Tale of 2 Picture Collages

Family photos are such wonderful, personal home decor.  And because many of us have an array of meaningful photos already, this can be an inexpensive project.   I am always inspired by great photo collages, and have wanted to include one in my home.  But the perceived amount of work that they require, has stopped me from tacking this project. Recently, two of my favorite bloggers, John and Sherry, from Young House Love, chronicled their "wallpaper of photos" project...and of course it looked fabulous.  That was enough to finally motivate me to get to work!

Finding a Spot

Many of the walls in my house are already occupied, so I didn't have a whole lot of choices.  I finally settled for the sun room. Let me set the scene for you, with a very elementary line drawing of the space.  As you can see, this room has three double doors across the back wall.  These three doors create two matching wall spaces, which would be perfect for 2 picture collages.

To Match or Not to Match...That is the Question

I wavered back and forth on this issue.  I like symmetry, especially because both walls are exactly the same size.  But ultimately decided it might be boring to have 2 collages that looked exactly the same.  However, to unify the two spaces, I decided to use all white frames. 

Controlled Collection

I purchased 2 large Ribba picture frames and 4 small ones all from IKEA.  I planned a very traditional pattern, and used the paper from inside the frame to visualize where each frame would be placed.  A few nails later and we were in business.  Usually I am one to just eyeball things and am okay with there being a few wayward nail holes as long as they are hidden underneath the frame!  But because it was imperative that everything line up perfectly, I had to get the ruler out. 

Final Product

 

Whimsical Grouping

For grouping number 2, I searched the house for any and all white picture frames or frames that I could spray paint white.  I actually owned all of these white frames already, and after incorporating other white items that could be hung on the wall I had enough to begin.  This layout was deemed a whimsical grouping, with an assortment of collected items showcased in a cohesive way.  I even DIY'd a magnetic board to serve as a place for rotating art, which you can read about here.  I planned, by simply laying the frames out on the ground, before nailing them to the wall.



Final Product