Continuing in our Photo Wall discussion, this – Hanging the First Nail – is where most people get hung up (sorry, couldn’t resist the pun). My advice? Just pick up a hammer and start.
The collage style gallery lends itself to a more organic look and feel, as if the gallery grew over time. When starting a collage gallery place a larger frame somewhere in the middle as an anchor and build the rest of the wall from there. The placement doesn’t need to be symmetrical, but do keep the spacing in between photos consistent. And if you think you might want to add more photos in the future, leave room for your wall to grow. Collage style also allows you to mix in some non-photo items for more dimension and interest – things like a pair of baby shoes, shadow box with sentimental trinkets or handprint plaque are all fair game.
Rather skip the guesswork? Companies such as the Picturewall offer frames and a variety of templates to show you exactly where to hang each photo.
Picturewall
If symmetry and order is more your style then go with frames that are all the same size and hang in a grid – I recommend odd numbers whenever possible; rows of three work well. With either type of style the size of the display will depend on how much space you have and what else is happening in the room. If the gallery is going on a wall over a piece of furniture then let the furniture be your guide. Walls with no furniture allow for a more expansive gallery – go for the drama and take it from ceiling to floor.
A Well Dressed Life
Don’t like the thought of putting a lot of holes into the walls? No problem, picture rails or shelves allow you to display photos without the hassle of making holes. This style of display also makes it easy for adding and switching out photos.
Chris Loves Julia
The process of creating a family photo wall can be as rewarding as the final outcome. So whatever you do, experiment and have fun!