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It’s showtime—give your home
a happy vibe by displaying your family
photos in new, creative ways.
craft styling by Suzonne Stirling
text by judy prouty
24 family circle aug.10
photography by David Prince
Pick up the color
of the frames with
a few accessories,
like these graphic
throw pillows.
BETTER RED
Help unify a collection of old and new
images and give vintage portraits a modern
feel with matching frames in one bold hue.
HERE’S HOW If you want to mix contemporary pictures with old family
photos, print the newer ones in black-and-white for a unified look. The
same vivid frames—in, say, red, green or blue—and wide white mats will
best complement the images and create visual harmony. Varied heights
and shapes ensure that the arrangement doesn’t feel too formal.
SITTING PRETTY
Make an inspiring arrangement on a mantel,
desk or tabletop with black-and-white
shots propped casually against a wall.
➽ HERE’S HOW Layer a mix of large and small pictures, both portraits and landscapes,
on a flat surface. Choose an uneven number (here we used three) and different frames.
This feels more modern and offers an opportunity to mingle pictures with objects and
accessories. Parsons white console, $349, westelm.com
Mats with
openings of
different sizes
give a sense of
movement.
ON THE GRID
A symmetrical configuration creates
a striking yet simple focal point in a dining room
or over the sofa in the family room.
➽ HERE’S HOW White frames and mats bring together a grouping of casual
portraits, still lifes and landscapes. Line up pictures on
the bottom row first, along a single baseline, using a level to mark
the positions. Arrange the remaining photos as desired.
26 family circle aug.10
Use a minimum
of six photos
for a balanced
arrangement.
CHILD’S PLAY
Meaningful mementos—a kid’s
drawing, a favorite greeting
card, a starfish—give a wall
of photos the personal
flavor of a scrapbook.
Colorful
gift wrap and
construction
paper are great for
showcasing
artwork.
28 family circle aug.10
Prop styling: Loren Simons.
➽ HERE’S HOW Mount family snapshots of
different sizes in neutral frames with or without
white mats. Use colorful mats for artwork,
cards, special letters, a picture from a
magazine—anything goes if it’s important to
you. Group pictures about 2 to 3 inches apart
in a random pattern. Scoop-back white chair,
$79, westelm.com
BACK STORY
Choose an unexpected spot, like a
door, for a quartet of small
photos, each in a unique frame.
➽ HERE’S HOW Pick a mix of portraits, still lifes
and landscapes. Position the largest print at eye
level and hang the rest above and below in a vertical
line. You might also try fastening photos to the
outside of an armoire or on the narrow strip of wall
between a pair of windows. This is the perfect way
to display family moments or tell a short story.
Smaller frames
also work well on
shelves, mixed in
with books and
other objects.
SPECIAL
DELIVERY
Elevate a treasured
snapshot to gallery
status with an
extra-wide mat in a
narrow frame.
THE HANG OF IT
More ideas on how to wake up your walls with family photos.
➽ Bring photos into
rooms where you’ll
appreciate them and
where they’ll have the
most impact.
➽ Don’t hang pictures
too high. To create a
focal point, place the
central image at eye
level, or a little higher if
the ceiling is lofty.
➽ Unless you’re working
30 family circle aug.10
with pairs or on a grid
display, always choose
an odd number of images
and make your prints in a
variety of sizes.
➽ Although precut
mats are usually
included with ready-tohang frames, a craft
store can custom-cut a
mat to any size.
➽ Protect originals by
using a copy machine to
enlarge or shrink the
image. Then trim the
resulting printout to fit
your frame.
➽Test-drive an
arrangement by cutting
brown paper to the size
of your frames and
moving pieces around
on the floor until you get
the desired effect.
See Buyer’s Guide, page 206.
➽ HERE’S HOW
Allow a generous amount of mat
on either side of the print and,
instead of centering the photo,
position it in the upper third of
the mat (there should be more
white space on the bottom than
the top). Beyond that, there are
no rules. You can even choose a
mat that’s bigger than the one
shown here, increasing the white
space around the photo.
For big impact,
use a large mat to
emphasize a very small
photo—for example, a 2" x 3"
photo with a 10" mat.