19 Family Photo Wall Ideas for Displaying your Favorite Photos
These beautiful family photo wall ideas include all kinds of gorgeous ideas for displaying your favorite photos.
In my opinion, nothing makes a home feel warm and inviting and full of love as much as family photos on the wall.
I know that not everyone agrees. I’ve seen interior designers argue that family photos make a home look ‘less expensive’ and that they’re pointless anyway because your family already knows what you look like.
But when I list the ways I want my home to feel, expensive is probably dead last on the list, way behind welcoming and safe and warm and fun. And if you think people put photos of their families on the wall because they can’t remember what they look like, you’ve completely missed the point.
Family photos are a way to remember our best days and our best years. They’re a way to show our families that we see them and we treasure them. They’re a way to show what’s most important to us.
Tips for Family Photo Walls
There really aren’t right or wrong ways to hang photos on the wall, but there are a few things to keep in mind.
- Small photos don’t stand out as much. When you are hanging art on the wall, most people won’t be right next to the wall when they look at it. They may be seated or possibly standing across the room, so small photos are going to be very hard to see. Personally, I prefer to use photos that are 8×10 are larger for this reason.
- Family photos can go in ANY room. I’ve seen some say that personal photos belong in personal spaces like bedrooms, but I think that’s ridiculous. You aren’t decorating a hotel – it’s a personal home. Family photos can go in any room from the kitchen to the living room to the bedroom.
- Adding a mat to any photo makes it look more special. You can definitely frame photos without a photo mat, but adding a mat just makes it feel more like art.
- You can use all one type of photo frame or you can put together an eclectic mix. They give two very different looks, but both can be beautiful.
- Sometimes it’s easier to choose and arrange your frames and then add the photos. It may seem counterintuitive since the photos are obviously much more important than the frame they’re in. But it’s a lot easier to arrange a grouping of frames and then dive in to choosing the perfect photos than it is to start with all the beautiful family photos you own.
Family Photo Wall Ideas
I had lots of family photos sprinkled throughout our last house, but I haven’t hung that many photos on the walls of our current house and I want to change that this year. So I went looking for some inspiration and I found plenty!
Here are some of my favorite family photo wall ideas to inspire you. There are all kinds of photo walls here from eclectic gallery walls to special collage frames to modern black and white grids.
No matter your style, hopefully you’ll find the perfect photo wall inspiration for your own home.
You can find more details about each photo wall at the link below each photo.
Colorful Family Photo Gallery Wall from Kaleidoscope Living
I love how this simple gallery wall combines a clean modern grid layout with lots of warm, happy color! Even better, Tasha from Kaleidoscope Living painted those mats and frames herself so you can recreate this idea using absolutely any colors you love. You can get all the details of how she did it at the link above.
Framed Instagram Art Photo Display from Little House on the Corner
I love how this Instagram style photo display turns simple vacation photos into a work of art. The colors of these travel photos are beautiful, but this would also be an amazing way to display your favorite photos of your baby’s first year, photos of a loved one throughout their lifetime, or just your favorite family snapshots from the past year.
Colorful Picture Ledge Gallery Wall from Amber Oliver
Picture ledges are an awesome way to display photos that you may want to switch up more often. The layering of these photos adds great dimension to the space and I love that fun pop of green! This is a great way to really make the most of a narrow wall.
Family Gallery Wall Tutorial from Kenarry
This gallery wall has a much more relaxed, homey vibe with it’s mix of different types of frames and objects. I especially all the texture that hanging clock adds.
Unique Family Photo Wall from Kaleidoscope Living
I love how the simple addition of colorful wallpaper completely changes the look of this fun photo wall. It really draws your eye to this corner while still letting the family photos take center stage.
Budget-Friendly Photo Gallery Wall from Designing Vibes
This simple grid of nine framed photos is a super popular arrangement for gallery walls. Using black and white photos is an easy way to make even humble photos look like art, plus they look beautiful in any room.
DIY Photo Wall Display from Love and Renovations
This is another fun Instagram-inspired family photo wall. The huge framed background makes a big impact and really unites all the little individual photos. And I love how easy it is to switch out photos with the seasons or whenever the mood strikes.
DIY Gallery Wall from At Lane and High
Here’s another example of a beautiful 9 frame grid. I love how the natural wood frames really pops against that black wall!
Cozy Home Office with Gallery Wall from Lovely Etc.
I hung this small gallery wall over the desk in my old home office. It was a mix of family vacation photos, decor made from reclaimed wood, and vintage finds. I really loved the color and texture this wall gave my office and seeing our favorite travel photos as I worked was a real pick-me-up.
Family Photo Wall Around a Television from At Lane and High
Figuring out what to put around the TV is always a conundrum, and I love how this family photo wall frames the TV while also turning this big blank wall into a focal point.
Upcycled Window Family Photo Art from Marty’s Musings
I always love a good upcycle, and if you love farmhouse style, this upcycled window photo display would be perfect. I love how it highlights one cherished photo in an interesting way.
Tips on Hanging a Photo Gallery Wall from The Turquoise Home
If you aren’t sure what to hang above the sofa, a photo gallery wall works really well. I love how this one uses nice big photos that stand out. The Turquoise Home also shares lots of tips for hanging photos including how high to hang them in the post linked above.
Grid Photo Gallery Wall from In My Own Style
Here’s another simple grid photo wall. It’s easy to see why this style is so popular – it’s simple to put together and makes a big impact. I especially love the wide mats on these photos.
Create a Gallery Wall Collection from Our Fifth House
I love how this gallery wall stands out from all the others. The free-flowing layout and wide mix of frame shapes and finishes could make it look disjointed. But instead, the tight spacing between frames and the white space added by the generous mats keeps it cohesive and beautiful.
Modern Farmhouse Gallery Wall from Where the Smiles Have Been
This photo wall has a more eclectic look with frames of all different sizes and finishes. I love how the frames and other decor look like they’ve been collected through the years.
5 Tips for Hanging a Symmetrical Gallery Wall from She Gave it a Go
This cute photo wall is filled with favorite vacation photos. In the linked post, you’ll also find lots of tips for getting perfectly even spacing between photos which can definitely be a challenge.
7 Hacks for Creating a Family Photo Wall from Simply 2 Moms
Stairways are such a great place for a family photo wall. Any other art tends to look odd on a staircase, but a gallery wall always seems to be at home. I love how this gallery wall strikes a nice balance – the photo frames are all the same color and thickness but incorporate different shapes and sizes for a more relaxed feel.
5 Tips for Creating a Family Gallery Wall from Living Letter Home
Here’s another simple grid photo wall. If you’re felling stuck on what kind of family photo wall you want, you really can’t go wrong with a simple grid of matching frames!
DIY Family History Wall Art from Smiling Colors
And finally, this last family photo display is a bit different. Instead of a gallery wall, this one’s a single canvas, but I wanted to include it because I love the idea of building a family photo display around your family’s history. So many of us end up with boxes of old family photos that nobody can identify as our older relatives pass away. I love the idea of taking the time to identify and label your family’s old photos and displaying them in your home.
When you’re ready to start hanging your own family photos, I suggest you head over and check out these picture hanging hacks next. There are actually some that really make hanging art much easier!
I’d love for you to pin this post on Pinterest!