From the desire to beautifully hang frames with photos, paintings or posters on the wall to the implementation of this plan, you only need one thing - to come up with a layout of the images. But why reinvent the wheel when you can use ready-made ideas.
Frames on the wall are one of the favorite solutions of many designers. Create a gallery of family photos and the atmosphere in your home will become warmer and more comfortable. Choose pictures that are united by color scheme or theme, and you will bring style and mood to the interior. Don’t forget that frames are also a win-win way to decorate boring bare walls that can be found in almost every apartment.
Not all of us have a design degree to come up with a good layout for memorable cards, posters or paintings on the spot. And why complicate everything if ready-made solutions can be found in our article!
Types of frames and their style
Choosing frames for photos is not as easy as it seems at first glance. Come to the store and there is a whole gallery of frames, different in shape, size and decor. How not to get lost in this diversity? A little advice: before you go shopping, sketch out a sketch or plan for placing a photo on the wall. Select subjects for your exhibition and imagine within what framework they will look most advantageous.
If you doubt your ability to arrange photos, use ready-made sets of frames
Shape and size matter
Most often, photographs are placed in rectangular frames. But pay attention to your photo: maybe there is an uninteresting corner or part of it, and it would be better to frame it in a square or round, oval frame? For those who love creativity, there are other shape options: hearts, stars, diamonds or freeform shapes.
Frames can look like several in one: this is when one common frame contains several smaller ones, identical or different in shape
Manufacturers offer frames for photographs in standard photo printing sizes, from the smallest, 9 by 13 centimeters, to large ones, 50 by 60 centimeters. Larger frames can be made to order.
Advice! Square and oval frames are better suited for portrait shots rather than landscapes.
Materials and compliance with interior style
In fact, a photo frame can be made from anything. But you are unlikely to find anything very original in stores. Most likely, products made of wood, glass, metal or plastic are waiting for you there. Thanks to new technologies, the surface of frames can have a pronounced texture, unusual color and even built-in lighting.
You need to select a frame not only for the style of the interior, but also for the contents
Agree, photographs taken in retro style in neon frames will look ridiculous. Colored frames are suitable for bright photographs or black and white photos; for vintage images it is better to choose classic frames in black and white or brown. An important point is the proximity of the frames on the same wall. Wooden and glass frames are not placed side by side, it looks vulgar. If your room is decorated in a classic, country or Provence style, choose wood frames.
For fashionable hi-tech, modern or minimalism, metal frames with a chrome or dark surface are more suitable
Decorative photo frames
The modern fashion trend in the matter of decorative interior is the combination of incompatible things. Mixing different styles makes old, boring images speak in a new way. In the calm light colors of the decor, a stylish decoration is frames of various geometric shapes in black. They can be tied together with cords, and then the entire structure is suspended using a baguette.
Often they are left empty, without inserting either family photos or thematic pictures. This image looks especially organic with a relatively calm color of the walls.
The storyline of the retro style will be complemented by strict-shaped frames in classic colors (black, red, white) with photographs of famous people of the twentieth century. For example, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, and other stars of that time.
A country-style kitchen design can be decorated by placing photo frames in an ocher palette with drawings or applications of artificial and natural dried flowers around the perimeter of the walls. It seems possible to make such frames with your own hands, using a previously prepared herbarium or polymer clay for decoration. It is sold in many craft stores. Working with it is similar to the process of modeling from plasticine.
Original handmade frames
Handmade products look unusual and attractive. If you have time, desire and a little imagination, you can make original frames for photographs from scrap material. Not only will they cost you much less than store-bought ones, but they will also become real works of art that my family and guests will admire. There are simply a great many options: if you know how to knit, make knitted frames, they will look very cozy. Draw - paint ordinary wooden frames with an original ornament.
Use pebbles and shells to frame summer beach photos
For decoration you can use rhinestones, sequins, beads, corrugated paper, coarse rope. Wicker frames look very unusual - they can be made from newspaper tubes. For a teenager's room, you can make frames from disks or keyboard buttons. For a smaller child, you can use colored mosaics, pencils and even soft toys. You can even decorate photographs with bundles of straw or dry twigs, clothespins and ribbons.
Video: how to make a frame with your own hands
Advice! Such a handmade frame can be an excellent gift for a loved one, and even better if you give it along with a memorable photo for both of you.
Here are just a few examples for your imagination from the countless variety of handmade products.
Modular photo frames in the interior
It’s difficult to surprise anyone with ordinary frames, but modular photo paintings are a fashionable trend. You can use three techniques:
- polyptych - a composition of several photos connected by some color, general idea or composition;
- diptych – one image inserted into two frames;
- triptych – an image divided into three parts.
The only thing to consider is that portraits in divided parts do not look good. But landscapes in this design will look very attractive.
If you want to keep a souvenir of a sunset on the ocean that you photographed on vacation, make a triptych and a window into a wonderful world will decorate your room
Related article:
How to properly hang a modular picture on the wall using liquid nails, double-sided tape, Velcro, a spider hook for pictures, a smart clamp, a hanging system, a self-tapping screw - read the publication.
Spectacular placement
Placing photo frames in a room with single-color wallpaper will help create accents and fill even a half-empty room. Excessive emptiness has a depressing effect on the human psyche, and photographs can solve this problem by filling the space with vivid memories. In addition to fullness, such bright inclusions, if placed on matte wallpaper, can distract the observer’s attention from the shortcomings of the repair. Not quite matching wallpaper joints, covered with an organic composition of photo frames, are no longer so noticeable to an inquisitive eye.
The structure of the room will be emphasized by curved photo frames if you use them to decorate the corners. This decoration looks very specific, however, it is not without an original design solution.
You can expand the visual volume of the room by hanging decorative photo frames with mirror elements on free spaces on the walls.
For this purpose, frames equipped with neon lighting are placed on the walls. Light in the house is never superfluous, and such an element as a luminous frame will surprise most guests. If you spend the necessary time searching, you will definitely find a backlit photo frame. In case of failure, LED strips are purchased separately and glued along the perimeter of the frame or behind it.
Related article: Various DIY home decor (+41 photos)
If you hang forged metal frames or massive photo frames made of valuable wood with gilding around the perimeter of the walls, you can achieve the effect of antiquity and some antiqueness of the interior. This move is often found, both as an independent design and as a combination with modern style trends.
Where and how to place photo collages
From a collection of photographs you can create bright and interesting collages. It is not at all necessary to adjust the photo to the size and color of the frame - here you can arrange everything in such a way that many images are combined into a coherent composition.
Collection of family photos in the living room
In family photos, you can create a family tree right on the wall or trace the history of your relationships, record joyful moments in life. How to choose the right photos? First of all, think about the general idea. Now it has become fashionable to turn to professional photographers for family photo sessions. This allows you to get a set of images united by a common background or idea. Choose the most attractive photo from this set and print it on a large sheet of paper. The rest can be made smaller, the same or different.
The large image will become the center of the collage, and all the others will be placed around it
If you are planning to place the collage on the wall of the living room, choose one that does not have large pieces of furniture. A sofa or table will not allow you to come closer and look at small photographs in detail.
If there is no way out, and you really want to fill the wall above the sofa, use large images
Photos in the bedroom: which scenes to choose
In the bedroom you can create collages from photos of your favorite landscapes. Beautiful nature and lush photographs have a very calming effect on the psyche. Family photos also look good here; when you fall asleep and wake up, you will see the faces of your loved ones.
The headboard is a good place to place photos
Collages in the children's room
In your child’s room, his own photos, placed in chronological order, for example, in the form of a ladder, would be appropriate. You can make a collage in the shape of a butterfly or a heart. For an older child, come up with original compositions using Photoshop templates that allow you to add your favorite movie or game characters.
Funny and funny - such photos are great for children's rooms.
How to choose photos for the walls of the corridor
The corridor is not the best place to place photos, but if you have already decided to create a gallery here, be strict in choosing suitable frames:
- dark frames visually enhance the bright colors in the photo, so if you want to make the photo more noticeable, use them;
- it’s good if the color of the frame somehow echoes the photograph, so it becomes part of the image;
- wide frames cast a shadow on the photo, this can be especially noticeable in the corridor;
Use directional lighting for images with wide frames
- Gold and silver frames perfectly frame bright photos. If you have highly artistic photographs, use them;
- Do not frame black and white photos in color frames. For this purpose, use white, gray or black frames.
Advice! For photos in small hallways and corridors that do not have a natural light source, be sure to use backlighting.
Pictures from the remaining wallpaper
Let's consider one of the easy, expressive and unusual ways to decorate a room - paintings made from leftover wallpaper. They are not difficult to make, they look stylish and force the interior to be considered thoughtful, complete, with the signature of a designer's thought.
To create such a picture on your own, the following wallpapers are suitable for you: non-woven, vinyl, bamboo and the necessary decorative strip. The picture can be made both under glass and without it.
With the help of leftovers, you can cheaply and quickly decorate a rented apartment in which renovations are not planned or if there is no money for full renovations, but decoration needs to be done. In such circumstances, you will be able to combine paintings from pieces of wallpaper left after renovation and decorate the wall with them.
The wall will no longer be empty and will delight you with new compositions. It is necessary to take into account that a very beautiful painting will not look good if it does not fit the interior.
How to decorate a wall with framed photographs
Frames need to be selected not only according to the color, size and style of the interior, but also the purpose of the room. Strict shapes would be appropriate in a study; it would be better to purchase luxurious frames for a living room; romantic pieces would be suitable for a bedroom; funny ones would be suitable for a nursery.
Expert's point of view
Yaroslava Galayko
Lead designer and studio manager at Ecologica Interiors
Ask a Question
“Choose the most prominent wall in the room to place photo collages. In the living room it is the wall opposite the entrance, in the bedroom it is above the head of the bed.”
Is it possible to adjust space using a photo?
Modular images are ideal for visual correction. They can be placed without frames to create a holistic feel. The result is an imitation window that adds spaciousness to the room.
Breaking the photo into modules gives the image dynamics and attracts attention. This way, you will distract the guest from any visible defects on the same wall
Dividing a picture into three or more parts is a riddle that attracts the eye. If you make a breakdown in such a way that you get several rectangular parts located vertically, you will “raise” the ceilings, horizontally located fragments will make a narrow room wider. Square parts will correct a ceiling that is too high.
How to choose the right midline height in a collage
The most common mistake in creating a collage is a chaotic arrangement of photos, without a unifying idea. This does not mean that strict conformity of shapes and symmetry must be observed.
It is important to place the images on the wall so that the person looking at them does not have to stand on tiptoes or bend over to see the details.
Ideally, they are located opposite the eyes, so that to study the photo you can only slightly turn your head up or down. This is the middle line in the photo gallery. Designers recommend placing it at a height of 152 centimeters from the floor.
How to create a general composition from different photos
There are a few simple rules, following which you can create the perfect composition:
- the gallery should have a vertical or horizontal axis around which images are placed;
- maintain balance and symmetry relative to the guiding axis of the collage;
- maximum number of different sizes and shapes of frames – 3;
- place photos similar in subject and color scheme side by side;
- There should be large photos in the center of the composition, smaller ones at the edges.
When attaching frames to the wall, check the level position with a building level. Crooked photos look very unimportant
The principle of symmetry in the placement of images
If you are mounting a photo above the sofa, focus on its center - this way you will get a symmetrical composition. For a photo above the dining table, it is permissible to move away from the recommended 152 centimeters of the center line. It is better if the pictures are placed at eye level of a sitting person. Make sure that the gallery does not “run away” from the table, but is placed strictly above it.
A good idea is to place a photo gallery above the stairs
In this case, the images need to be fixed so that they are located at a distance of one and a half meters from the steps. It turns out that the collage repeats the steps of the staircase, as if playing with it. It is important that the distance between the photos on the wall is the same.
How to highlight the central photo on the wall
Selecting the central photo is easy. It should already differ from others in its larger size. If you want, you can accentuate attention with a contrasting frame, or a wider frame than everyone else. The central photo can be framed with an unusually shaped frame. But keep in mind that to maintain symmetry, such a frame must be repeated in at least one of the smaller frames.
You don’t have to highlight the central photo with anything; it will attract attention with its size.
Expert's point of view
Yaroslava Galayko
Lead designer and studio manager at Ecologica Interiors
Ask a Question
“You shouldn’t highlight the central photo with separate lighting. This way the remaining elements of the composition will be lost. If you do backlighting, then do it on all images.”
Features of choice
Framed wallpaper will look good in the interior if you choose it wisely.
The coating must meet certain requirements:
- It differed from the general background, and not necessarily in its catchiness or bright colors. The frame edging itself already attracts the eye to this decoration element, highlighting it. However, it should not merge with the common trellises;
- The dimension of the patterned part should be the same as the dimensions of the panel. For a small panel, it is worth using a canvas that depicts a small pattern, because a picture with several fragments does not always look good;
- The design idea should fit harmoniously into the interior, both in terms of color scheme and stylistic direction. This requirement is general for any form of decor. For example, in some cases modern three-dimensional photo wallpapers look extremely successful. In this case, the decor will resemble a large photograph or painting. The original applique will also become a worthy decoration of the room.
Unusual collages on the walls
If you find the above examples boring, look at creative solutions from fashion designers. For photos on the wall, you can use hanging ropes, clothespins and many other things that can be found in every home. The price of this design is cheap, but the effect is amazing.
If not on the wall, then where can you place the photos?
When for some reason you can't hang a photo on your wall, there are several other options available. Photos can sit comfortably in frames on your desktop. It is usually customary to post photographs of loved ones here. Memorable photographs can be placed on wall and furniture shelves. In this case, it is better to choose identical frames that match the color of the furniture.
The classic option for placing photos is on the fireplace. Luxury frames don't have to be the same
Selection of frame shapes and sizes for photo frames
If you decide to decorate your interior with photographs, closed within an aesthetic frame, then you should not limit yourself. Playing with shapes can achieve extremely original effects. Even if your apartment is designed in a minimalist style, you can place several frames with photographs that will be close to each other. When hanging them on walls and placing them on furniture, it is worth mixing different shapes of frames: from vertical and horizontal rectangles to round or oval models.
Collages from empty frames
This idea is not new. And, frankly speaking, it is not suitable for everyone. Empty frames give a feeling of incompleteness; not everyone will like to see frames without content every day. But as an original decorative technique, this option has the right to life. This is what it looks like:
