develop; RAF weather symbols...
Hang artwork at the right height. Galleries and museums hang artwork so that the midline (center) of each piece is 57 inches to 60 inches from the floor. (The average human eye level is 57 inches.) And you should do the same. In a room like this, where the ceilings soar, there might be a tendency to hang the art higher. But remember: It needs to relate to human scale, not the structure’s scale. If you’re not sure, take a picture. It’s remarkable how much a photo can reveal. Print it out or use Photoshop or an app to draw on the photo. This can give you a sense of whether a larger or smaller piece of art is needed or a tall plant might be best to fill a vacant spot.
Which Photos to Frame? It can be difficult to decide what makes it on display and what’s better suited for a photo album. These decisions are personal, but if you do want to whittle down your photos to those that are most meaningful, this advice can help: Consider proximity. Are the photos of a family member you see every day? Avoid “memorializing” someone who is very much alive by choosing only photos that are extremely special, such as a candid shot of your kids napping together or one of your daughter tying her first pair of pointe shoes. Keep the number of photos to a minimum for each family member. Babies are amazing. Our children are supercute, and everything they do is newsworthy (to us), but it’s not truly necessary to display 47 photos of your baby on the coffee table. One beautifully shot image of a baby's first smile is much more impactful. Masses of pictures of the same family member (e.g., your child), tend to create a shrine to that individual within the walls of your home. The same goes for wedding photos. As mentioned, choose two or at maximum three that show personality, not formality. Decide which photos are private versus public. Some photos are bet...
Choosing complementary frame styles will instantly make your photo displays more cohesive. For rooms with a lot of color and texture, thin silver frames are a great choice for highlighting the photos and not detracting from other elements in the space. A more neutral space will become more interesting with bolder frames in thick gallery-style black or through a single color scheme like this vibrant robin’s egg blue.
One of the easiest ways to unify a photo display is through the photo size and style. I often convert my clients' photos to black and white images and use frames that are similar in style and material to remove some of the visual clutter. Black and white translates so well because it marries modern photos to those of our ancestors seamlessly. In this photo baby pictures of the grandparents are displayed alongside current photos of the family.
Find the Hidden Gems The same goes for wedding photos. Newlyweds tend to coat their homes with photos of their big day. Five years later those photos are still on display. Every single wedding photo isn't the most beautiful or meaningful of the bunch. Pick two and add those to the mix. I had a couple who had framed and displayed very formal, serious wedding photos of themselves in their family room. After meeting them once, it was clear those were the wrong photos for the room. I asked to see the album. The photos that best represented who they were, were hidden in the massive wedding book. We switched the overly stoic images for ones of them laughing and dancing with their friends, holding hands and posing jokingly and caught in a candid moment. Those were the images that filled the space with joy. The staircase gallery shown here is a great example of a curated collection of meaningful photographs that each make an impact due to their large-scale format and minimalist frames. Having fewer but larger photos invites you to stop and admire them, as opposed to being overwhelmed by their multitude.
These overlapping muted raindrops are just gorgeous. do a DIY version.
Peacock Archival Print of Original Watercolor by Eva Forest » This inexpensive print offers the perfect pop of peacock hues and would be pretty framed and matted above a desk.
by becky blair
Q