Bosch Quigo review, how to create a gallery wall
Do you have a tool that you always wanted to give a try? For me that is a laser level. We live in an old house where nothing, and I really mean NOTHING, is straight. Whenever I need to paint, hang or build something it is a real struggle getting a straight line on the wall. When Bosch asked me if I would like to have a play with their Quigo cross line laser I didn’t have to think twice. One of the projects I had on my to do list was a gallery wall in my toddlers room, a perfect project to give the laser a try.
For the gallery wall I want to paint a large rectangle in which I can hang all the art works. By blocking a spot on the wall you can hang all different kind of prints, drawings, paintings and it will still look like one cohesive piece.
The Let’s get a bit technical first, the Quigo projects horizontal and vertical lines making it the perfect tool to draw the rectangle on my wall but of course also for hanging pictures, wallpapering and even drilling holes that need to be on the same level (think stair banister) Laser lines automatically straighten due to a clever mechanism in the box making it perfect for slightly wonky floors like mine.
The Quigo is super small! It’s just a little cube that you switch on by pushing the slider up, couldn’t be easier. The Quigo comes with a universal clamp that you can attach to anything but it also comes with an adapter plate so you can use it on a tripod like I did.
With the Bosch Quigo on its tripod I switched the level on and followed the line it projected on my wall with masking tape.
You can see a paint line on the wall, that is me trying out if I liked the grey paint. I wanted a colour that went with the painted radiator, would create a nice block on the wall but also wouldn’t distract too much from the art.
You can see on the picture in the middle you can also clamp the Quigo to pieces of furniture, a very handy option if you want to get a quick straight line. As I needed to move the laser around to create the big rectangle I opted for using the tripod.
I simply kept moving the tripod and following the line with my masking tape until I had a large rectangle covering two walls. By not staying on just the one wall but also moving over into the corner and the other wall the gallery wall will look a bit more playful, perfect for a child’s bedroom! As the Quigo also gives you vertical lines it is super easy marking your shape.
I was rather impressed how easy the laser was to use, especially as it has it is self levelling. If the Quigo can’t adjust itself to a straight line it will tell you by slowly flashing, a great warning telling you to adjust the box.
With my rectangle marked out it is time to paint, I used Annie Sloan wall paint in Paris Grey, as you can see I painted that on with a brush and not a roller. My walls aren’t completely smooth so I find using a brush, especially on a smaller area, is easier then using a roller. After the first coat was dry I applied a second coat and right away took the masking tape off. You get neater lines when you take the tape off while the paint is still a bit wet.
Once the second coat was dry it was time to hang all the art! As the gallery wall is above Kiki’s bed I didn’t want anything heavy, so no photo frames. I didn’t want to run the risk of it falling down on top of the bed. Instead I hung everything with blu tack and mounting tape. There are a few picture frames on the wall but they are made from cardboard so even if they will fall down they won’t cause any harm.
The art I used is a mix of posters I bought, prints from local artists, postcards that got sent to us, little drawings I made and some pieces Kiki created. I even used a few little bird decals, a metal elephant memo board and some stickers to break up the geometric shapes.
I love how everything came together! By having all the colourful pieces on a dark neutral background it doesn’t look too busy in the room. It is also super easy to rotate the decor pieces, you just simply pull it off the wall and hang something else in its place.
The owl print is by Clare Youngs and a gift from Clare for Kiki’s birthday
The bear eating a sandwich is by Lisa Jones Studio
The K is a handmade birthday card Kiki got from a friend and the two dogs next to it is a painting by Margo in Margate.
The dinosaur print is by ONR. and the metal elephant I picked up at my parents local garden centre for a few euros. It was grey though so to make it stand out a bit more from the grey rectangle I spray painted it a pale pink.
The white piece with black, pink and blue shapes I made at a workshop with Emily Henson, the hand print is a recent little craft session make with Kiki, the tortoise she made at play group a few months ago.
All the smaller pieces are postcards and the lovely black and white British Wildlife poster is by Molly Pickle design.
The Quigo laser cross line laser was SO super easy to use, it will be a great staple in anyones DIY tool kit. As it is very easy to set up it will come in very handy if I want to quickly hang a picture or when I want to wall paper a wall. For more information and technical details have a look here.
Doesn’t the gallery wall look super cute in Kiki’s room! I am so pleased with it and Kiki loves pointing out all the art works she made herself :)
