Oh! I just got a neat idea! I was going to put both frames on the landing wall next to the front door, but they would have to be fairly small, as I said. I just realized that another option is to put the 1st floor print there (and it could be bigger), and put the 2nd floor print in the upstairs hallway. I have a couple wedding pictures up there I have been wanting to replace, but I didn't know what else to put up there. That would look pretty cool.

Still have the questions about colors, printing, etc, but if I do it this way I could mat them for sure.

Oh, oops, that was kind of my other question: would it look funny to have them printed on "regular" paper, even if it's bright blue. Yes, printed like "real" ones would be great. It would have to be just the right blue though. I forgot to say in my original post that the carpet on the stairs is also blue, so finding the right blue might be tricky. When I do a google images search for framed blue prints,, I see lots of bright blues, so there's gotta be one that works.

I'd find a small local architect's office and talk to them about printing them off for you...they'd probably like the idea and be happy to do it for free or for a nominal charge of the cost of the paper or something.

You reminded me of the birth announcement DH's father (an engineering professor) made...like a real blue print of a baby with dimensions and vital statisitcs and all...very cute.

That's a good idea. There is a home architect a few blocks away from me I could ask. Loads of architectural history where I live, a mile from Frank Lloyd Wright's home and studio, and people just love design around here. I bet this architect would be interested. At the very least, he could suggest a print shop to use. My neighbor across the street is also an architect, and I could ask her, but she designs hospitals and I think it's a big firm. She'd probably have a suggestion though.

While I think a true blue print would look best you may have to go for "close enough". I work in a field that traditionally used blue prints but we haven't produced them in about twenty years. Plans are all on white paper these days because designs are created on software then printed on large format printers.

Just doing a cursory search, it looks like there are places, from service bureaus to architects/engineers who could turn your plan into a real blueprint.

I have an old blueprint of a seminary building that was in the mountains near where I lived. It was framed in old redwood. I removed it from the frame because it was too big for where I live, but has sentimental value. I think they look really good in darker wood frames.

Cool. This is all sounding promising!

A few years back, I was a docent at a kitchen walk in the mansion district of my hometown (which is the opposite end of town from where I live), and the house I was in had framed, original blue prints in one of the rooms. I think that's what gave me the idea. Plus we are planning to have a birthday party when our house turns 100, so I am getting sentimental about it, even though we've only lived here 16 years. And a couple years ago I got serious about decorating our foyer, and that seemed a great place for the blue prints. There's been an empty-looking space on the wall next to the door for quite a while now!

Oh, and "good enough" will be good enough if it comes to that. The plans on floorplanner are not perfect, but I will never finish if I go all perfectionist on it. Same deal on the printing.

If it is large you can have it mounted on foamcore at FedEx and then they do a matte laminate that looks great. I recently had a map done this way after it was recommended to me on here.

Oh, that looks really good. I like the paneling too. That's the right way to do it! I love the look of all that warm wood.

Another idea is to have the floor plan image transferred to canvas. Places like Art.com do that sort of thing.