(Too Many) Pictures of Yourself in the Home

To us, having too many portraits of yourself on display in your home is kind of like having a tattoo of yourself on your own body. It can come off as vain and tacky. We do think there are some instances of having a few photos of yourself in your own home that are forgivable/appropriate:

• Photographs of yourself taken with friends and loved ones. A no brainer here. Who doesn’t like to be reminded of their bonds with those of whom we’re close. And when those friends and family come over, they like to be reminded, too.

• A meaningful portrait or painted image. If your favorite artist has painted your portrait, or if a friend has taken a beautiful picture of you that you look especially good in, by all means, put that thing up! In our family home, there’s a watercolor painting of our mom that our dad painted when they were first married. It’s displayed above the piano, and I had spent many 30-minute piano practices staring up at the portrait.

• Photos of yourself at a special event, perhaps while receiving a prestigious award, excelling in an activity or sport, meeting your favorite celebrity, or a photo of you in a magazine or newspaper. These images might be best fit for a scrapbook, but if the photo is good enough and captures a moment you’re proud of, why not? Just don’t go overboard!

• Pictures of yourself when you were younger. We’re talking about your grandma or grandpa having photographs of themselves from back in the day, or even a photo or two of when you were a baby or a wee one, not the photo someone took of you two years ago at a party.

How do you feel about having (too many) photographs or portraits of yourself in your own home?

Related Posts:
Family Pictures: Private Moments on Display
Displaying Family Portraits