The question came in: “Any tips in terms of displaying family photos? I am working on putting some up in a hallway, but they are a variety of sizes and some are in color, some in black and white, and I am having issues arranging them.”
Emma Hand, co-owner with Brooke Williams of Indie Mats (314-707-8977, indiemats.com), knows everything about hanging photos. The company makes super sturdy mats in more than a dozen designs that don't need a frame. Indie Mats work well for phone photos, digital snapshots, kid’s artwork as well as some professional shots. Here is how she answered the reader’s query: “The answer can be distilled into a pretty simple equation: Find (or create) a common denominator. So, as you say, there are a variety of sizes and color tones (including black and white). You can display these photos attractively by finding or creating a consistency between them. Here are some simple suggestions:
- Use the same color mat + frame color for EACH photo. Perhaps you choose black frame + white mat, or white frame and white mat, or silver frame and black mat. Whatever the decision, if you carry it out for ALL the photos, you'll have a great, non-competing backdrop for varied photos. You say you're hoping to display in a hallway. That is great. You can center justify all the photos so that the horizontal midline is consistent for all photos, and leave a consistent space between each frame. (IKEA is a fabulous source for affordable frames; spring for custom mats if needed to accommodate the variety of photo sizes you have.)
- Use a picture rail to “ground” (bottom justify) the various sizes and colors of photos. If you do this, you can also use a variety of frames and mats for each photo.
- Depending on your personal style there are other, more creative and less traditional ways to effectively display a varying array of photos. One idea is to repurpose a multi-paned glass window or French door. Especially in a hallway, if you use a long, narrow French door horizontally, you can add a photo behind each cell of glass. The challenge with this display option is safely hanging the door. You want to (obviously) make sure you're nailing into studs and not drywall or plaster. Another idea is to use a series of vintage-looking or old clipboards, hung in a single or double row, to showoff a variety of photos. For best results, mount the photos on photo board or mat them before clipping them.
