Framed pictures on walls and tabletops or no?

[sheryl]

Like so many others I grew up with framed pictures on walls and tabletops.  Now it seems many people are going for the minimalist look which might prevent that.

I took our pics down so dh could paint the walls in preparation for moving.

In our next house, any ideas?  I miss having pictures up on walls/tables.  A neighbor has a minimal look but still has a few frames dotting her tables.  Her house is bigger though and more spread out.  She has a cute idea in her laundry room - an wooden frame with 4 sections (can't think of proper name for this).  It looks like a ladder but 4 sides.   She hangs it vertically.  In each "open" window there is jute maybe that runs east/west.  On that is a cute little clothes pin holding a picture.  One picture per window.   That's cute.

Then there is the farmhouse like this.  Probably smaller.

 

Used to have a collage but don't think I'll revisit that unless there is an updated version to consider.

Ideas?  

Edited March 19 by sheryl

[mommyoffive]

I have seen a lot of people on Youtube use Mixtiles to create looks on their walls.  Supposedly you can move them around and change it up.  Looks cool.  I am just a little skeptical that it will work.  I have used those stick on hooks on my walls by 3M that said they didn't wreck walls, well they 100% pulled the paint and part of the walls off.

[JustEm]

We didn't have framed pictures for a very long time simply because I wasn't willing to pay for the frames because I wanted our money to go elsewhere.  Lately, we've been adding framed pictures all over the walls and I love it.  I love looking at our past regularly. It brings me so much joy.  And the kids regularly look and talk about the moment in time.  It has been so nice.  So for me, I say screw minimalism and do what makes you happy.

[2squared]

I have a collage in our kitchen - one picture from each vacation/trip. We really enjoy the theme, and the kids talk about the memories quite often. 

[sheryl]

2 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

I have seen a lot of people on Youtube use Mixtiles to create looks on their walls.  Supposedly you can move them around and change it up.  Looks cool.  I am just a little skeptical that it will work.  I have used those stick on hooks on my walls by 3M that said they didn't wreck walls, well they 100% pulled the paint and part of the walls off.

Yes, I've seen the canvas look and maybe I've seen the ones you mentioned above but didn't know they were called that.  LOL!  I saw a YT video just now on your Mixtile idea and one poster says they do not pull off paint and they restick nicely.  She showed us in her video but that is only one video.  I'd like to read more reviews but it's a great concept!  Thanks!

2 hours ago, hjffkj said:

We didn't have framed pictures for a very long time simply because I wasn't willing to pay for the frames because I wanted our money to go elsewhere.  Lately, we've been adding framed pictures all over the walls and I love it.  I love looking at our past regularly. It brings me so much joy.  And the kids regularly look and talk about the moment in time.  It has been so nice.  So for me, I say screw minimalism and do what makes you happy.

Right.  I'm not a true minimalist but I don't like extreme clutter either.  The frames are so big and chunky.  Maybe that's it - outdated?  But, who cares. I do like the mix tile idea above from mommyoffive.   The farm house is kind of like that but would be anchored by 1 or 2 nails.  

1 hour ago, 2squared said:

I have a collage in our kitchen - one picture from each vacation/trip. We really enjoy the theme, and the kids talk about the memories quite often. 

A collage that looks like what?  An older version or updated?    Curious here.

[stephanier.1765]

We're a beach loving family so I have lots of great pictures of the kids over the years playing on the shore. What I did was intermingle some of my favorites with the beach art on my walls. I never tire of seeing those pictures. I even have some on a bathroom wall that's opposite the mirror, so every time I brush my teeth I get to see my kids right there behind me.

[Carrie12345]

My frames STILL aren’t filled yet, but I have shallow “shelf” strips on the wall to rest frames on. I prefer that for fewer holes, less needed precision, and ability to rearrange on a whim. 
 

[sheryl]

4 hours ago, stephanier.1765 said:

We're a beach loving family so I have lots of great pictures of the kids over the years playing on the shore. What I did was intermingle some of my favorites with the beach art on my walls. I never tire of seeing those pictures. I even have some on a bathroom wall that's opposite the mirror, so every time I brush my teeth I get to see my kids right there behind me.

Did you use regular frames?  

3 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

My frames STILL aren’t filled yet, but I have shallow “shelf” strips on the wall to rest frames on. I prefer that for fewer holes, less needed precision, and ability to rearrange on a whim. 
 

I'll see if I can enlarge the pic!  I LIKE that idea!  Very nice, Carrie!  And, you can reposition and swap out easily.  Nice!

[2squared]

4 hours ago, sheryl said:

 

A collage that looks like what?  An older version or updated?    Curious here.

Our collage is 4x6 mixed frames (black and brown wood mostly) arranged in rows and columns. Our kitchen cabinets are brown wood, the furniture in the kitchen is black and brown, and the walls are white. I really love those color combinations, and I think our picture frame collage looks really nice on the open wall. 

[Ausmumof3]

5 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

My frames STILL aren’t filled yet, but I have shallow “shelf” strips on the wall to rest frames on. I prefer that for fewer holes, less needed precision, and ability to rearrange on a whim. 
 

I have this in my schoolroom for the kids art.

admittedly they were Kmart branded shelving and one of them decided to randomly collapse so now I just have some holes where that was!

I liked how easy it was to change out the artwork.

[Ausmumof3]

I love the look but DH doesn’t like me hanging artwork (I’m not the best at straight, square, lining things up) and he never gets around to doing it. I suspect he actually just likes bare walls. 

[Rosie_0801]

I have lots! And most of them don't even match!

Nobody goes "minimalist" with tattoos. They get what they want and put it where they want and I take the same attitude to wall hangings. Anyway, artists have to sell to someone or they won't fit into their own houses.

[prairiewindmomma]

It’s YOUR house. Do what makes you happy. I take things down and patch whenever we list our house, but outside of that, I have wall mounted photos up.

I do leave up my large travel photo canvases, even when our house is for sale. I have framed photo canvases of all kinds of nature scenes from our hiked throughout our home. They don’t feature any of us, so I have no privacy concerns there.

[sheryl]

38 minutes ago, Rosie_0801 said:

I have lots! And most of them don't even match!

Nobody goes "minimalist" with tattoos. They get what they want and put it where they want and I take the same attitude to wall hangings. Anyway, artists have to sell to someone or they won't fit into their own houses.

Ha!  None of my frames match.  I don't think even one.  I like kinda the ecclectic, artsy look.  Perhaps that prompted me to start taking painting and drawing classes, idk.  We are not minimalist.  I like a house to be cozy, comfortable, peaceful, inviting, etc.  IOW, it needs to look lived in.   I don't have tattoos but I share the same preference with a lived in home.   

[sheryl]

24 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

It’s YOUR house. Do what makes you happy. I take things down and patch whenever we list our house, but outside of that, I have wall mounted photos up.

I do leave up my large travel photo canvases, even when our house is for sale. I have framed photo canvases of all kinds of nature scenes from our hiked throughout our home. They don’t feature any of us, so I have no privacy concerns there.

Yes, I like the canvas photo look!  That sounds amazing.  You could organize a few to make a scene on a wall.  I love that idea!  

[katilac]

1 hour ago, Ausmumof3 said:

I love the look but DH doesn’t like me hanging artwork (I’m not the best at straight, square, lining things up) and he never gets around to doing it. I suspect he actually just likes bare walls. 

Do it anyway. If he wants to fix it, he takes it down when he's ready to fix it and not before. 

If he likes bare walls, he needs to say so, and y'all can come to a reasonable agreement - I decorate the walls in the dining room, you decorate the walls in the den, and so on. 

[Melissa in Australia]

I have bookshelves or windows for the whole loungeroom walls so not really anywhere to hang photos. I do have a piano. Which is the perfect spot to put heaps of framed photos and things like Nautilus shells and  world globe etc 

I go for the Victorian look, Interesting stuff and plants everywhere. I don't follow latest thing fads. And l don't like the minimal look.

[stephanier.1765]

16 hours ago, sheryl said:

Did you use regular frames?  

I did but the ones in the living areas of the house are nicer and similar to the art in the rooms. Not the same but complimentary. 

[Innisfree]

14 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

I go for the Victorian look, Interesting stuff and plants everywhere. I don't follow latest thing fads. And l don't like the minimal look.

You are clearly my kindred spirit.

[regentrude]

I have artwork, some framed, some not, on my walls. No small photographs. I have several posters size prints of my travel photos in the bedroom and on the basement stairs.

I won't have stuff on tabletops. Our tables are in use; I don't have decorative side tables that attract clutter.

Edited March 20 by regentrude

[sheryl]

25 minutes ago, regentrude said:

I have artwork, some framed, some not, on my walls. No small photographs. I have several posters size prints of my travel photos in the bedroom and on the basement stairs.

I won't have stuff on tabletops. Our tables are in use; I don't have decorative side tables that attract clutter.

Right. I used to have framed pictures on walls and tabletops.  Those are all boxed up for now as dh painted  walls, etc.  When we move, I'll bring those pics out but I'm thinking, as you mentioned above, maybe (not sure yet) display framed pics on walls only and not tables. Still sorting through this. 

[Boymama5]

For the walls we have a mixture of frames and mix tiles (ones I change more often). I do have some throughout the house too on tables as such but I love photography and do it as a hobby so lots of pictures!

[sheryl]

38 minutes ago, Boymama5 said:

For the walls we have a mixture of frames and mix tiles (ones I change more often). I do have some throughout the house too on tables as such but I love photography and do it as a hobby so lots of pictures!

Have you moved your mix tiles?  If so, did it damage walls at all?  The tile itself?  I've never used them.  

[KungFuPanda]

I’m planning to do a gallery wall in my dining room that’s something like this. I want an assortment of frames and I want to mix in some art that’s not photos or even framed, but I want the outline of the whole thing to have a neat, defined border; so controlled chaos within a large rectangle.

I’ll use mostly family photos, and I don’t think I can stand for the frames to touch like in the photo, but you get the idea. I want to mix in other things like small mirrors, framed drawings, and some sculptural things like a hanging vase or ceramic piece. Some sort of modern version of the second image with fewer tiny objects displayed.
 

 

[sheryl]

2 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

I’m planning to do a gallery wall in my dining room that’s something like this. I want an assortment of frames and I want to mix in some art that’s not photos or even framed, but I want the outline of the whole thing to have a neat, defined border; so controlled chaos within a large rectangle.

I’ll use mostly family photos, and I don’t think I can stand for the frames to touch like in the photo, but you get the idea. I want to mix in other things like small mirrors, framed drawings, and some sculptural things like a hanging vase or ceramic piece. Some sort of modern version of the second image with fewer tiny objects displayed.
 

 

Wow, interesting!  Hmm, another option.   I like the look.  You got me thinking - to touch or not to touch.  What are the visual pros and cons to both?  Thanks! 

[KungFuPanda]

4 hours ago, sheryl said:

Wow, interesting!  Hmm, another option.   I like the look.  You got me thinking - to touch or not to touch.  What are the visual pros and cons to both?  Thanks! 

I think it’s just what you like. I like a little breathing room between objects. In the first photo I wouldn’t have them touch and in the second photo I’d get rid of the keys and tiny objects. I need slightly less visual crowding and clutter so those photos are just jumping off points for me to make my own plan. 
 

I also plan to lay everything out on a piece of butcher paper so I can get it all planned out before I start putting holes in the wall. I want to trace the frame, cut it out in paper, and tape the paper up to look at it before mounting photos. 

[Arcadia]

On 3/19/2024 at 3:48 PM, Ausmumof3 said:

I love the look but DH doesn’t like me hanging artwork (I’m not the best at straight, square, lining things up) and he never gets around to doing it. I suspect he actually just likes bare walls. 

My husband doesn’t like holes or peeling paint (if we use blu tack or 3M command strips). We however are used to photos in plastic frames on top of the piano and TV/media rack. Framed photos in a display rack like the Ikea expedit/kallax racks are fine too. Our photos are mainly 3R with a few 5R and one 8R (wedding photo). We use the cheap plastic frames 

e.g. 

[Ellie]

Not many on tables, because dust. In fact, I have few framed family pictures at all, and those are upstairs in a niche near the bedrooms. I'm with the professional decorators who advise against family pictures out on display. That's what photo albums are for.

::ducks and waits for the heat. I can take it.::

[Boymama5]

20 hours ago, sheryl said:

Have you moved your mix tiles?  If so, did it damage walls at all?  The tile itself?  I've never used them.  

I have moved them. The tiles themselves have magnets on the back and are easily removed. The magnet that gets adhered to the wall- I have removed them without damage to the wall, but none that have been long terms (thinking a year plus). I have found them easier to remove than something like the 3M stickies which have damaged my wall. I think the adhesive and not as strong as the tiles are fairly light so there isn’t the need to hold a heavy weight. I have been happy with the overall quality and appearance of the tiles. 

[sheryl]

49 minutes ago, Ellie said:

Not many on tables, because dust. In fact, I have few framed family pictures at all, and those are upstairs in a niche near the bedrooms. I'm with the professional decorators who advise against family pictures out on display. That's what photo albums are for.

::ducks and waits for the heat. I can take it.::

We have tons of albums and much is personal preference for sure.  I'm asking here though because I'm open to suggestions.  I like several of the ones mentioned.  I've heard real estate agents suggesting no family pics/personal items when house is on the market b/c the potential buyer wants to envision their family pics/personal things in the house.  I've not heard about not keeping family pics out year round from a decorator standpoint.  What is the reasoning.  I will have family pics out but I agree with you about tabletop dust.  That could be why I'm debating this in my head.  Although some homes are just less dusty.   Mine is very dusty.  

[sheryl]

2 minutes ago, Boymama5 said:

I have moved them. The tiles themselves have magnets on the back and are easily removed. The magnet that gets adhered to the wall- I have removed them without damage to the wall, but none that have been long terms (thinking a year plus). I have found them easier to remove than something like the 3M stickies which have damaged my wall. I think the adhesive and not as strong as the tiles are fairly light so there isn’t the need to hold a heavy weight. I have been happy with the overall quality and appearance of the tiles. 

I'm not understanding.   The mix tile back has magnets on it.  ???  On to what does it attract?   Where is the opposite magnet?  Maybe I'm not getting something.

[Alice]

We have a lot of stuff on our walls, although I would have said I tend more towards minimalism. 

Our living room.  It's been collected overtime. Frames don't match but we went with the black/white for cohesion. 

 

Our dining room has photos we've taken, in cheap black frames. We've had different themes but the current one has been up there a long time. It's mostly food related signs. Sorry, the photo isn't great. 

 

In one bathroom we have photos of the kids that are all water themed (swimming/beach/etc). We used cheap Ikea frames and switch out the photos every few years. In another bathroom we have photos taken from vacations, also loosely water themed. We have lots more art and pictures. One current thing I'm loving is just having these postcards from various places on a shelf in our foyer. 

[Innisfree]

Another classic option for flexible picture hanging is to install a picture rail. Then you can use hangers and chains to arrange and rearrange artwork as often as you like.

https://www.bobvila.com/articles/picture-rails/
(Oddly, not all of the images here show the picture rail actually being employed to hang the pictures. Some do, though.)

[Boymama5]

5 hours ago, sheryl said:

I'm not understanding.   The mix tile back has magnets on it.  ???  On to what does it attract?   Where is the opposite magnet?  Maybe I'm not getting something.

The mix tile/picture has a magnet permanently adhered to it. There is another magnet you put on the wall. The picture then can hang on the wall via the magnet.  The magnet you put on the wall can be taken off without damage. 

[TechWife]

Your first priority should be to do display your photos in a way that pleases you.

My personal criteria is that I have to like something enough to be willing to dust it. I’ve found that frames on the wall don’t collect as much dust in our house as ones on the top of furniture, so I gave only two frames on furniture and I have a gallery wall in the second floor hallway for the majority of our photos. The way dust accumulates in your house may differ from mine due to different air flow patterns. 

[TechWife]

17 hours ago, Alice said:

We have a lot of stuff on our walls, although I would have said I tend more towards minimalism. 

Our living room.  It's been collected overtime. Frames don't match but we went with the black/white for cohesion. 

 

Our dining room has photos we've taken, in cheap black frames. We've had different themes but the current one has been up there a long time. It's mostly food related signs. Sorry, the photo isn't great. 

 

In one bathroom we have photos of the kids that are all water themed (swimming/beach/etc). We used cheap Ikea frames and switch out the photos every few years. In another bathroom we have photos taken from vacations, also loosely water themed. We have lots more art and pictures. One current thing I'm loving is just having these postcards from various places on a shelf in our foyer. 

Wonderful ideas! I appreciate themes quite a bit. Our living room is themed to the town & state we live in. We have pieces from a local artist that depict town scenes and the books we keep in the room are themed to our town or state.

In case you can’t tell, we sort our books by theme/subject as well. Different subjects are in different areas of the house depending on shelf space. 

Edited March 22 by TechWife

[sheryl]

17 hours ago, Alice said:

We have a lot of stuff on our walls, although I would have said I tend more towards minimalism. 

Our living room.  It's been collected overtime. Frames don't match but we went with the black/white for cohesion. 

 

Our dining room has photos we've taken, in cheap black frames. We've had different themes but the current one has been up there a long time. It's mostly food related signs. Sorry, the photo isn't great. 

 

In one bathroom we have photos of the kids that are all water themed (swimming/beach/etc). We used cheap Ikea frames and switch out the photos every few years. In another bathroom we have photos taken from vacations, also loosely water themed. We have lots more art and pictures. One current thing I'm loving is just having these postcards from various places on a shelf in our foyer. 

Yes, I especially like the living room (various sizes and vertical/horizontal positions to break visual tension) and the yellow room.  Cute idea!!  

[sheryl]

17 hours ago, Innisfree said:

Another classic option for flexible picture hanging is to install a picture rail. Then you can use hangers and chains to arrange and rearrange artwork as often as you like.

https://www.bobvila.com/articles/picture-rails/
(Oddly, not all of the images here show the picture rail actually being employed to hang the pictures. Some do, though.)

That's cool!  That would be suited better for a large room.  ??  It's very similar in idea to what I show up top.  

[sheryl]

12 hours ago, Boymama5 said:

The mix tile/picture has a magnet permanently adhered to it. There is another magnet you put on the wall. The picture then can hang on the wall via the magnet.  The magnet you put on the wall can be taken off without damage. 

That's good to know.  Have you tried taking one of the magnets off of a wall?  If so, how long was it up?  

[sheryl]

32 minutes ago, TechWife said:

Your first priority should be to do display your photos in a way that pleases you.

My personal criteria is that I have to like something enough to be willing to dust it. I’ve found that frames on the wall don’t collect as much dust in our house as ones on the top of furniture, so I gave only two frames on furniture and I have a gallery wall in the second floor hallway for the majority of our photos. The way dust accumulates in your house may differ from mine due to different air flow patterns. 

OK, did I miss your post showing a pic?  

[sheryl]

34 minutes ago, TechWife said:

Your first priority should be to do display your photos in a way that pleases you.

My personal criteria is that I have to like something enough to be willing to dust it. I’ve found that frames on the wall don’t collect as much dust in our house as ones on the top of furniture, so I gave only two frames on furniture and I have a gallery wall in the second floor hallway for the majority of our photos. The way dust accumulates in your house may differ from mine due to different air flow patterns. 

Oh yes, type of heat, age of house, rural/city.  Our house is beyond dusty.   I will still have very few on tabletop because of the dusting issue but I think it's visually easy to see pictures on the wall.  They are just there.  On a wall.  

[TechWife]

5 minutes ago, sheryl said:

OK, did I miss your post showing a pic?  

No, I didn’t put one up. I’ve never taken a picture of my pictures 😁.

[Ellie]

On 3/21/2024 at 3:05 PM, sheryl said:

I've not heard about not keeping family pics out year round from a decorator standpoint.  What is the reasoning.

IDK why. It is just a thing.