Family photo week

Oct12

Posted in: family, photos/frames

That’s right, you read correctly it is family photo week here at HMI. I am officially crazy to tackle this mammouth and controversial subject but here we go!

First off, to set the tone, i want to share this…something very precious to me.

my great-grandparents, holding my grandmother (cousin Janice, i hope you are reading, that is my granny correct???) i love this photo, it is not in good condition but it is just so precious for so many reasons, another blog post in itself. Bottom line, photos like this are gold to me as a decorator, whether in my own home or others..I would rather see this somewhere than some piece of junk from PB or even a fine antique..A HOME WITHOUT PHOTOS IS LIKE A HOME WITHOUT BOOKS..NO SOUL, in my humble opinion.

SO, I want us to have a discussion on family photos, gallery walls, etc… This will NOT be a totally comprehensive manual on dos and donts and how tos…hopefully i will share some interesting thoughts and ideas but dont be dissapointed if i dont cover it all… PLEASE leave comments with each post about your own challenges, concerns or things that have worked for you.

Last but not least, i hope to not offend a single reader with statements about family photos and how to display. At the end of the day, it is your home and you do whatever you want..there are no right or wrongs, only ideas and hopefully that is what we will generate this week..

So get ready to comments, what is your favorite tip for using family photos in the home??

Share and Enjoy:

18 Comments

Comment by sara — October 12, 2009 @ 9:11 am
I love using family photos in my rooms. I agree, I think a house looks cold and unwelcoming without them. I think the best tip I have heard it to not go overboard. Pick out a few of your favorites and group them in similar frames. If they are on the wall, all black and white in similar frames will make a nice display. I have always heard that pictures should be in your personal space, not your public spaces but I would like to hear your thoughts on that.
Comment by MrsSouthernBelle — October 12, 2009 @ 9:33 am
I was told to "depersonalize" my home when I put it up on the market and remove a lot of family photos. After a year of it being on the market, Im tired of it looking like a decorator show home with no photos. Im pulling them back out!
Comment by Shady Lady! — October 12, 2009 @ 9:49 am
My dad is the only child on his side of family (no cousins) and his family saved everything. His family was also a wonderful, Godly family that I have warm memories of. I have a TON of items and pictures my dad has given to me. I try to have at least one item in each room.
http://shadygrovecreations.blogspot.com/2008/01/shady-grove.html
Living room: My grandfathers "Chaplin" fire hat, my grandparents wedding photos, my dad's "Howdy Doody" doll, my parents old bookends, one of my dad's old toys.
My entry: Two old photos of my great-grandparents general store with them on porch.
My guest room: A photo of my grandparents, and great aunt, as I remember them.
My son's room: my dad's old tin soldier toy on a shelf.
My daughter's room: my grandfather, great aunt and great-grandmother in a beautiful oval framed picture. My grandfather, great-aunt, and their brother (my dad's namesake) who died at age 4 — a picture that is glued to a card my Aunt Mable wrote "Will you be our valentine?" for my great-grandparents. A black & white photo of my dad as a boy sitting on the Easter Bunny's lap.
It is so much easier display those items than searching endlessly for expensive new items that mean nothing.
Comment by Miss Obara — October 12, 2009 @ 11:08 am
I have pictures of 'all 4 of us kids' at various holidays. My mom liked to dress us alike and she hand made all of the outfits. So I've framed each of them and display them at the appropriate holidays and when 'all 4 of us kids' get together it's just a great trip down memory lane!
As far as 'all 2 of my kids' I saw a great post somewhere that had various photos diplayed and in one or two of the frames was the family initial or crest and it just made the whole collection 'family' oriented.
Another great idea I saw was this one: http://roomremixblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/word-wall.html
I'd love to find a spot for this!
Family photos are precious!
Comment by Katie@Yoga Gal — October 12, 2009 @ 11:19 am
I love to hang photos of my children in my home. It always amazes me to see how they have grown and changed in such a short time! My own personal pet peeve are huge poster size prints of closeups. I think that you can get away with it on a large wall if you just do one print, but six giant photos in a hallway is overwhelming, IMHO.
Comment by Amanda @ Serenity Now — October 12, 2009 @ 1:17 pm
I didn't know family photos are controversial! I love mine, esp. the old old ones of ancestors. I have a whole wall arrangement in our addition of photos from both T and my sides of the family. I love bringing family history into our home. Pictures are very important to me.
Comment by The Kramer Family — October 12, 2009 @ 3:28 pm
Love this topic!!!
I am often torn as to what photos to display around my home. I don't want there to be picture frames everywhere, but I want to have a good balance.
I have some questions for you to shed some light on maybe in a future post:)
How do you decide what pics to display??? Being a photographer, I have lots that I deem "keepers" from a portrait session of my girls.
Do you rotate photos or leave them up indefinitely??? I thought of rotating them since I'm easily bored. So, in my head but not into practive, decided I was going to rotate photos.
Also, I have a tendency to print only BIG stuff- 11 x 14s, 8 x 10s, 16 x 20s, and that can lead to busy walls.
I'd love your thoughts on this stuff!
Love you bunches my friend. I love that photo. I need more black and whites of my fam.
Lyns
Comment by Anonymous — October 12, 2009 @ 4:07 pm
Can't wait!!
Heather S.
Comment by IlaBrook — October 12, 2009 @ 4:17 pm
As always, timely post. I'm currently debating whether to do a wall in my living room w/ B&W family photos (old & new)…. or not. I currently have a bunch of empty black frames of varying shapes and sizes on a big otherwise blank wall in my LR. My DH asked the other night if I ever intended to put anything in the frames and whether or not I thought it was making a rather bleak statement to leave empty frames hanging on the wall. LOL!
I think family photos can be tastefully done- not to state the obvious, but I think you do them really well. I do, however, greatly dislike walking into a room (or even worse a dark, narrow hall) lined with photos that seem to have nothing to tie them together visually. I can't wait to hear more of your thoughts on the subject.
Comment by Swan Family — October 12, 2009 @ 4:32 pm
I have pictures of the kids all the over the house! I love love love to see happy faces. I have a neat display in the toy room!
Comment by B.jane — October 12, 2009 @ 4:35 pm
I couldn't agree with you more!!!
Comment by Janice — October 12, 2009 @ 4:40 pm
Yes!! That would be Aunt Nell! First time I have seen this pic! would you please email me a jpg copy! I am going to the Walker family reunion this weekend. First time Jade has been in 18 years! She is so excited to see her cousins. I am going with camera in hand! We have so few Walker family photos and I consider each one a treasure! I have some sweet ones of Daddy and his brothers in uniform (and they are up in my home!) love them!
Comment by Janice — October 12, 2009 @ 4:46 pm
My husband is from the Midwest where they took GREAT family photos. I have a whole "hope chest" full just inherited after my Mother-in-law passed. They were all in perfect condition and many were at least 80 years old. They are so precious of her as a child (she was 93 when she passed) with the BIG bows and usually in formal settings. But not all, some are candids. Amazing they had all those pics and we have so few of the Walker family. I am going on a hunt for them! I know somebody has a box in a closet somewhere…..
Comment by Kimm at Reinvented — October 12, 2009 @ 5:27 pm
I have a "gallery" of sorts in my stairwell and upstairs hall, with pictures of my kids at all ages, all in simple black frames. Probably not very original, but when they're driving me crazy, a walk through that hall helps a LOT.
Comment by AJ — October 12, 2009 @ 8:53 pm
I SO need this right now
Comment by jade — October 13, 2009 @ 9:24 am
I live away from all my family so photos of family and friends are what I surround myself with… bookscases rarley have books on them in my home (although I am also a book junkie;)My most prized "frame" is one my mom and I put together for my wedding – it is a huge frame my mom painted to match the green in our wedding colors (celadon). Then she had a sheet of metal cut to fit the frame and painted it as well. I then collected photos of our families wedding day pictures (and other pictures if one could be found). Instead of having a table with seating arrangement cards, we posted the seating arrangments amoung the photos. And now i have the frame hanging in my home. It's beautiful to see our granparents and great-grandparents in photos on their wedding day and now our baby girl will be able to growup with pictures and stories about her family…
Comment by Amanda — October 14, 2009 @ 3:30 pm
I love family photos. I have old ones and new ones. I do have a problem changing out my pictures and putting up new ones. so i just add to it. i hate to put away that fav. pic. of my little boy who is now a big 5 year old. one thing that I love the most is a favorite baby outfit for each of my kids framed. I'll never tire of it. you can view them here:
http://tinroofjunkie.blogspot.com/2009/10/memories-to-be-framed.html
Comment by angela — October 15, 2009 @ 6:58 pm
I love family pictures anywhere! Here are a few "rules" that I've heard…they are kind of funny. I know someone with a rule against photos in the bathroom? They said it just made them feel weird. I also know a marriage therapist who said his personal rule is that the master bedroom should not have pictures of your parents, your kids. I would never think about it but for some people it's like you are inviting them to invade your marriage. I think family photos are fine anywhere, and can be sophisticated if done well. It's a home, not a showplace!