I've always admired gallery-style photo displays, and decided that I needed to make one when we moved into our apartment (two years ago!). This is by no means a new apartment feature, but I just thought I'd share some photos, because it's one of my favorite parts of our living room.
photos by me.
I still have to do some work on taking my own photos to put in the frames (to replace the bottom right and center, specifically), but I like the way it turned out. The only photo of mine up there is the top center, which is a photo of Stephen King's home in Bangor, Maine. I took it when I was in college, and it's still one of my favorite photos. I put it up there as an homage to James & my love for all things Stephen King. :o)
I didn't really use a template when hanging these, but Martha had an awesome idea on one of her most recent episodes (it's also on her website). She took a long piece of kraft paper, arranged the frames on it (on a table, or flat surface -- I'd use my carpet), then traced the outline of the frames. She then taped the kraft paper to the wall where she wanted the display, nailed in the frame hangers, then ripped the kraft paper off the wall. I really wish I had thought of it when I was doing this, since some of the photos are a little unevenly spaced, but I'm not about to re-do it just yet.
The thinner frames are from pottery barn (where else). I really like the middle right one, because it's very dramatic. I had a few extra notecards with Parisian wedding dresses on them that I had used as thank you notes for my shower, and placed the one I liked best in that frame. The Audrey Hepburn picture is actually a poster I had bought at one of those poster sales that are so prevalent at colleges (also when I was at UMaine), and decided that it should be up there too, since she's one of my idols. I guess it doesn't really go with the theme, so I should probably find something else to go there... All of the other photos (and frames) came from Target.
It was hard work, and required me balancing on the back edge of our couch to accomplish it, but it's well worth the effort if you have a lot of photos and want to create an interesting focal point in a room. I think that it gives the whole room (small as it is) an interesting feel, and definitely draws your view upward to make the room seem bigger...
