Installing a Family Photo Collage - Yes, They Can Be Glamorous!

What kind of art should you display in your home office? I believe one of the best options is a family photo wall, as a joyful reminder of what you're working for. However, the tricky thing about family photos is that they look like a hodge-podge if you're not careful.

​Fortunately there's a way to make them look unified: use black-and-white photos in similar frames. One of our customers recently had us install a gallery-wall layout of sentimental photos that used these techniques to create a very glamorous display.

Here's what she had laid out when we arrived. She bought all of the frames from Williams and Sonoma, and had her pictures printed at Walgreens. I really liked the quality of these frames. They were heavy-duty, with good hardware.

We got right to work cutting paper templates. The trick with these templates is to be extremely accurate, which takes a lot of extra time upfront, but makes it easier to accurately install each piece later.

Then we called the homeowner in to approve the layout. Notice the little tiny pictures on the top left and right. When we consulted with the homeowner, she decided to have us center them instead of lining up the edges.

This is one of those little details that's a matter of personal preference, which is why we use these paper templates. Gallery-style collage layouts are more of an art than a science, so there's no right or wrong answer.

​Once we had the layout confirmed, we got to work hanging.

We laid a furniture pad on the desk, then worked from the desktop. This protects the furniture while still allowing the homeowner to see the wall as it's being installed.

The end result was really wonderful. Just add a few props and this could be in a decorating magazine!

This is a great way to display family photos, but it can be tricky (and time-consuming) to pull off by yourself. There's an art to hanging all of the pictures at just the right level... so give us a call to get it done for you.

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