How to Create a Stunning Gallery Wall of Family Photos
Creating a pristine, beautiful gallery wall for your family can truly make a house feel like a home. Dedicating wall space to some of your most treasured memories captured in time can breathe new life into your home, creating scenes played out in time that tell many stories and spark conversations aplenty.
Home gallery walls are popular and inventive ways to display photographs, artwork, prints and many more pieces that spark joy and interest. Whether you’re a keen photographer and portrait specialist or a complete novice when it comes to taking photos, your gallery wall can allow you to explore your creative side and cherish memories with your loved ones at every glance.
This short guide will help you plan, design and execute a stunning picture gallery wall that you can create for your family and preserve for years to come.
Planning Your Gallery Wall
Choosing the Perfect Location
First things first, you need to choose where your gallery wall is going to go. Whether you’re going for a single wall full of numerous photos or scattering them across different rooms of the home, placement is everything.
Everyone is different - some prefer their framed photos to be admired in areas where people pass through and see them every day, whereas others prefer to place them in more obscure areas. Photo galleries can work well in long corridors, above furniture pieces, beside staircases, within nooks or alcoves, or anywhere else where there are gaps between doors and windows or empty space.
Deciding on Your Style
Gallery walls can take many forms, each creating a different ambience and atmosphere. Consider the following examples:
* Classic grid: Create a clean, organised row or column of photos that add vibrancy to formal or blank spaces.
* Asymmetrical: Explore your creative side and create uneven galleries in lounges or dining rooms.
* Salon-style: Mix different frame sizes for an eclectic, artistic display of your family photos.
* Floor-to-ceiling: Make a bold statement in larger spaces, donning each wall with pristine collages of your cherished moments.
Selecting and Preparing Your Photos
Choosing Your Images
Family photos don’t all have to involve professional photographers visiting you and arranging an organised shoot. Sometimes you can do it all on your own, using your smartphone or, going a step above, using a reliable digital camera that is easy for beginners to work.
Ultimately, for a consistent, cohesive gallery wall, consider what types of photos you want to capture and display.
This could be:
* Photos containing a consistent colour scheme or finish
* A mixture of close-ups and wider shots
* Combinations of posed and candid photos
* A balance of individual portraits and group photos
* Everyday moments
* Special occasions
Photo Preparation
If you want to preserve printed photos for a long time, ensure that you choose high-quality prints that won’t succumb to fading. Bear in mind your chosen wall space’s exposure to natural light and whether the sun’s rays may discolour your photo if not properly protected.
For best results, choose a consistent finish such as matte or gloss to ensure your photos look their best when framed and displayed. For larger photos, consider investing in professional printing and higher resolution photos to give them that wow factor they deserve.
Framing Your Memories
Frame Selection
Your chosen photo frames play a vital part in the overall look of your gallery wall(s). Select frames that complement your room’s decor and aesthetic, whether that’s simple, chrome-rimmed frames for contemporary and minimalist settings or vibrant, eclectic gold frames for traditional rooms. You may prefer matching frames or a coordinated mixture, depending on what suits your space.
Make sure that you choose the most appropriate frame widths for your galleries that don’t eat up vast amounts of wall space and make the room feel overly cluttered.
Mounting Options
Remember to consider mounts as well. Plain white mounts give you a better chance of creating a seamless, classic, gallery-esque appearance, while coloured mounts can accent your photos and surrounding decor in your room.
Double mounting is an inventive option which adds sophistication and depth to eccentric gallery walls, but make sure you research your options. Ultimately, the colour has to complement your overall gallery style and theme rather than detract from it.
Layout and Installation
Planning the Arrangement
Before hanging anything, make sure that you:
* Measure your wall space carefully
* Leave adequate space between frames
* Test different arrangements on the floor
* Take photos of potential layouts
Installing Your Photo Gallery
* Use suitable hanging hooks or catches that can support the weight of your photo frames
* Alternatively, use mounting strips for easier adjustments
* Keep frames straight and level using a spirit level
* Start from the centre and work your way outwards
* Keep consistent, even spacing between your frames
* Add additional hooks or strips for heavier frames to ensure they don’t collapse
Making It Personal
This is arguably the most important step if you want to create a striking, memorable and personalised gallery wall that feels unique to you and your family.
Consider incorporating your children’s drawings and artwork alongside your photos to add character to your displays. Small shelves can create dedicated spots to showcase their artistic creations and pictures together. You may also wish to rotate your images seasonally to mark special occasions or holidays such as Christmas.
Ultimately, you want your gallery wall to be equal parts breathtaking and clean. Regularly dust the frames and glass, adjust the displays, and use frames that can offer sufficient protection from direct sunlight. Over time, you can expand your gallery wall to include more photos and memories, giving you a display that changes with the times as your family grows.
Final Thoughts
Family photo gallery walls provide more than just a decorative boost to your family house - they allow you to create striking timelines of your family journey as one.
Don’t rush this project; take your time with the planning, design and execution to ensure it suits you and your style. Don’t be afraid to make subtle adjustments as you go - the last thing you want is to invest your time and money in creating something that ends up being botched. Leave room for growth and new memories as you go through life together as a family, and your gallery wall can become a truly cherished feature that tells your unique story in, as they say, a thousand words.
With the right planning strategy and resources, you can create a beautiful, meaningful display that brings warmth and personality into your family home.