Use IKEA Ribba frames to personalize a long hallway or any long wall in your home—these frames can create an art-gallery look with big impact.
I’m slowly personalizing my home and focusing on one space at a time. I don’t have many items on the walls yet, so this week I tackled the long hallway that connects three kids’/guest bedrooms and the second bathroom. A narrow, long hallway is a great place to create a gallery-style display that feels intentional rather than cluttered.
On a recent trip to IKEA I picked up three square Ribba frames and a Basisk-style track lighting kit for this small hallway update. In my previous home I used a collection of smaller frames along a corridor, but here I wanted fewer, larger frames to create a bold focal point in the narrow space. The Ribba frames are simple, economical, and scale nicely for a gallery effect.
Finding the right print size was a small challenge: the square Ribba frames take a 12×12 print. The only local retailer I could find that sold that exact size at the time was Costco, which worked perfectly. Since then I began ordering 12×12 prints online to match the frames and the look I wanted.
Before hanging the frames I watched a very helpful tutorial from View Along the Way about how to hang Ribba frames properly. It explained a simple trick involving a short screw and a paint stirrer to make the frames hang flush and behave—exactly the kind of step-by-step advice that makes the difference between a crooked installation and a professional look.
During the installation we uncovered a few surprises. Removing the smoke alarm from the wall revealed an old paint color, and we also found another hidden paint shade on the ceiling near the light fixture. There were two smoke alarms very close together for some reason; we decided to move the wall-mounted one to our daughter’s room. When we swapped out the light fixture we uncovered yet another layer of paint. Those discoveries reminded me how many stories old homes can hold and gave me extra motivation to finally pick a fresh, cohesive color for our main open-plan areas.
Painting choices are a big part of finishing a space like this, so uncovering the old hues pushed me to prioritize selecting a main paint color for our living room and hallways. A consistent neutral or soft gray often helps a gallery wall stand out while keeping the overall home palette calm and cohesive. Once the color is chosen, the framed artwork and lighting will feel even more intentional against a unified backdrop.
This was my first time using the IKEA Ribba frames, and I’m impressed—I’ll use them again. They’re an affordable way to make a striking visual statement without spending a lot. The square format is modern and clean, and the frames’ depth gives a framed artwork a gallery-quality presence.
The track lighting kit made a noticeable difference, too. The fixture sits slightly off-center in the hallway and needed a bit of angling to leave room for the smoke alarm, but the result is far better than the builder-grade ceiling light it replaced. Accent lighting draws attention to the frames and adds dimension to the corridor, helping the wall read like a curated display rather than a random assortment of pictures.
Tips for creating a hallway gallery wall
- Plan the layout on the floor before you mark the wall—this helps you visualize spacing and alignment.
- Use consistent frame sizes or a simple grid to keep the look unified in narrow spaces.
- Consider accent lighting to highlight the artwork and reduce harsh overhead glare.
- Follow frame-specific hanging tricks (the Ribba hack uses a short screw and a paint stirrer) to ensure frames sit flush and level.
- Match print sizes precisely to the frame openings to avoid gaps or cropping issues.
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