Decorating
Stylish Schemes to Display Photos and Prints on Your Walls
Whether you have one supersize image or a group of illustrations or family snaps, exhibit them like a pro
Have some photos and prints to display? You could choose to hang a group of frames together as an eye-catching gallery wall, or showcase one large image. Whichever option you go for, the key is knowing how to position them. Follow our expert tips to help you make the most of your photos and paintings.
Oversize for impact
Have an expanse of wall to fill? In a contemporary, streamlined space, it works well to go for a supersize print rather than a collection of smaller photos. The more up-close-and-personal the shot, like this one, the bigger the impact.
Choose a stylised image for a modern finish – either a black-and-white classic or an iconic, mid-century print.
Have an expanse of wall to fill? In a contemporary, streamlined space, it works well to go for a supersize print rather than a collection of smaller photos. The more up-close-and-personal the shot, like this one, the bigger the impact.
Choose a stylised image for a modern finish – either a black-and-white classic or an iconic, mid-century print.
Make photos incidental
One of the best ways to display photos is to dot them among other curios. This wall of shelving is the perfect way to show off snaps – alongside books, houseplants, and even tiny shoes.
Get your display right by sticking to a colour scheme with two main shades, such as black and white, and a third accent colour mixed in.
Picture Perfect: 7 Tips for Creating a Black-and-White Gallery
One of the best ways to display photos is to dot them among other curios. This wall of shelving is the perfect way to show off snaps – alongside books, houseplants, and even tiny shoes.
Get your display right by sticking to a colour scheme with two main shades, such as black and white, and a third accent colour mixed in.
Picture Perfect: 7 Tips for Creating a Black-and-White Gallery
Feign an accidental display
Two screws, a length of string and some pegs – that’s all you need to create a cute photo gallery like this one. You could also dot a few photos around the string using short lengths of colourful, patterned crafting tape or washi tape.
Perfect for above a desk in a home office, it’s the kind of display idea teens will buy into for their bedrooms, too.
As before, keep to a colour palette if you prefer a neat finish, and steer clear of any pegs that aren’t wooden, black or white.
Two screws, a length of string and some pegs – that’s all you need to create a cute photo gallery like this one. You could also dot a few photos around the string using short lengths of colourful, patterned crafting tape or washi tape.
Perfect for above a desk in a home office, it’s the kind of display idea teens will buy into for their bedrooms, too.
As before, keep to a colour palette if you prefer a neat finish, and steer clear of any pegs that aren’t wooden, black or white.
Lean and overlap frames
Picture shelves are a brilliant invention – once up, they allow you to vary and rearrange your art and photo gallery as the mood takes you.
Don’t just prop matching frames in a row, though. Instead, try choosing a variety of sizes and overlap them. Leave the odd gap and group some on the floor, too, for a boho-chic vibe.
Introducing Boho Glam: How to Get the Look
Picture shelves are a brilliant invention – once up, they allow you to vary and rearrange your art and photo gallery as the mood takes you.
Don’t just prop matching frames in a row, though. Instead, try choosing a variety of sizes and overlap them. Leave the odd gap and group some on the floor, too, for a boho-chic vibe.
Introducing Boho Glam: How to Get the Look
Ace the spacing
Hanging prints or photos on your wall in a group? The shape of the group is all-important, as is its overall size – both should echo the proportions of the wall space.
However, the distance between the pictures is also vital. More than five to eight centimetres apart and a group simply becomes a disconnected selection of objects, so make sure you hang yours in a cosy gathering.
Hanging prints or photos on your wall in a group? The shape of the group is all-important, as is its overall size – both should echo the proportions of the wall space.
However, the distance between the pictures is also vital. More than five to eight centimetres apart and a group simply becomes a disconnected selection of objects, so make sure you hang yours in a cosy gathering.
Go off-centre for single shots
Groups of photos tend to look best if centralised on a wall. When it comes to large, single images, though, going off-centre can create a pleasingly contemporary visual surprise.
Here, a frond of foliage just nibbles at the edge of the image – a clever way to connect the photo to another element in the room and make the off-centre position look purposeful.
Groups of photos tend to look best if centralised on a wall. When it comes to large, single images, though, going off-centre can create a pleasingly contemporary visual surprise.
Here, a frond of foliage just nibbles at the edge of the image – a clever way to connect the photo to another element in the room and make the off-centre position look purposeful.
Arrange around furniture
Remember what I said about a group of pictures being closely displayed? The same rule applies to the furniture the group is related to.
In other words, if you’re hanging pictures near furniture (in groups or as singles), hang them comfortably close to it. Too far away from your furniture and the whole display will look disowned.
Tip: To avoid accidental bumps, take into account how you use furniture (do you lean your head against the wall when you sit on the sofa?) when choosing where to hang your art.
Remember what I said about a group of pictures being closely displayed? The same rule applies to the furniture the group is related to.
In other words, if you’re hanging pictures near furniture (in groups or as singles), hang them comfortably close to it. Too far away from your furniture and the whole display will look disowned.
Tip: To avoid accidental bumps, take into account how you use furniture (do you lean your head against the wall when you sit on the sofa?) when choosing where to hang your art.
Create a theme
You can’t beat a precise, super-neat grid of photos, but these formations work best when the images themselves have a continuous theme.
You can up the ante by framing them – however casually – in exactly the same way. Here, black background paper makes the whole group visually leap off the wall. Clever.
Browse more beautiful gallery walls
You can’t beat a precise, super-neat grid of photos, but these formations work best when the images themselves have a continuous theme.
You can up the ante by framing them – however casually – in exactly the same way. Here, black background paper makes the whole group visually leap off the wall. Clever.
Browse more beautiful gallery walls
Display somewhere unexpected
This is such a simple trick, but so effective. Try displaying photos where people least expect to see them – on the backs of doors, on otherwise ignored slices of wall, inside frequently opened cupboards.
Not only will it create a pleasing surprise, it’s also a great way to use those photos you love that don’t go well with your other groupings.
Tell us
Which of these ideas would work best in your home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below, save your favourite images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Not sure which style will suit your framed photos or prints? Find a local decorator who can arrange and hang them for you
This is such a simple trick, but so effective. Try displaying photos where people least expect to see them – on the backs of doors, on otherwise ignored slices of wall, inside frequently opened cupboards.
Not only will it create a pleasing surprise, it’s also a great way to use those photos you love that don’t go well with your other groupings.
Tell us
Which of these ideas would work best in your home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below, save your favourite images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Not sure which style will suit your framed photos or prints? Find a local decorator who can arrange and hang them for you
Whether your home has gorgeous high ceilings like the one in this room, or more modest measurements, try to distribute multiple photos and other elements evenly throughout the space. This will help give the display a feeling of balance.
Here, the layout is spot on: the framed photos, sofa and ceiling are spaced quite closely together, but the distribution of everything is even.
Tip: Here, each row of prints shares a common baseline in the form of the picture shelves. To ground your display, try something similar.