7 Easy Ways to Turn Family Photos into Art

Gallery walls are an ideal way to add interest to your homes' walls. Follow these seven tips to help transform your treasured photos into beautiful home accents.

1. Where Do I Display Them?

Depending on your home’s layout, you may have several options. A few places make natural sense, though. Stairwells, long hallways, and family rooms tend to host photo collections well. The center of the photos – or the center of the gallery – should be 57 inches above the floor, which is eye-level for the average person.

Related – 5 Tips for Decorating the Living Room

2. What Style Do I Use?

Photos can be casual or formal, and frame styles run the gamut. When choosing a style, look at the space they will hang in, as well as your overall décor. Photo galleries in the living room should take on a more formal feel versus a hallway or stairwell.

3. Black and White or Color?

For photos from many locations, events, or years, think about printing all of them in black and white, creating a more timeless look. Color photos work best when they are from one collection. In general, do not use color and black and white photos in a single gallery.

4. Framed Prints or a Canvas?

Uniformity is key, in most cases. However, using one large canvas as an anchor piece with smaller framed prints from the same vacation or family photo shoot will also work.

5. What Kinds of Frames Do I Use?

Frames in the same color or finish will be more cohesive. Buy inexpensive frames at a flea market, then paint them all the same color to create a uniform collection.

6. How Do I turn My Photos Into a Theme?

Hanging several photos together creates a statement, and using photos from one event – a family vacation or a photo shoot, for instance – means they will coordinate well. Or, show a progression over time by using one photo from each year of a child’s life, for instance.

7. How Many Photos Make a Gallery?

You may struggle to create your own gallery configurations; however, look online or in magazines or home decor catalogs for templates.

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