Displaying family photos at home is a controversial interior design element. Some love it, and some hate it. It may spark memories of your grandparent's house, with console tables bursting with mismatched frames displaying every relative at various life milestones.
Whilst there's no denying that these family photos spark nostalgia and joy, they don't always work with your interior design style or necessarily scream stylish, sophisticated, or chic.
'Displaying family photos is a reminder of your past, present, and future. It signifies love and what makes a house a home,' says Sallie Lord at Grey Hunt Interiors.
So, we're here to show you that putting your fondest memories out on display needn't mean compromising on style. With some clever design tricks, your family photos can become a beautiful design feature in your home, whether you want to create a statement for all to see, or you prefer a subtle, more private approach.
Check out these seven key design ideas, and bring personality and style to your space all at once.
1. Construct a grid gallery wall of family photos
Displaying your family photos in a clean and streamlined layout is a great way to bring a sense of order and a contemporary feel to your space. In this design by Grey Hunt Interiors, the three by three layout creates a focal point for the room, with the white photo mounts contrasting against the black paneled wall.
'Rather than dotting family photos all over your home, we suggest packing up the collection of photo frames and instead using them to create a collage on your wall,' says Sallie Lord. 'This approach showcases them much better.'
Here all the picture frames and mount sizes are the same, for a uniform gallery wall that allows all the focus be be on the photos themselves. 'My biggest tip for displaying family photos would be to use all matching picture frames,' adds designer Grey Joyner.
2. Go high tech with a digital photo display
If you're looking for a more high-tech way to display your family photos, there are so many options available.
You can buy digital photo frames that link up to your phone to display your camera roll on a loop, so you can see a range of memories new and old within the frame, without ever having to faff around with printing.
Or, you can upload specific photos of a favorite holiday and see those on repeat. This is a great way to show off multiple photos while taking up minimal room or wall space. It's sure to be a conversation starter when guests visit too.
The above display by Vieunite is designed with an impeccable digital display for showcasing both artwork and photos, ensuring a crisp and defined picture, every time. It's also an easy way to add a seasonal feel to your kitchen.
3. Choose monochrome for a cohesive centre piece
A simple way to make your collection of family photos appear cohesive and cool, is to print them in black and white. Having a color way in common unites all of the pieces and, ensures it looks like a curated, decorative feature, rather than a random array of photos.
It's also worth stating that when it comes to family phots, less is more. 'I typically only display a few very special family photos and then change them out periodically,' says Shani Core, founder and principal designer at Shani Core Interiors.
Where you choose to display your photos is also a personal choice. While some are happy to display them in the entranceway for everyone from the postman to the handyman to see, some would prefer to display them in more tucked away corners of the house.
'Unless a beautifully framed, painted portrait (in this case anywhere goes!) I prefer to display family photos in more private areas of the home, such as the home office, bedroom, laundry room or playroom,' Shani adds.
4. Curate a coffee table book of memories
If you're a particularly private person who wouldn't necessarily want your intimate memories out of display, but you still want to be reminded of them often, a decorative coffee table photo book could be the perfect solution.
So much more than just a photo album, these books from Rowen Homes are decorative additions to your coffee table. And the best part is, you can keep them out or stow them away depending on the occasion. You can even form collections of albums in different colors, to extend your collection year after year.
5.mEmbed family photos among prints, plates and mirrors
Gallery walls full of art prints, plates and decorative mirrors have been a huge interior design trend in the interior design space for a long while now. They're great for adding texture and interest to a simple room scheme, but they also provide a platform for displaying family photos in a subtle and creative way.
'Create a story on your walls by arranging family photos in a gallery display, alongside artwork or crockery,' says Fred Horlock, design director at Neptune. 'Consider mismatched frames to adds a layer of warmth and character to your home.'
Here, the family photo sits amongst an array of prints and three-dimensional items, forming a personality packed wall that'll spark conversations at the dinner table.
6. Boost your bookshelf with family photos
Positioning family photos on a bookshelf is a popular styling idea among interior designers. Not only is this incredibly easy to do (no drilling nails or command strips in sight) but it's also really easy to swap in new photos so they're always up to date.
'I think one of the easiest ways to incorporate family photos if you’re trying to do something different from the gallery wall is to feature them in your bookshelf styling,' says Grey Joyner. 'Use books to create height, layering and interest.'
'I love to display photos on a library bookshelf on an easel on top of or in front of a stack of books,' agrees Shani Core. 'They add an extra layer to my styling. And I always prefer a simple, neutral frame.'
7. Go large for maximum impact
And in complete contrast to these previous subtle ideas, you could choose one favorite family photo and blow it up to a large scale to form a statement centerpiece. Here the black and white photo sits proudly above the fireplace, the black frame creating a clean contrast against the white walls.
'We would always suggest packing away your collection of many photo frames from all around the house and, instead, enlarge the images, and frame them for extra impact,' suggests Sallie Lord.
While displaying family photos is often debated amongst designers, all these ideas prove there are plenty of stylish ways to display your memories without it interrupting the design of your rooms. Plus, it's so important to ensure your home has personality and character and a big part of that is displaying prints and photos that mean something to you. Interior design isn't always about how things look but how your home makes you feel.
