10 Great Ideas For Displaying Those Family Photos

Image via Flickr creative commons from Travis Isaacs

When it comes to interior décor, you may have strict rules about the way you want your house to look. You hear conflicting information all of the time about how walls should be kept neutral to maximise space and light, and so as not to offend prospective buyers. On the other hand of course, bright colours can express your personality and at the end of the day, if you can’t express yourself in your own home, where can you? So where do you lie when it comes to displaying family photos? Are you the type to adorn every inch of the living room wall with photos showing the progress of your now grown-up children, from embarrassing baby snaps through to graduation? Or do you prefer to only display shots that have been taken professionally where everyone looks immaculate? Whatever your style or preference, here are ten great ideas for displaying those precious family photos.

Monochrome photos

If you want a look that screams classic chic and elegance, print your photos in black and white and display them in plain black frames on your walls. This look favours a minimalist approach so don’t overload the walls of your house.

Hanging out the washing

Perhaps you’re looking to display your photos in a vintage modern style? If that’s the case, hang your photos with clothes pegs on to a wire frame. Alternatively, hang a length of string on the wall over your bed and peg photos to the line, like washing.

Blown up big

Among the many hundreds of photos you have taken over the years, there’s bound to be a couple that stand out more than others. You can have your favourites blown up and placed on canvas – it makes a great gift and canvas prints can be used to decorate the wall in place of paintings and other artwork.

Covering a lampshade

Let your precious photo memories be the light of your life by covering a lampshade with them. Each time you turn on the lamp, your photos will be illuminated.

Good enough to eat your dinner from

It’s a growing trend nowadays to display your family photos on coasters or placemats. Yes it may sound a little odd to put your mug or a plate down over your baby’s face, but as these items are used by households on a daily basis, you’ll constantly be reminded of the memories.

Matchy matchy

Does everything in your home have to match? It doesn’t matter if you’re house proud, there’s a simply way to display family photos without losing any of the spotless look you’ve worked so hard to achieve. Print out all of your photos in the same size format and display them in identical frames. If you want to mix things up a little to look more creative, vary whether you place them vertically or horizontally to make them look almost like a puzzle.

On the stairwell

It’s common to display photos for all to see as they walk up and down the stairs. However, you could use this opportunity to hang your photos like a timeline, spanning from earlier years through to modern day, to make it more interesting.

Pinned on noticeboards

You may be the type of family who are always making lists and leaving reminder notes throughout the house. Invest in a cork board and pin your favourite photos to it alongside the reminders and to-do lists – that way, you’ll remember to make time for your family too

Photo montage

Popular among families who have too many photos to choose from, you could print many out at once in a small size and make a montage out of them. Display this proudly in the heart of the home; whether the kitchen or the living room – your children will have great fun trying to spot how many times their faces appear.

In unexpected places

If you’d rather keep your family photos private and you don’t want to make guests feel uncomfortable when they come to your home, you could stick them in unexpected places, such as on the inside of cupboard doors. That way, you know they’re there and you can display as many as you like.