Hello! I’m back from my relaxing but very busy holiday in California. I am so glad to be home. Its great to travel, see new places and get away from your day-to-day routine, however I am always so happy to come home to my own house! and of course my doggie, who I missed so much!
I wanted to talk today about incorporating your holiday memories into your homes.
Before I left on holiday I had hung a series of frames up my staircase wall. I had purchased the frames a while back and not really knowing what I was going to do with them. I then thought of creating a photo frame collage wall! If you have stairs going up to a second level in your home, then you must have the “awkward” wall that leads there! Its hard to know what to do with this space. Well, a collage of frames is a great idea!
The first step I suggest you do, is collect a series of frames. For this application it works best if the sizes are all different. Depending on what your style is, you can choose frames that are all the same colour or mix it up to create a more eclectic look. The easiest way to tackle this process is to place all your frames that you want to use on the floor and then proceed to arrange them in a way which is interesting to you. Keep in mind the slope of the wall……..and try and create a grouping that mimics this slope! Once you have a desired layout then draw the plan on a piece of paper, so you will remember all the random placements of each frame. Try and leave the same amount of space between each frame, in order to create unity. Once you have them all hung on your wall then the fun begins……….(have someone help you hang the pictures, because there are lots of measurements to be done!!) This brings me back to my own photo wall at home. I had not yet put any photos in my frames….and was not really inspired by anything.
VACATIONS are the best way to get inspired! I always tell my clients to use more of their own photos in their homes. Why not use your own photo memories in your house…….Its great to be able to see them all the time and take a walk down memory lane! So, I am doing just that! With all my photos I took while my husband and I were away, I will choose my favourites and get them blown up and place them in my frames. The once “awkward” wall leading upstairs will then be transformed into a California Oasis! Our trip started in San Francisco and ended up in San Diego. We drove down the coast and stopped at some amazing places along the way. I have some great shots of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Sausalito, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Pebble Beach, Del Monte Forest, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Carmel Valley Wine Country, Big Sur Coast Line, Hearst Castle, Pismo Beach, Santa Barbara, San Diego Zoo, La Jolla and also Coronado Island…and this isn’t even everything!!!! I’m not sure how I’m going to narrow it down, but here’s a look at some of my favourites!
- Lone Cypress, Foggy Golden Gate Bridge, San Fran Sky Line etc….
- Carmel Valley Vineyards, Monterey Harbour, Santa Cruz Coast
- Hearst Castle, Santa Barbara Beach Walk, Pismo Beach Pier
Once you are finished your photo wall, you can always add more! I started mine with not many frames, but in time I will probably add more to the collection! As you can see, I chose a light wood colour for my frames to compliment my staircase…and a white matting because I find every picture looks great beside it! Take a look at my work in progress! I’ll be sure to post again when I have my photos up!
I have also completed another frame wall in my house. I have a very long hallway that connects my front entrance to my kitchen……To create some interest down this hallway I created a Gallery Wall. I used the same frame size and colour for all of them. I chose a white frame with white matting and a square size. The white frame and matting was to add some brightness, as the hallway does not get much natural light. As you will see in the photo, there are a series of frames, 5 in a row with 2 frames high. My ceilings are 9′ so I could take advantage of the height. I love the repetition! In these frames I chose to do some photos of my doggie Hana, some wedding photos and also some scenic shots taken while we were on a vacation down the Oregon Coast.
- Some of the photos on my gallery wall
Hopefully you are all inspired to look through all your old photos of holidays and special family gatherings, so you can create some magical photo walls in your own home. Till next time…..happy framing!
I really yearn after that clarity of simple framing as featured on your long walls of two-rowed white. It`s been about 25 years since we began developing our first wall of family fun and from the onset, the delight of choosing frames for their suitability to the photo was part of the pleasure. Now that the gallery features more than 50 photos, some in collections and some singly mounted, the gallery is extraordinarily busy, as you can imagine. However, when I try to get serious about simplifying, I`m caught in the web of memory. And some of the frames are splendid in themselves. Sigh. Updating is fraught with pauin for some of us…
I completely understand in your case simplifying and starting from scratch may not be what you are after! I look forward to the day when I also have lots and lots of memories to display!. I’m sure my wall with grow and grow over time! Thanks for sharing.