces and making sure they’re spaced perfectly, aligned perfectly, and in the past I’ve ended up with dozens of holes on the wall for maybe four photos. So what we did was we created these amazing templates that you literally tape on the wall and everything is lined up perfectly for you. It is foolproof. You can knock it out so quickly and your friends will think you had a professional come do it.

Q: You always seem to work a gallery wall into each of your projects, some even inducing some tears of joy during the reveals. Did that experience influence how you approached this project?

A: On Queer Eye, one of the things that I always love to work into as many spaces as possible is a great gallery wall because I like to make our heroes feel like the space is theirs. If I were just to go in and fill the home full of a bunch of basic art from a supplier, it doesn't feel like them. So, a gallery wall is a really great place to bring in photos of them, photos of their family, photos of loved ones past that can really invoke emotion and make the space feel like their own.

Q: What tips do you have for people in choosing the photos to include in their gallery? Is there a trick that you have that helps elevate the look of traditional family photos?

A: One of the tips that I always give people when doing a gallery wall is try to keep some things cohesive. So if you're going to do a gallery wall with some black and white photos, keep them consistently all black and white. These [frames behind me] are all color, but they're all kind of in the same tone. So even though they're of different faces and places, they all kind of have the same hue to them. So it keeps it a cohesive look without being too busy. 

I really wanted these gallery walls to feel more editorial instead of just like the big framed family photo that we've seen in all of our homes growing up. I wanted these to feel more editorial, so we added in a nice, thick white mat to make them look even more chic.

Q: Which is your favorite gallery wall of the collection?

A: Hanging art in stairs is really difficult in terms of sizing and the angle. It's one of the hardest places to really make art work, so a gallery wall is a perfect piece for stairs because you can obviously hang them at different heights and make them perfect. So, the one in the staircase is definitely my favorite.
(Shop the staircase gallery wall set)

Q: What are some of your favorite memories that you framed?

A: Some of the things that I love to frame the most are trips that my husband Dewey and I get to take. I love being able to walk down the hall and be reminded of a really beautiful moment that sometimes you might forget about.

Q: If you could give any piece of unique advice to someone who wants to pursue a career in design out of high school, what would it be? 

A: If I could give a piece of advice to people who are maybe just out of high school who are wanting to get to design is: be uniquely you. Don't try to emulate someone else, be you. Because the people that are truly unique are the ones that are going to stand out the most.

Note: this interview with Bobby Berk has been edited for clarity.