In general, our first floor is void of photos of me and the boyfriend. There are some exceptions. But for the most part, I don’t like people coming into our house and seeing us sporting last year’s Halloween costumes or half nakey on vacation. Side note – call me a nudie-aphobe but I don’t like naked pictures of anyone…like girls boobs or crazy naked man statues…sorry Michaelangelo…sure, you shmancy portrait people can call it a cherub but I still spy an exposed peepee and a stray tahtah. Eww. Moving on.
So when I was confronted with the issue of decorating a small hall leading from the dining room past the bathroom and into the kitchen, I knew that it would be prime real estate for a photo gallery. I love photo galleries. Hence a compromise.
I decided that if I was gonna post personal photos for all to see on our first floor that they needed to have a sense of uniformity. Also, since this was a large space and could hold three large frames – the photos all needed a central theme and I needed a lot of choices. So I decided upon our wedding photos.
I found three large frames at Target with inner foam boards covered in a neutral yummy linen. They cost about $9 a piece. I love the black frames because I have black elements in the adjoining kitchen and the bathroom across the way.
First I took all my photos into Microsoft Office Picture Manager – I didn’t download photoshop at that point, don’t judge me – and minimized the amount of saturation and played around until each photo was linen-toned. Just changing the colors really uniformed the photos. Armed with some scrapbooking adhesives and the pins that came with the frames, I got to work arranging and adhering the various photos to the foamboard.
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And because I know you guys love before & after pictures – here is the view from the kitchen looking at the new art/wedding photo gallery.
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The view from the bathroom is now prettier than Ashley Simpson’s new shnoz.
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And looking from the dining room into the kitchen is now an intriguing little spot instead of a big blank wall.
Oh and because you voyeurs love looking at the closeups (yeah – my name is peeping Tom too!) here are the three groupings from left to right…note that the center frame is jammin out with a different layout. Yay for breaking free from complete uniformity 🙂 And even though the theme for all three frames is our wedding, each one has a different feel.
This first frame boasts photos that have a bit more masculine feel. The groom – my boyfriend, the ring bearer – my little cutie mushroomie, and all the boys from the hood…err…from the wedding are big pimpin this collection.
The second frame is more about the details, the feel from the day, and the overall celebration that screams “I JUST GOT MARRIED!”. Its like Jeremy & I got sandwiched together & out popped this fun wedding day collection.
And lastly we have the girly frame. And yes – this one contains a little lip action (gasp!) but for the most part it is more romantic, more sentimental, and a little sweeter than the others. It might be just me but for some reason, taking the kissing photo and turning it the same color as all the rest makes it a little more like art. It’s like the sepia tone took the ‘ick’ out of the pic!
So there you have it…a small hall sportin the memoirs of the biggest day of my life. So how bout you – do you display your personal photos loud and proud? Or do you save em for the bedrooms? Are you a random picturer or a gallery type gal? Are you like me and think that the color of a smooching photo really matters? And lastly, do you like nudie pics? That came out wrong….
I’m with you, I typically don’t display personal photos in public spaces – but we have a long hallway that I’ve had my eye on for awhile that’s about to become the exception – I can’t wait!! Love the wedding photos, you guys looked great!
I don’t like snapshots in public areas, but if they are more professional and artsy looking then I love em. I like the wedding pictures! Definitely fancys up the hallway!
I recently decided to put some of our pictures up on the stairs. I do agree they should have a “theme”. I went when vacation pics of landscape. I am really excited about it and can’t wait till the 8 by 10’s come in the mail! Your little gallary looks amazing. I plan on displaying our wedding pics in the dinning room… someday.
I love personal pics that show fam and friends too. And you work that sepia tone, Bower! Love how these frames add some dimension.
I have a similar hallway in my house that needs something added to it. The hallway is too narrow for any type of bookcase or console. So, for now it’s just a blank, beige wall. I was considering of doing a grouping of photos. Thanks to your post, I may consider this option more now – your arrangements and framing look great!
I love this idea! I currently have a mishmosh of family photos in the hallway, so this is just the ticket to make it all look more polished. BTW, I love your blog! Your house is gorgeous and your posts crack me up.
Cute display.
On a side note, am I the only one confused about this? You refer to your hubby as boyfriend? What am I missing.
Lyzz, I was just coming on to comment the same question. It confused the heck out of me. I’m new to this blog, so maybe it’s been explained before…
I love this idea, very nice! Your wedding photos are so pretty they look like the kind that come with frames. Go on with your model self!
Side note to everyone asking about the boyfriend thing… she explained it on this post:
http://allbowerpower.blogspot.com/2008/09/letter-to-my-boyfriend.html
I’m definitely a fan of photography in public areas – but – not just random snapshots. We switch out the photographs in a bunch of frames down our hallway every season but we also make sure they are all related to a common theme.
I’ve just started reading your blog, and love it! The pictures frames turned out nice!
We have a few random wedding pics still up (almost 9 years later). We have a “gallery” of sorts in the hall going up the stairs. It’s black and whites of our families (grandparents, parents as kids, etc.) I’ve been meaning to redo the frames though. My favorite is this http://www.potterybarn.com/products/p4318/index.cfm?pkey=cshelves%2Dledges from Pottery Barn. We have all black and whites of our girl and a sign above it that says, “All because two peole fell in love”. Guess it sounds kinda cheesy huh??
I love this! It looks so much nicer than the multi-frame ones that I often see. I am so stealing this idea from you!
My husband agrees with you on this one. I, on the other hand, must be vain b/c I love splashing pictures of us up. With a little taste of course! Love those frames!
I LOOOVE what you did with this space! Everything about it, the black frames, how you desaturated the pics, it turned out beautiful! 🙂
Hey Lyzz & IzzyE,
No worries…its more confusing than the dictionary to Tyra. Here's the link that will 'splain everything:
http://allbowerpower.blogspot.com/2008/09/letter-to-my-boyfriend.html
oh – just saw that Suzanne had my back – thanks girl!
Julie – that doesn't sound cheesy AT ALL! I think that as long as the colors aren't all jarring and crazy and they go with the rest of the room…then it sounds perfect! Besides – you better believe that if I had a little girl, her photo would be EVERYwhere. I bet your daughter feels sooo loved.
I guess the common theme here is that the pictures all need to have some sortof relationship…either a same color scheme, or a theme (like the pics from your vacay spots- how hot is that?!) or of the same person. Or even just all the same frames! I guess we are all gallery gals 🙂
XO – Katie
I’m glad to know I’m not the only silly girl out there who calls her husband her boyfriend, lol.
Cute frames, Katie!
Great job! These look amazing and fabulous! I love pictures and display them, but I don’t like really personal pictures. I like stuff like you put in these frames. 🙂 Great job!
We only have two wedding pictures in our entire house 🙁 Yeah, we have more pictures of our dogs up in our house than ourselves (hey, they’re more photogenic).
Your frames look great!
Can I just say I’m so jealous- your Target has AWESOME deals. My Target is waaaaay busy so nothing is ever on sale! Those frames look amazing!
Love it! BTW, your blog is officially my new obsession.
Looks fantastic! I got married 7 months ago, and I’ve been meaning to put some wedding pics in our hallway, which has a ginormous white wall. You’ve inspired me to finally do it!
Those look great. I esp. love the pins to hold up the photos.
I totally put personal photos everywhere- although I stick to pro shots and not my terrible photography. I break every rule in the book.
But, no nakey photos of course. So, you can still stop over. You know, if you take a wrong turn and end up…. in Illinois. I promise – you won’t be exposed to anything you cannot handle. 😉
Hi! I stumbled across your blog after the Young House Love posts, and I had to comment that I love this idea. I’ve almost been married a year, and I feel a little guilty that I haven’t put all those gorgeous weddings pictures of mine up (which my parents paid a lot of money for) because I didn’t know how to choose or what to do with them. Thanks for the idea. 🙂
I just finished framing and arranging our wedding photos – and trying to group them as orderly as possible – a frame w/ a series of bridal party shots and a grouping of white frames featuring us and our parents. It really brightens up a wall, doesn’t it? Love yours, they are beautiful indeed!
Hi, resident blog stalker again: As for the kissing photos, I always despised them of anyone let alone myself, but after I saw the fall foliage color photo of the hubs and myself “tastefully” locking lips in an after-ceremony shot, I blew that puppy up(5×7) and framed it for our bedroom (although I will say that I would NEVER hang it in any other room – eh, no. Also, where did you purchase that mean green kitchen rug? wishing it was living on our “Leaf Bud” kitchen. 🙂 I’ve now written a novel on your comment section. apologies.
Love the wedding gallery in your hall. I do like gallery walls. I go back and forth about the personal photos in public spaces. I don’t typically have photo’s of me and the husband around the house, but I’m not opposed to them either. Now the kiddo, he is framed everywhere.
I do have a few of our wedding photos in our bedroom, but I had to do the smooch pic in black and white.
Fabulous of course! Not that I had any doubt. As I paced back and forth in your hallway and passed those empty frames (while we set that table a million times) they whispered “Katie will do something fabulous with me” and I knew they were right.xo,s
Sepia galleries are CLASS-E. I love family photo galleries that are united by sepia tones. Great find on those frames. And the kissy stuff is fine if not overdone. Yours is perfect.
Ya hoo !
Beautiful photos and the two of you dont’ look too bad yourselves! Love your hair that!
I love the new gallery!
We just got married a year ago so we have wedding pics out the wazoo. Kitchen, living room, dining room, etc. Although, I have 4 large pics behind the entertainment center that I switch out every months for various seasons. Fall pics for the fall, Winter pics for the winter – I think you get the idea (although I do recall you mentioning you were born a little slower than the rest of us! hahaha).
I do NOT like nudie photos in the living room. We save our provocative Honeymoon pics for the Master bath…which my father-in-law saw last weekend…awkward!
Great photo gallery. I was going to buy those frames and do the same thing.
Hi! Found your blog through thisyounghouse.com. Love these frames (::running to target on saturday::). They look great. You’re so talented!
I don’t like nudie pictures either! It’s nice to know I’m not crazy. Those frames look AMAZING!!! Definitely inspiration for our hallway. Ps- Your blog is amazing! I posted about your number project a couple days ago.
Silly Southerner – thanks! That rug is a favorite piece around these Bower parts…it is from a fabulous little place called Shades of Light. Here is the link for more info:
http://shadesoflight.com/happy-trellis-rug-available-in-3-colors.html
Lovely Little Nest – that is HILARIOUS! I would have payed cash money to see the look on his face! Gotta love the honeymoon photos!
I’m really diggin how the general feeling about kissing pics is that if you make them look like the photo that came with the frame then they are a-okay…so I guess solarized versions are out, eh?
XO – Katie
What a great project. It looks great!!! you made a beautiful bride! 🙂
stop being so creative… you are making me feel bad 🙂 ha!
Those are AWESOME Katie. I am gonna need you to come be my personal home stylist 🙂 I will pay you in wine and give you a room to sleep in 🙂 ha
this is so cool! your photos are just goooorgeous. i def. have issues w/ nekkid photos (which is why my wedding dress had to have straps.. don’t get me started) and my mom has srs issues with kissing pics. When we got our proofs back, she said “yeah, take out those gross kissing ones”. mmkay mom. I found the most kisserific one and blew it up and framed it.
I love this! You did such a great job and really helped me figure out what I’m going to do with a vacant hallway wall that we have. Er, except my boyfriend and I aren’t married yet. Oh, well! I can do vacation pictures!