Remember when I showed you before how I "sketch" most of my home decorating plans out, before they actually come to life? Well, I wasn't kidding. lol.
My sketch above got ruined by a black pen and a 3 year old, apparently ...
...but you get the idea.
So yeah, we're doing a photo wall in our living room.
And not just a small collage of pictures. This gathering is going to be HUGE,
on all scales!
The frames are big, the pictures are colorful, and it will stretch along the entire wall in our living room!
I'm a bit nervous about how it will turn out, but I didn't want to play it safe this time. I wanted to take a risk. And I want to stick to my new goal to:
DISPLAY MORE PHOTOS of our family!
But I'm learning something about myself...
Photo walls scare me!
They do!
You know how most GOOD photo collages on walls look like beautiful organized ciaos? And you think to yourself
... "Oh. That doesn't look hard!"
You're wrong. Okay, well, I was, anyway. lol If you don't put the frames in the perfect spots, then it just looks like a big ol' mess! Especially when you're working on a large scale like we are.
(hence the homemade paper templates)
I thought that this task would be WAY easier.
But it's definitely turning out to be a pretty intense project!
I'm heading upstairs to work on it some more, now. I'll be back to show you what we've done, hopefully on Monday :)
Wish us luck!
I hear y a on the "scary". I have had the frames for my enormous collection (and my sketch-thank you very much-) spread out on my guest room floor for over a year. My biggest problem is that I am hanging them above my stairs and I need scaffolding to do it. I need to just bite the bullet as you are and get IT DONE! My kids hardly look like their photos any more!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited to see your finished product! We too have a LARGE wall and this is something I would love to do. We started it but I’m not loving it entirely. Hopefully yours gives me more inspirational and ideas. :)
ReplyDeleteYou are going to LOVE having a photo wall! I have one in my house (done with Ikea photo frames--except I used the black ones) and I've dubbed it "my favorite wall". Everyone who comes to my house comments on it and loves it. It really is hard to get the layout just right, so I feel your pain!
ReplyDeleteHere is my wall in case it helps you. Feel free to totally ignore it though if you want to make sure you don't mess with the vision you have going on in your head!
Here is where I first blogged it in 2008--not the best picture though!
http://frillsfluffandtrucks.blogspot.com/2008/06/my-favorite-wall.html
You can see it a lot better in these pictures from 2010 where I actually was blogging about some bookshelves that my husband and I built.
http://frillsfluffandtrucks.blogspot.com/2010/01/knock-off-woods-pottery-barn.html
Happy photo arranging! And, more importantly, happy photo selecting--that's almost as hard!
~ Sarah
Oh, I can't wait to see what it all looks like when you're done. You have such an amazing husband! Mine would never be willing to spend that much time on a project for me. He's a good guy, but just not handy...
ReplyDeleteSo looking forward to the reveal!
excited to see how it turns out... I have been wanting to do a big photo wall in my living room for a long time!
ReplyDeleteAww - I love that idea! I want to do something like that in our stairwell soon. It will be all 'vintage' pictures of my family - sort of like a family tree thing. I think yours is looking pretty good! ;) Can't wait to see what it looks like when it is done! :)
ReplyDeleteI can NOT wait to see how it turns out. I have been waiting to do the same thing myself. It just is sooooo much work, that I keep putting it off. I did just order some family gallery wraps though, so once they come in...it's GAME ON!
ReplyDeleteLove the frames! Looking forward to seeing it! We layout frames on the backside of wrapping paper and trace them there and tape it to the wall. I like your idea too - it's a little more visual. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful weekend.
Roeshel
ooohh cant wait to see the finished product!
ReplyDeletecant wait to see it!!
ReplyDeleteShelley, I soooo understand! We have several photo galleries in our upstairs hallway of the girls. It takes quite a bit of time to get it right!! Have patience. It'll come together and you'll love it!! We get soooo many compliments on ours. The girls friends are always quick to add "your momma and daddy sure do love y'all!!" ROFL
ReplyDeletegosh girl, I totally hear yah. I'm stressed just looking at these pictures. I can barely hang ONE picture frame without second guessing myself. How do you do like 20+?
ReplyDeleteI'm a little addicted to the 3M photo hanging things because I'm so paranoid!!
Good luck. You must have that virtue they call "patience". Not I.
Girl, we are working on a picture wall as well! We have been working on it for about 3 weeks now! Whew! I finally got the frames in the right place..Now, All I have to do is actually print the pictures! lol
ReplyDeleteI did it the hard way. I actually put the pictures up first on the wall.. It worked for me.
http://youngcheathams.blogspot.com/
can't wait to see it! i want one of those someday!!! like now! i am scared too!
ReplyDeleteI love photo walls, but I am also a little nervous about them. However, I think you have a great start and I love the idea of all white frames that look the same. My parents have one in the stair well of their home of all old and new frames of all colors (mostly wood tones) and it looks great too. But one of the big things I think bothers me the most about photo walls is something that reminds me of when I was the yearbook editor in high school... there needs to be a line that goes through the whole thing that can be broken up with one or two larger frames but if there's a horizontal line that runs through MOST of the collage, it'll keep things nice. It'll give the eye a line to follow and rest in the "organized chaos" that is a collage. Maybe you don't understand what I mean or even want to do it, but I think it could help a lot of people's collages if they kept with a line. It keeps it from being too chaotic. And all it is is a simple placement!
ReplyDeleteWe ALL know how TOTALLY fabulous it will look when you're all done!:) Can't wait!
ReplyDeleteJennie {Cinnaberry Suite}
You've got it!! And a husband to help... mine wanted nothing to do with ours... lol Good luck, can't wait to see the final look!!!
ReplyDeleteHave you tried these strips for hanging pictures?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/tag/picture-frames/
I just hung a picture (in an ikea frame!) using these strips in Jordan's bathroom this afternoon and so far 6 hours later it's still hanging.
That is going to look awesome! I can't wait to see it. BTW, I love the paper template idea :)
ReplyDeletespendinglesslivingmore.com :)
Have you ever seen this company? http://www.thepicturewallcompany.com/index.html
ReplyDeleteNot that you want to order this but it gives you some ideas of layouts. Also I have done them before and my best suggestion is to use some of those 3M strips at the bottom of the pics so the frames don't move around. That is such a pet peeve of mine, crooked pics! Good luck, can't wait to see what you come up with.
Your sketch was cracking me up. My 3 year old does the same thing to my loose sketches.
ReplyDeleteCute!!! Catching up on your blog and I loved your hubby's post and I read it all and I'm vacationing in Hawaii so that says a lot!!!!
ReplyDeleteShweeet, we're doing a mini-photo wall in our hallway..Once I get off my butt and paint it that is..
ReplyDeleteNow you've got me all freaked out.
;) Kidding..kind of.
I'm so excited for your new venture! I, too am looking to do a photo wall and I'm sure you'll be providing a ton of ideas! And I can't wait to see the photos, you have such an adorable family!
ReplyDeleteGood Luck! I'm an eyeballer when it comes to hanging pictures. It drives the left brain people crazy when I do it, but it works for me. Can't wait to see your photo wall.
ReplyDeleteSusan : )
http://sanctuaryhomebysusancooke.blogspot.com/
It's going to look fantastic! I've seen people use tape grids, but I think the best way is to arrange them on the floor and then trasfer them to the wall...and try to make sure the pictures are at eye level. For some reason people tend to hang their art way too high on the wall. I used to have an art consulting and framing business for commercial design and spent many hours hanging art in businesses, restaurants, banks, hotels, etc. Sometimes easy but sometimes not so much. Planning is the key and it looks like you're well on your way!
ReplyDeleteI agree photo walls are so difficult but look so amazing...I have the wall along my staircase covered in black matte picture frames full of family photos!
ReplyDeleteI am doing a photo wall on our landing and I am scared too!!!! In the PB catalog there are some good tips! Good Luck, I am sure it will be wonderful!
ReplyDeletehttp://paisleypolkadotspot.blogspot.com/
Can't wait to see the finished wall! Shelley you and Carson make an amazing team!! Your home is beautiful! I adore your blog and always look forward to all your ideas. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteYay! I am doing that same project this weekend. However, I am doing an empty frame photo collage and wrapping it around the corner of my bedroom above my big reading chair. The second scary part is that I have SW Gray Matters in my master bedroom, and I am looking for using yellow as my pop of color, so I am painting all of my frame collection in a scary bold color and THEN having to put holes in my wall.... you know the feeling...I know the feeling. However, now I will be making little paper cutouts to play with first! Thanks! I am hoping to post about it this weekend at twentysomethingtransue.blogspot.com If I'm brave enough. Can't wait to see your after (or durings if it is too much to complete in one day!!!)
ReplyDeletei feel ya. i have been putting off a photo wall up our stairs for the same reason....FEAR
ReplyDeleteyou can do it!!
Love how you're tackling it. When I start a project for the home I always think it's going to be easier than it is! It looks like you've got a good method though. I'm excited to see the finished product!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you have all the details all worked out but I just wanted to share a little tip that worked really well for me when I did a photo wall. I used the 3M velcro and it worked out really well. I would highly recommend them for a project like this. Trying to figure out where to put the nail holes and have everything in the correct spot and straight is next to impossible. I did the same thing with the paper templates then I just took down the paper one by one and put up my frames up and it worked out perfectly. Can't wait to see how it turns out! Good luck!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm planning on doing this in a hallway, on a much smaller scale. I can't wait to see what you come up with. Inspiration...Yay!
ReplyDeleteGood luck. I see them posted in catalogs and magazines, but I KNOW mine would never look that good if I tried at home on my own! So I'm looking forward to see how yours turns out! It might give me some encouragement to actually try my own... AGAIN.. :)
ReplyDeleteCan NOT wait to see the final results! I have a photo wall that I LOVE! It just needs some updating so I'll stay tuned and get even more inspiration from ya! =)
ReplyDeletei'm excited to see how it turns out! we have SO much empty wall space in our house. i swear you come in and think "does anyone even live here?"
ReplyDeleteThey ARE hard!!! We put one up a couple years ago and I just decided about a month ago I didn't like it (but its still up). That's not to be discouraging....I just know that I have a tendency to over-clutter....and I'm stcking with YOUR motto this year actually - to SIMPLIFY!
ReplyDeleteSounds beautiful. I have a huge wall of black and white photos in black Ikea frames and I so wish it was white and color pictures. Someday I'll paint all those frames.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen Kimba's (A Soft Place To Land)post on hanging pictures. She shares an awesome tool for hanging pictures straight and in a snap...thought I had to share it in case you hadn't seen the genius idea, since you'll be making plenty of holes in the wall.
http://asoftplace.net/2011/02/how-to-hang-picture-frames-so-theyre-level-and-straight/
May the force be with you on this project. I'd love to see how it goes and if you have any helpful hints. I've wanted to this for a long time too, but like you too scared.
ReplyDelete:->
Oh! I can't wait to see it come together! I love photo collages. I am sure yours is going to come togethere great like everything else you do! When I did my collage in my entry the paper on the walls saved me and my walls. It made it much easier to figure out where to put everything.
ReplyDeleteOh, I can't wait to see the finished result of this one! I have wanted to do something similar in my family room for a while now, but it seems very overwhelming...fully going to copy yours!
ReplyDeletethanks!
Whoohoo! can't wait to see:)
ReplyDeleteWOW, you two do have a major task ahead of you. I did mine all by my lonesome so I understand!! It looks like you have twice the amount of frames. I can't even wait to see the end result!! Good Luck!!
ReplyDeleteI'm doing the same thing right now....on a somewhat smaller scale. My collage only has 7 frames in it, although two of them have openings for more than one photo so it'll end up displaying a lot! It'll probably end up in the hallway since those walls are still pretty bare. I'm excited to see your finished product!
ReplyDeleteI love gallery walls - great idea to create one in your living room with pictures of your family :-)
ReplyDeleteGood luck! I'm sure it'll look great :-)
We used paper to get our photo wall done too...it is tough. Looking forward to seeing yours. Here is our wall...
ReplyDeletehttp://sixtyfifthavenue.blogspot.com/2010/10/photo-wall-in-dining-room.html
That's a serious pile of picture frames!!! Can't wait to see. I want to display more family pics too... but first we need to have some stylin' pics taken! :)
ReplyDeleteXO
Shannon
OOOoooo I can't wait to see it!!! I've been waiting since I saw the frames in your trunk! I think I'm going to LOVE it!!
ReplyDeleteI have a ton of frames that are begging to be spray painted and hung but I can't quite figure out exactly what I want to do yet!
Staci
We did an Ikea photo wall last summer and I found an easy way to hang the frames. Lowes sells these great hanger things. They are sticky on one side, which sticks to your frame,(it comes with a small screw if u want it to be more secure) and the other side has a little nail head that you just push into the wall. If you don't like the placement of your frame you just pull it out and place it in a different spot. It only leaves a tiny pin hole in your wall you get your frames hung perfectly. I can't remember what they are called but you can find them where the anchors are at Lowes. They come in packs of 8 I think. Thought they might help you hang all those frames:)
ReplyDeleteI've been following you for a few weeks... LOVE your blog. You guys are so cute :). I just linked this post from my FB page to give my clients (photographer) ideas on how to hang their prints... THANK YOU for this and all of your fun posts! (you can see the link at www.facebook.com/laurelphoto)
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see the end result. Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteI love a good photo wall! I can't wait to see yours!! I'm sure it'll look amazing- just like everything else you do!
ReplyDeleteEeeek I can't wait to see the final product!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE photo walls! I am totally wanting to do one either in our hall or our front room, and my hubs is a little nervous...I get so hung up on having everything be matchy, I can't just go for it! I can't wait to see how yours turns out and hopefully copy you! Good luck! :)
ReplyDeleteok, so i love the idea and took it as inspiration to do the wall by our stairs! its massive... i mean massive! the foyer has vaulted ceilings so its like 20 feet high (not exaggerating)
ReplyDeletewe are planning a trip to ikea on tuesday and wanted to know what frames those are?
love your blog!!!
wells247.blogpsot.com
That is so very cool! I love the frames and I can't wait to see it all up!!
ReplyDeleteAre those the RIBBA frames? I just bought a TON of those!!! Unfortunately my plans for where I will display them got stomped on, but I have a new spot for them and am so excited!! I can't wait to see yours!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see how this turns out!! xo
ReplyDeleteI have to say, I love your blog! I read it all the time, and I think I love it even more now! I'm a starting a photography business and photo walls are one of my favorite ways to display art. I think I'll have to direct my clients to your blog to show how fabulous they look (because I know yours will be absolutely amazing!). Now if I could just get my husband to help me put up one in OUR house!
ReplyDeleteI love this site! I thought the pictures here were so good. I'm starting a photography business and I want to look around everywhere online for some inspiration and some ideas. I love what I'm seeing so far and I cant wait to get my business booming. Thank you for this site and the work you put into it.
ReplyDeleteI had plans to do this with IKEA frames, but got them home and realized the picture opening size is not standard to the print sizes in the US. How did you get your pictures in the right size???
ReplyDeleteI had plans to do this with IKEA frames, but got them home and realized the picture opening size is not standard to the print sizes in the US. How did you get your pictures in the right size???
ReplyDeleteI bought some IKEA frames to do a photo wall, but when I went to put pictures in them I discovered they did not fit my standard picture sizes. They are all too big. How did you get your pictures to fit??
ReplyDelete