What happens when a decorating staple meets a music icon? You get Paul McCartney's gallery wall, as evidenced in his dining room. This isn't the first time we've noted the curated frames on the Beatles musician's wall, but one year after we first commented, they remain as inspiring (and timeless). This isn't a surprise, however, when you consider the history of the gallery wall.

Despite being a beloved feature in contemporary homes, the concept of a gallery wall dates back to the 1670s, when it was an official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in France. Artworks were displayed from floor to ceiling in tightly packed arrangements, reminiscent of how a gallery wall would look today.

In the centuries that followed, the type of artwork and photographs shown on a gallery wall has evolved, as Paul's dining room reminds us. On his wall, he has a series of vibrantly painted artworks and black-and-white photographs, all of which reflect his personality and passions.

With this technique, however, it's hard to go wrong. You shouldn't follow the exact photos and artworks he uses, but rather, use them as inspiration to frame the images that make you the happiest.

Paul is in good company. Martin Waller, the founder of the global design house, Andrew Martin, swears by this decorating technique, but notes that a successful wall is 'both an art and a science.'

'A great gallery wall should feel as if it’s evolved over time, not been clinically measured into existence. There’s an alchemy to it - balancing shape, colour, and story. Start with one anchor piece and build around it, allowing your instincts to guide you rather than a ruler. That said, a little structure goes a long way,' he says.

Knowing how high to hang pictures is the first step to sucsess, and investing in the right frame is equally important, according to Martin.

'Hang artwork at eye level or just above, and never underestimate the importance of framing; this is a cost you should never hold back on,' he says.

'The right frame can transform a picture and is critical to the overall feel of the artwork. Create shapes and patterns with multiple pieces to form a gallery wall, remembering also to keep uniformity and structure in the final shape. If you have two portraits, face them towards each other as if they're having a conversation, and make themes like putting all your pictures of animals together, even if they're of different styles and eras. The important thing is to tell a story with your wall.'

When it comes to the type of artworks and photos you should frame, Paul McCartney's arrangement is the perfect blueprint.

'Play with color by using all monochrome pieces, then one vividly colourful work in the middle. Don't be afraid to put very contemporary art in a traditional space, or vice versa; it is often the merging of seemingly incongruous styles that creates beauty through surprise,' Martin adds.

If we are to take one last lesson from Paul's wall, it's that we should only ever buy (and frame) something that resonates with us. 'Only ever buy something you like. Art, above all else, should always be personal,' Martin says. We can't wait to get started in the dining room and beyond.

The Beatles' ever-popular song 'In My Life,' is an earnest reflection on the importance of remembering the mundane 'people and things' we interact with daily. A painted door in Paul McCartney's studio embodies the design version of this philosophy.

By using art to transform the most banal parts of his home (what's more humdrum than a door?), Paul shows his appreciation for the everyday in a move I find spectacularly inspiring. Photographs of the songwriter's music room taken by his daughter Mary McCartney reveal the four-paneled gateway has been painted with intricate Eastern-inspired murals. A blue floral design grows across the center lines. A brass doorknob looks carefully chosen.

Paul's space contains lessons beyond how to organize a music room; principally, it's a masterclass in romanticizing your life through design. As a young woman in my mid-20s, I am constantly thinking about ways to make every day feel more magical, and an unexpected mural is the perfect place to start.

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First, the best thing about a wall mural idea as a form of self-expression is that it can be installed anywhere on any budget. For instance, Paul's door mural is a contrast to the multi-foot paintings we tend to see in design magazines stretching across dining room walls. This kind of micro-mural could be installed in any room, as long as there is a door present.

For me, however, the mural trend is about more than the painting itself; it's a mindset that can be applied across the home. I am taking it as permission to opt for the louder, more design-led cushion over the neutral one that might be more expected for guests. It's inspiring me to buy more interesting tea towels and cooking tools, to elevate even the most unglamorous activities that I do every day.

Creating mood-boosting design is all about a perspective shift towards colors, materials, and patterns that spark joy. Today, I'm choosing to follow Paul McCartney's example.

Christmas sees a host of century-old traditions take shape in contemporary homes, but none is quite so lighthearted (and fun) as mistletoe.

The plant, famously responsible for many kisses over the festive season, has roots in the 1st century A.D. when it was first used in ritual form by the Celtic Druids. The plant was considered a symbol of vivacity and fertility after the Druids saw it blooming throughout their cold winters. Similarly, in Norse mythology culture, mistletoe was said to represent love and peace – following the story of the goddess, Figg, who lost her son, the god Baldur, to an arrow made from the plant. Following his death, Figg vowed that Mistletoe would kiss anyone who passed beneath it – and it would never be used as a weapon again. This led to the kissing tradition as we know it today.

Growing mistletoe and using it to encourage kissing over Christmas began in England in the 18th century, according to reports. In the 300 years that have followed, the tradition has found its way into millions of homes, including Paul McCartney's, no less.

McCartney chose to hang his mistletoe in the most traditional place of all: Above his front door – creating a first impression that feels fun and, most importantly, wholly festive. Other popular mistletoe settings include on mantels and in dining rooms, where some design experts take things a step further and use to to create the perfect tablescape.

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When introducing mistletoe to your table, Andrea Waters, the marketing director of luxury tableware brand Portmeirion, recommends beginning by clarifying your theme and color scheme, then building on top of beautiful linen.

'All successful tablescapes start with a theme or color palette. This year, tonal colors are at the forefront of design, creating a warm and sophisticated scheme. Start with a foundation of white linen, which is the ideal blank canvas to highlight accessories,' she says.

'Introduce complementary colors through your tableware, with plates or dishes featuring a dainty festive motif that communicates your theme to guests while maintaining a timeless look. If you want just a hint of cheery Christmas red or green, choose a few pieces of statement tableware with a traditional holly, ivy, or mistletoe illustration to lift an otherwise pared-back color palette.'

Alternatively, if you want to make things appear yet more luxurious, she suggests adding gold accents that will 'punctuate your neutral scheme' and create a talking point for all your guests. 'Given that you’ll likely be hosting on more than one occasion, you can use different collections depending on the scene you want to set,' she adds. When in doubt, start with mistletoe, and rest assured that it holds similarities with a decoration in a legend's home.

You can never go wrong with white paint. In Paul McCartney's entryway, the traditional wall color creates a modern and welcoming ambiance.

Shared in an Instagram post, the Beatle's home opens to a white wall with a broad, arched doorway. Through the arch, we can see the mahogany railing of the staircase leading to the rest of the home. McCartney has brought texture into the entryway using various flowers, stacks of books, and a mahogany table that matches the railings. Framed paintings and photographs stretch across the walls, creating an unconventional gallery look. Contemporary-style lighting highlights the natural warmth of McCartney's chosen color.

An entryway color can have a huge impact on the home. It's often the first room we see as we enter our home, so choosing an inviting shade is vital. This is why white, lauded for its versatility, brightening, and space-enhancing properties, is a great choice for such an important space in the home.

'The choice of white entryway paint transforms McCartney's space,' adds Jennifer Ebert, color expert and Digital Editor at Homes & Gardens. 'Though the entryway is relatively narrow, the white paint makes it appear much more expansive. It also creates the perfect backdrop for all of the mahogany accents and accessories the singer has incorporated into his home.'

Beyond the bright entryway color, the sideboard table enhances the sense of innate warmth and comfort in McCartney's home. Cochrane recommends: 'If space allows, a sideboard with beautifully styled accessories or planters will help to seamlessly tie in this room with the rest of the home while providing helpful storage to conceal everyday items.'

Shop the Paul McCartney Entryway Edit

There's more to Paul McCartney's foyer than white space: carefully placed furniture and accessories transform the space into a luxurious entryway. To recreate the look, our editors tracked down orchids, a round table, and picture frames to match McCartney's home. The blooms on this vibrant faux orchid plant will never fade, making it the perfect option for an entryway with low light.

A rounded, dark wood table like this one from Wayfair is perfect for adding a touch of warmth and character to an entryway space. Finally, we love these aluminum frames from Amazon for brining a sense of modernity to any art print or photograph you choose to feature on your walls.

Creating the perfect white hallway foyer is about balance. White paint without any furnishings added can look stark and cold, producing the opposite of the welcoming effect you hope to create – while too much furniture or color can become crowded and build overwhelming energy for those entering the home.

Ebert advises: 'To achieve balance in your entryway, I recommend limiting furnishings to one focal point. For instance, in Paul McCarney's space, the round, dark wood table draws our eye. This effect can be created using a table, a chair, or a gallery wall in a smaller space. Regardless, only one part of the design should deviate from the white color scheme for the most striking effect.'

White paint can enhance almost any space. In an entryway, it can help create a welcoming atmosphere. Just look at Paul McCartney's home.

Paul McCartney's home embraces a lived-in look. Ultra-modern, minimalist design has wavered in style for years, and the iconic musician offers an alternative to the fading look. The result is an incredibly human style that reflects the personality of the person who lives there.

Rather than blindly following trends, the Beatle's living room embodies the timeless style of '60s design. McCartney's space is filled with warm, natural wood, from the built-ins to his coffee table and piano. Cozy textiles like the white and blue curtains and the plaid bench bring texture and off-beat character. Nearly every free surface in the room is covered in artistic artifacts: books, records, and sheet music. The overall effect is a space that practically invites you in.

The cozy living room embodies the anti-trend philosophy spread across the interior design space in recent years. For instance, Etsy's trend Expert, Dayna Isom Johnson, predicted the rise of 'Rom-Com interiors' in 2024. This phrase, describing cozy interiors with an inviting, lived-in feel as seen in Rom-Coms from the '90s and early 2000s, is just a new name for a style that has always existed, it's a curated, midi-malist look created for the atmosphere it creates rather than simply the aesthetic.

The retro-style sensibility of McCartney's living room, which takes inspiration from the 1960s and 1980s, furthers this feeling of lived-in coziness that defines the space. Jennifer Ebert, interior design expert and digital editor at Homes & Gardens, says, 'Sixties-style design tends to be a celebration of pattern and upholstery. The fabric on McCartney's windows and piano bench brings in this feel. The warmth of the wood stain in the space also takes inspiration from this period.'

She continues, 'Rather than being constrained by decorating based on this era McCartney's space takes inspiration from different periods while incorporating an individual flair. The antique Tiffany Lamp in the background brings a sense of history into the space, while the presence of personal artifacts tells a story about the lives of the people who live in the home.'

Shop H&G's Retro Living Room Edit

To help you recreate Paul McCartney's look, we compiled high-quality, textural pieces that can either be used together for a vintage '60s feel or incorporated into existing decor to add character.

This Tiffany-style lamp from Wayfair has a look that is indistinguishable from original designer versions but at a fraction of the cost. Pottery Barn tends to have high-quality textiles at an accessible price point, and these stylish floral curtains are no exception. Finally, our editors love the way this Wayfair coffee table can bring natural wood into your living room alongside the function of an additional shelf. With these pieces, designing a living room is no problem.

However, decorating in a retro style isn't about prescriptively following a look you've seen before. Replicating the look requires paying attention to your personal style, and decorating based on your own interests. It's an exercise in authenticity that works best if it's a collection of things that you love. To discover your interior design style, focus on figuring out what colors, patterns, and threads run through different spaces you have put together.

Paul McCartney has never been one to follow interior design trends, he tends to start them. This space is evidence that authenticity, warmth, and inviting energy will never go out of style.

The concept of a gallery wall is nothing new, but the look is just as stunning every time we see it. Paul McCartney's gallery wall is no exception.

McCartney's dining room is a masterclass in the classic wall decorating technique. His space has cream walls with beautiful lined detailing. The stained wood dining table and sideboard bring warmth, coziness, and a sense of history to his space, while the green and wood mid-century modern chairs add an avant-garde contrast. Above the sideboard, a variety of large framed photographs and paintings cover the wall, filling the space with color and artistic flair.

'I love this oversized take on the gallery wall,' says Jennifer Ebert, design expert and digital editor at Homes & Gardens of McCartney's wall decor. 'Many gallery walls are built with negative space as the focus, but this design seems to do the opposite. Each large-scale painting takes up a huge portion of the space behind the dining table, creating the effect of a full mural wall.'

To create your own gallery wall, Ebert advises a focus on color, proportion, and alignment. She states, 'In McCartney's space, the choice of red, yellow, and green perfectly complement the warm wood of the table. This cohesion between the artwork and the design in the space creates an intentional and unified feel throughout the room.'

She continues, 'It's important to note that the gallery wall has been centered to the sideboard and the dining table, creating a symmetrical visual that makes the room appear orderly and well-planned. The size of the paintings has also been coordinated with a healthy amount of white space to keep the gallery wall from becoming too visually overwhelming.'

Shop H&G's Gallery Wall Edit

The whole idea of a gallery wall is that it is guided by what is particularly intriguing to you based on your personal style, so there is no prescriptive way to do it. However, a collection of variously sized frames never hurt. For this edit, we chose frames in a diversity of sizes and materials to cater to a variety of tastes and styles of gallery wall.

Paul McCartney's dining room is just one example of what a beautiful gallery wall can look like, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

For a quainter alternative, we recommend sourcing vintage frames for a more country-style wall – perfect for homes with a more rustic aesthetic. This allows us to turn a hobby, such as flower pressing, into a work of art by hanging them in age-old, slightly weathered frames and hanging them closely together on a blank wall. It's a personal twist on McCartney's classic look.

Lighter-colored, Scandinavian-inspired woods have spent several seasons fronting interior trends, but now darker wood is on the rise – and Paul McCartney is already involved. 

Paul recently shared a look inside (what appears to be) his studio, adorned, perhaps unsurprisingly, with hundreds of records, photos, and posters. However, while his music library is something to note, we're slightly distracted by the dark wooden cabinets and shelving that are predicted to continue shaping design trends in the year ahead. 

As Etsy's trend forecaster Dayna Isom Johnson explains, 'darker, more traditional woods, including teak, walnut, and mahogany, have recently fallen back in fashion' – meaning Paul is, of course, ahead of the curve. 

On Etsy, there has been a 337 percent increase in searches for walnut desks and accessories and a 28 percent increase in searches for brown seating or furniture, but what makes these deeper tones so attractive?

'Darker woods create a sense of warmth and coziness into a space while also providing a touch of character and sophistication to a room,' Dayna notes. 'Another reason why darker woods are popular? Their timeless quality. Just ask our collection curator, Martha Stewart, who recently shared that "brown furniture is alive and well" and that "what's old is new" once again.'

Bo Hellberg, the CMO at String Furniture, agrees. He, too, observed a rise in darker-hued storage in recent months, and when we look at Paul's system, it's easy to understand the appeal. 

Unlike its cooler-toned counterpart, however, these cabinets can sometimes feel trickier to incorporate into our spaces. Though, as Bo reassures, decorating with darker colors is easier than we may initially think. 

'While darker tones can seem overwhelming to incorporate into an interior scheme, they can also perfectly tie a room together and make a unique design statement, especially when used up on the walls,' he says. 

'Why not bring an element of drama to your living room with a dark accent wall or simply incorporate a subtle hint with your shelf? Either way, these elegant colorways are utterly timeless and promise to stand the test of time.' 

We're shopping our current favorite dark wood picks below.

How we fill our cabinets is personal, but if we're to take any lesson from Paul's setup, it's that any colors (and any contents) look great against a dark wood setting. And with approval from this Beatle, is it any surprise this tone is on the up?