DIY Gallery Wall Shelves, Pt. 2

In part one we built and hung three long picture ledges in the stairway between our split-level's upper and lower floors. Today: making them look good, with a stack of IKEA Ribba frames and zero new nail holes.

Gallery wall shelves are the commitment-phobe's gallery wall. Instead of hammering 18 holes and praying, you lean frames on narrow shelves and swap them whenever you want. Perfect for a stairway where every hole would be at a weird angle anyway.

Why Ribba frames work so well

• They're deep enough to stand up on their own on a ledge.
• They come with mats, which makes even phone photos look intentional.
• They're inexpensive, so mixing sizes doesn't break the bank.

Ribba frame instructions (the parts nobody explains)

1. Open the back: bend up the small metal tabs on the backing board. Go gently, they snap if you over-bend.
2. Mat orientation: the mat's beveled edge faces out. Center your photo on the back of the mat with a strip of tape along the top edge only, so the photo can hang straight.
3. Glass vs. plastic: newer Ribba frames ship with plastic glazing. Peel the protective film off both sides or everything looks foggy.
4. Standing on a ledge: leave the hanging hardware off so frames sit flush against the wall.

How we styled the shelves

• Start with the largest frame off-center on each shelf.
• Overlap frames by an inch or two. Layering looks collected, not catalog.
• Repeat colors across shelves, black frames on all three, plus one white accent per shelf.
• Add one non-frame thing per ledge: a small plant, a book, a ceramic bird.

The best part? When we get sick of the art, we'll swap it in five minutes. This is the first space in the house that feels finished, and it's the stairway. Split-level life, baby.