Incorporating Family Photos into Design

10/9/2018

[Picture Perfect]

Words by Audra Mehl - Grace 1972
Photography by M. Schleif Photography

No matter what your design style, one commonality we all share is the prominent presence of family photos in our homes. Covering our refrigerators and trailing down our hallways are the smiles that tell our stories. Family photos can be incorporated into any design style and over the years I’ve learned a few tricks for weaving the faces I love the most into my own home that I’d like to share with you.

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Black and white canvas is always a classic/you can’t go wrong/timeless approach. It doesn’t matter what color shirt anyone was wearing that day, by changing a print to black and white you ensure the image will mesh with your design for decades, making it truly timeless. Canvas prints, which add dimension and texture to your design, are becoming more reasonable all the time and easy to order right from your phone off a variety of websites.

[Tip for Canvas Prints]

Be sure the image has a high enough resolution when ordering a larger print to avoid blurry results. Large canvas prints are a great option for professional digital images, smaller prints do not require high resolution and candid shots from a standard smartphone typically come out very crisp.

You'll see a lot of black and white scattered throughout my home to keep things timely from a decor perspective. It’s my go to. My favorite display includes prominent headshots of our daughters in a gallery configuration down our stairwell along with a few favorites from our wedding. (I also confess, black and white is forgiving. My husband and I were in our 40's when we got married so I’ll just admit now that my name is Audra and filters are my friends.) In fact, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a color image of me on display in my home. My descendants may be confused about what era in which great grandma actually lived but I’m ok with that.

Grace 1972 Design, Picture Perfect, Audra Mehl, Midwest Nest Magazine

Tip for Hanging Photos

Photos are treated like artwork in home design, and the rule of thumb for hanging artwork in your home is it should always be hung either at eye level or just above it. Avoid hanging your photos too high or too low, eye level should always be your guide.

In addition to displaying black and white favorites on our walls, I have several framed family photos scattered throughout every room in our home. My kids are pretty much grown now, so displaying photos from their childhood is a lot of fun - I love showing off photos from all their different ages and stages. And of course, picture frames are the perfect way to pull a room’s color scheme together. Use them to draw out any accent colors you’re using or simply stick to the color scheme of your space with your frame choices. You’ll note that all my frames are consistent with the colors in the rest of my home: neutrals, whites, and blue or green pastels. By choosing frames that compliment your color scheme, your family's story is showcased proudly.

Grace 1972 Design, Picture Perfect, Midwest Nest Magazine

Tip for Framed Photos

Over the years, if I have chosen to replace a framed photo with an updated photo I never remove the old photo from the frame. I simply put the new photo over the old. This keeps the old photo safe and creates a fun time capsule to rediscover later. I just recently found some great Easter photos of my daughters I’d forgotten about in a frame I’ve had for years.

If you're struggling a bit with how to incorporate your favorite photos into your home’s design, these suggestions will have you well on your way. And of course, always remember that there are no hard and fast rules for home decor - just guidelines. Your home is yours and how you decorate, display and live in it is up to no one else but you. So go ahead and cover that fridge with all your favorite faces and pound those nails down the hall where you like them best. Because ultimately if you love it, then it's perfect.

It’s home.