Plenty of empty wall space, yet not enough confidence to fill it? Take a deep breath! You’re more than halfway there. Read on to learn how you can keep it simple and still design a gallery of family photographs to rival even the best interior decorator’s.
Choosing Photos
Pick photos that light you up. This can look different for everyone. It might be a perfectly posed family portrait, a photo of your daughter’s hair blowing in the wind, one of your children laughing so hard that their eyes are shut and their mouth is open, or that perfect pout that only your four-year-old can pull off. When you see the photo that speaks to you, you’ll know.
How Should You Display Them?
Go big. Oversized prints are where it’s at. It makes any photo immediately feel like museum art. You can go the route of custom framing, or take the more economical road and order poster-sized frames on Amazon.
Where Should You Put Them?
Consider spaces in your home that get a lot of traffic. Family rooms, playrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and staircase landings all make for great spaces to display family photos. The traditional rules of where to display family photos have changed. Every home has its own flow, and every family has a different style of living. Choose a space to display photos based on that.
For More Inspiration…
Gallery Wall
Line up your photos neatly like a well-styled photoshoot. Put them into matching frames and print them in either all color or all black-and-white for a result that will make even iPhone photos look like an interior designer popped into your home. You don’t need expensive frames to make this happen. Target and Amazon have great options.
Ledge Gallery
Using the top of a cabinet or another unexpected spot, you can set up leaning frames to create a casual but character-full gallery. Art ledges are the perfect way to display family photos. They make it easy to swap out and change the prints as the kids grow, or even with the changing seasons.
Kitchen Art
While it’s a little unconventional, I love the idea of putting photos up in the kitchen. We spend a lot of time there, so why not look at things that make us happy while we do? Don’t hang photos near the stove or oven, though, because the heat can damage the prints.
Floor Art
Along with looking super cool and casual, leaning art — instead of hanging it on a wall — makes for a flexible home. You don’t have to whip out the hammer and nails every time you want to rearrange your decor.
What Size to Print?
Measure the space on your well to get the right size for your art. Two common faux pas when hanging wall art is creating a tiny art island in a sea of empty wall space, and hanging a piece so high that you need a stepladder to see it.
When hanging wall art above furniture, here are the standard sizes you should aim for:
>For a twin bed, choose art that’s 22 to 30 inches wide.
>For a full bed, choose art that’s 30 to 41 inches wide.
>For a queen bed, choose art that’s 34 to 45 inches wide.
>For a king bed, choose art that’s 43 to 57 inches wide.
>Above a fireplace, match the width of the art to the width of the fireplace opening.
>For a 96-inch sofa, choose art that’s 54 to 72 inches wide.
>For a 72-inch sofa, choose art that’s 41 to 54 inches wide.
>For a 60-inch table, choose art that’s 34 to 45 inches wide.
Pro Tip
Use Command™ Picture Hanging Strips to hang your art. Command Picture Hanging Strips let you fearlessly hang pictures without nails or tools. They’re pretty foolproof, just be sure to read the instructions and ensure compatibility with your walls.
And there you have it. Now you have no excuse for keeping all those gorgeous shots on your camera or phone. Happy framing!
OverRachel Fellig’s 12 years of experience as a lifestyle photographer, she’s had the pleasure of working with hundreds of families in Florida, New York, and Israel. Knowing the feeling her clients have when they see their photos is her greatest joy. Contact her at www.rachelfellig.com or info@rachelfellig.com.
