Framed photography is a creative and traditional way to add warmth to any home décor. The home represents the heart and soul of nearly all family life. It is the center of most of your family’s memories. For this reason, it only makes sense to share some of your happiest moments with the guests that are welcomed into your home. There are endless creative ideas concerning how you can decorate with photography that will impress your friends and extended family. These are just a few fun and innovative concepts for exhibiting family pictures in your living space. Use one or more of these options and allow your own imagination and creativity to run wild. Have fun with the ideas in this article and in no time, you will have an amazing photographic design that will have your guests in awe, inspiring them to add a unique flare to their own family picture décor.
1. Photos Surrounding an Open Entryway
A lovely idea for displaying framed photographs is to place them around an open entryway that leads into another room. The entryways to kitchens and dining rooms are usually open portals leaving great wall space that is often unused. A great way to use this space is to hang your picture frames along the sides of the entryway. You could use photographs from past holidays, like Christmas, to add a lively and inviting touch to the room. The unique display area would make for an excellent conversation piece at dinner parties and holiday gatherings.
2. Dedicated Themed Wall
The family picture wall is a common and traditional theme found in most homes. A great way to make over this old idea is to give your family picture wall a dedicated theme. You can do this by choosing a colored theme for all your picture frames, such as black and white, red and pink or blue and green. The color can reflect or stand out from the predominant color scheme of the room it is in. Another idea is to place all the frames into an overall shape pattern, such as a heart or star. You could also purchase a large tree decal that can be the backdrop for your photos in a family tree theme. These are some ways to take an old tradition and add a modern flare.
3. Chalkboard Picture Display
A great idea for family rooms, dens or kitchens is the chalkboard picture display. To do this, you can use a large portrait frame and paint the inside of it with chalkboard paint. On the inside of the portrait frame you would hang individual photos with an adhesive and with colored chalk, draw frame-like designs around each of the photos. You can also write messages and names of family members on the chalkboard paint. This idea is very versatile, allowing you to change the color and theme of the inner portrait as desired.
4. Digital Picture Frames
For the technologically savvy family, a fun way to display family pictures is in a digital picture frame. These innovative frames allow you to upload many pictures and display them in a continuous slideshow. These frames can be hung on walls or placed on end tables. Each digital frame can be dedicated to an individual family member or momentous event in the family’s life. Many of them come with remote controls so you can adjust the movement through the slideshow. This is ideal for the minimalist who does not want to take up too much wall space with picture frames.
5. Clothesline Design
A cool idea for a living room or family room is to hang pictures across the wall on a clothesline with clothespins. A smart way to do this is to laminate the photos before they are hung to keep the pictures from eventually bending. You could also use an adhesive to keep the photos against the wall or to display them in unique patterns. This design idea is fun because you can add or take away the pictures as time and situations change. This display can be placed over a horizontal bookcase or accent table. There are also many variations you can do with simple twine string and clothespins. You are limited only by your imagination.
6. Spiraled Frame Design
The spiral frame design is a good theme for a dedicated picture wall. A creative way to use this theme is to start with an early picture in the center of the spiral and have the photos progressively show a change in time as it fans outward. For instance, the first picture can be one of your children as a baby and as the pictures spiral around, it shows their growth toward their present age which would be the last picture on the outside of the spiral. Another idea is to begin with your wedding photo and progressively show the family’s growth with children being born along the way until there is a more recent complete family picture as the last photo. Having different frame styles can make the spiral more interesting and aesthetically engaging.
7. Dedicated Shelving
Dedicated shelving is a common way to display your family’s memories with your friends and family. The simplest idea involves taking a few shelves, about 3 to 5, and placing pictures frames atop them. There are also fun and unique options for the family picture shelf such as using clear, empty bottles (that can be purchased at your nearest arts and crafts store) and placing black and white photos inside. You could also use twine string and clothespins to hang photos from the ends of the shelves, leaving the actual shelf space open for other decorative items.
8. The Family Branches
A uniquely creative idea to display your most precious moments is to place tree branches in a vase and use clothespins to hang your photos along the branches. For this idea, you would want to laminate the photos so that they do not bend with time. You can use real or faux branches to achieve this look. You can also use plants that are durable and do not die quickly in indoor environments, like bamboo. With bamboo, you can use a strong adhesive on the backs of the photos so that they stay connected to the vertical stalks.
