Don't even get us started on how long it takes me to decide where to hang artwork. It takes forever. And by the time I get to family photos, I'm tapped out and they end up on the fridge. But I've taken a closer look and found a couple of different ways I'd be into displaying those family photos after all.
1. Make it a Painting. Cheating, we know, but making that family snapshot into a drawing or a painting is a great way to make it stand out and feel more like artwork (because it is!).
2. Make it Larger Than Life. We love this mural made out of an old photo, it makes a statement, it's fun and it doesn't smack of a bunch of framed photos on a piano. Follow the link in this post for how to make one.
3. Make a Grid. This example doesn't use family photos, but we love the way a grid automatically makes things feel modern. Blow up the photos, choose a color palette (or stick to black and white) and grid it out.
4. Keep Them Small. Cover an entire wall with old polaroids and snapshots to create your own wallpaper and plenty for guests to take in when they come over. We love it on this grand scale because the images become more of a texture so they don't overwhelm the room.
5. Accordion Them. This example came from a Conran catalogue and we love the casual nature of having free standing black and white photos of our family. It's easy to switch out and you can fold it up and out of the way when redecorating. Here's how we would make one of our own.
Images: Kelly and Jonathan's Mission House Tour, Supersized Family Photos, Natalie and Nicholas' Framed Photos, Inspiration Wall of Photos at Palihouse, Photo Display Idea By Conran
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That first picture is a wee bit 'fashion victim'-ey.
I quite like the idea, but a vignette of 4 trends is a bit of overkill.
Glass surfaces are fun; you can use them to display photos and change them whenever you like, depending on who's visiting.
I love #2, but I don't know that I'd ever have the courage to do it. Kudos to whomever did.
Thanks for the arrow in the last pic. I was too busy drooling over that table. lol
I used to enjoy the quality of writing on this blog. Unfortunately, it's really gone downhill lately.
Check out this non-commital (and free) way to hang photos on my blog post "Upcycled Cage Turned Photo Display"
http://1bellastager.wordpress.com/2010/08/19/upcycled-life-cage-turned-photo-display/
#2 is awesome, as a vintage photo as artwork. if that was a modern photo featuring the people that live in that space, i'd barf.
a photographer i love, featured her family in the same style as #3: http://tarawhitney.com/justbeblogged/2008/06/opam-may-08-photo-wall-in-living-room-after/ looks awesome, even with ikea frames!
i don't personally love personal / family photos out in the more "public" areas of ones home. the more abstract the photo or display, the better, to me!
I really liked number 3 both for the overall idea and for the individual photos.
@fiona: no, you aren't. ;-)
Oh, sigh, that wall, that wall! I might not have the guts for it though.
Hanging artwork is a lot of work. Take it from me, my husband and I hung 14 pieces this summer in one shot. Just remember to get the artwork on after you have basically designed the whole house and placed the large pieces. Another option would be to place family photos in a book and use it as a coffee table feature, there any many websites where you can publish the photos in a book, this is easier than keeping in a shoe box or trying to place on the wall.
I love #4 but the frame and mat alone must cost over $1,000. That's assuming you can find a mat that big to begin with . . .
Here is a NY Times review of different photo services for unconventional photo printing. Murals, printing on canvas, vinyl etc.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/technology/personaltech/15basics.html?_r=1