How to hang a family picture display

Family displays are a popular addition to any home these days. But how can you decide on the final placement of the pictures? The fact is, you can't.

Inevitably there will be the need to add new or updated photos to the display or additional family members. As your family grows, so should your family display. Using a picture hanging system allows you to play around with photos, adding or even replacing photos as you go but still maintaining the balance needed.

Often in these displays, the sizes of pictures vary and frames are of a more individual range rather than matching each other as in a set, in fact this is usually what we recommend as it gives you an opportunity to suit frames to family members personalities and helps maintain a warm, relaxed feeling when viewing them together.

Where to start:

It is good practice to keep an eye out for frames of all shapes and sizes on an on–going basis, at markets, antique shops, charity shops and garage sales. Remember you can usually re–paint what you find so look for the shape or decoration rather than the colour. It is good to use a mixture of styles, some old, some new, maybe even a larger centrepiece.

Next select your photos, some classics, some favourites some proud memories, black and white or in colour. Match them to your frames, get them printed to suit and mount them yourself, for frames that are to be painted it is sometimes best to choose the colour at this point when you can mock–up using the final print.

Once you have five or six then it is a good time to start hanging your display. Lay them on your bed or a large flat sheet to get the arrangement right and so you have a good idea of what you want it to look like on the wall.

When using a picture hanging system it is easy at this point to work out how many hangers and hooks you need to create the display. Click here to read our other post for advice on hanging multiple pictures.

In most cases it is best to keep an even mixture of colour, size and style of frame, take a step back, have a cuppa, return to the display with 'fresh eyes' and make any minor adjustments. Stand on a chair and take a picture of the display with your phone for quick reference. From this testing process you will gain the confidence to start installing them.

If you don't have a picture rail and will be hanging them directly to the wall then take an overall height and width measurement and work from the middle out. Click here for help in choosing the correct picture rail for your space. Also, see our 'How to patch holes' post for tips when rearranging pictures without the flexibility of having a picture hanging system.

If you do have a picture rail then start hanging the top row of pictures first, it doesn't matter if they aren't in exactly the right place as the picture hanging system allows you to adjust them up and down, left and right as needed, this makes adding to your display very simple.