Decorating With Photos Of Your Family

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By Autumn Lockwood

When you display your precious family photographs in your home, whether they are vintage photos of your ancestors or current photos of your family, you awaken memories that you hold dear to your heart. A vintage photograph framed in an ornate picture frame and hung in a prominent place adds a nostalgic and decorative touch to your home. A wall gallery of family photos lets you chronicle your family history in a way that evokes pleasant memories and tells a story of your family.

A wall display of family photographs personalizes your decor and warmly welcomes your guests. Instead of placing your memories in photo albums or scrapbooks, select picture frames that complement your decor and proudly display your photographs. They will add beauty to your home and allow friends and family to enjoy them every day.

Whether you choose to hang photographs on the wall or display them on a tabletop, this article will give you some ideas for using treasured family photographs to decorate your home.

Use As A Focal Point of Your Room

Proudly display a favorite family photograph as the focal point of your room. For the best presentation choose a picture frame that will complement and add to the visual beauty of your photograph. Choose a frame that will not overpower your photograph. A large vintage black and white photograph of your grandparents or great grandparents can be displayed in an ornate oval picture frame. A walnut wood picture frame surrounding a family photograph would beautifully highlight the photograph and help it stand out. When hung in a prominent place, like above a fireplace, it becomes a piece of art and attracts the eye of everyone who enters your room.

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More Than Just Family Members

Family photographs aren’t just photos that include family members. They can be photos taken by family members of special occasions, like a memorable vacation or special family occasion. You can enlarge the photo to hang on your wall or have a smaller version for a table top display. Be sure to match the picture frame with the content of the image so it complements your photo. A large photograph can be hung on the wall as a focal point in your dining room or several smaller photos can be hung as a grouping on a wall in your family room.

Where and How To Hang Your Photographs

No matter where your photographs are placed you can find a unique way to display them that draws attention to them, like on a single decorative shelf on a wall.

A hallway is a traditional area to hang family photographs. Many people choose to have this area as a family history wall. Make your photos stand out by using non-traditional matting, such as a square or round opening or an off-centered opening. Hallways are usually narrow so keep your picture frames simple and let your photos speak for themselves. If available, focused lighting will help highlight the photos.

Think ‘outside the box’ for a unique way to display your photos. Hanging a photo doesn’t always mean it is hung on a wall. You can use a delicate chain or ribbon to hang a small picture frame from a peg on your coat rack in your entryway. Group several whimsical or jeweled picture frames in different shapes, sizes and colors on a table or mantel for fun eye-appeal.

The Art of Displaying Family Photographs

Decorating with family photographs is an art form and it really is not difficult to achieve an artistic display. The best way to get the look you want is to experiment with framing and displaying. Whether you choose to hang photographs on your wall or place on a shelf, mantel or tabletop, there are beautiful picture frames from which to choose. Consider a grouping of framed pictures and mementos from a special vacation or outdoor adventure tucked onto a shelf.

You may not think of a kitchen as the place to display family photos, but if your home is like many, the kitchen is the gathering place for family and when friends come to visit. Family photos or photos of friends and fun times will warm your kitchen and make it more welcoming to your friends and more enjoyed as the heart of your home.

Try a few of these suggestions and see how decorating with family photographs can make your home a warm and welcoming place for your friends and family.

About the Author: Autumn Lockwood is a writer for Your Picture Frames. Display your favorite pictures in one of our beautiful

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