Friend, you probably have lots of photos (whether they be from a professional photographer or simply taken with your phone) that you love. However, if you’re like most people, you haven’t gotten around to framing and displaying these photos because (1) life gets busy and (2) figuring out how you’d like to hang and display photos can be STRESSFUL!
In case you’ve been itching to get wedding, family, or other photos on your walls, I want to break down five simple photo wall ideas you can use to cover your home with photos you love!
And, because I know researching and comparing frame options can be time consuming, I’m also including Target and Amazon links for frames for each layout option so you can get photos on your walls ASAP!
Note: All of these simple photo wall ideas include framed photos with mattes. You don’t have to use mattes in your frames or you could ditch frames all together and use canvases or metal prints instead. I just love how clean photos look when they’re displayed in a frame with a matte, and nearly all of our photos in our home have white frames and white mattes. This is just a personal preference, and I’m kind of blogging accordingly!
1. Perfect Squares
If you want to display several photos but keep a wall looking clean, square frames are a great option!
You can add interest to a wall with nine square frames like pictured above. (You can use even more if you like or if you have a large wall!) Or, you can break this design down further and add interest to smaller spaces in your home.
For example, two rows of three square frames over your bed would look lovely! Or, one column of three frames is a great way to add visual interest to a skinny wall.
The frames in this design are 12×12 and include mattes that allow you to display an 8×8 photo. (You likely won’t be able to print an 8×8 photo, so you’ll want to order an 8×10 and cut the photo if needed.)
You can find a full set of nine frames in black and white at Target! If you’d like to do a smaller gallery, you can also order frames individually in black and white from Target.
2. Classic Row of Three
This is honestly my favorite way to display photos! We definitely have family and wedding photos displayed just like this in our home.
In the grand scheme of things, this simple photo wall idea doesn’t take up a lot of space. As a result, I wouldn’t recommend using this idea on a large wall, because the photos will look awkwardly small. (You could always add more frames to this design though! I just really like this layout with three frames.)
However, this is the perfect option for a medium-sized wall and a great way to add interest above a piece of furniture! For example, we use this layout idea above a bench in our living room. But, this design would also look lovely above a piano, couch, or queen-sized bed! (You could do this above a king, but you might want to consider using bigger frames, which are mentioned below.)
This design displays 14×18 frames with mattes for 8×10 photos. Target carries these frames in both black and white!
However, if you have a larger wall or taller ceilings or if you’d like to use this layout above big or visually-heavy pieces of furniture, you might consider using 16×20 frames with mattes for 11×14 photos instead. This will prevent your photos from looking awkwardly small, and Target also carries these frames in black, white, and brass!
3. Focal Image
Have a photo you love but don’t feel comfortable making it poster size? I get it! I love photos of my family, but I only want my face to be so big on my wall!
An easy way to highlight an image you love and add interest to a wall without making a photo too crazy big is to hang a relatively large photo and center it between two smaller photos. (You can absolutely rotate the center frame if you’d like to use a vertical image instead!)
Hanging a 16×20 frame with an 11×14 photo and centering it between two 10×12 frames with 5×7 photos is an easy way to show off your favorite photo, display two other photos you love, and add interest to almost any wall!
Target carries 16×20 frames with mattes for 11×14 photos in both black and white and 10×12 frames with mattes for 5×7 photos in both black and white.
4. Inline Photo Wall
If you have four photos (or more) you love and would like to create a clean but interesting photo wall, this design might be a great option for you!
This design includes both vertical and horizontal images but remains cohesive and clean because the frames’ edges and corners line up with the other frames’ edges and corners and because the space between the photos is the same on all sides. (I recommend leaving three to six inches between frames.)
I like using four images with this layout because it creates a clean-looking square. However, if you have a large wall or want to include more photos, you can always add more photos to this design (on the sides or above or below)! If you choose to add more frames, you’ll simply want to make sure that edges and corners still align and that you leave the same amount of space between each photo.
So your frames can line up easily, I recommend using 20×24 frames with mattes for 16×20 photos (available on Amazon in black and white) and 16×20 frames with mattes for 11×14 photos (also available on Amazon in black and white).
5. Floating Shelf Photo Display
Now, I LOVE a good floating photo shelf! Not only is this an interesting way to display photos, but you can also easily add and subtract frames and other decorations whenever you like!
For example, the next time you have a photo you love, you can simply frame it and add it to your shelf without putting another hole in your wall!
You can also add interest to a photo shelf by adding other decor. Think succulents, air plants, vintage cameras, or anything else you love!
If you like to decorate for different seasons or holidays, you can also regularly swap out decor on a floating shelf to fit the current season. For example, you might not want to display your favorite snow globe or photos with Santa all year long, but these things should absolutely be pulled out and displayed during the holidays! (I’m nearly a minimalist, so I love this decorating tactic because it’s so easy but still homey!)
Another advantage to a floating shelf photo display is that you can have more than one shelf! While this design example just displays one shelf, you can easily add more shelves and display even more photos that you love!
Plus, with a floating shelf photo display, you by no means have to have specific frame or photo sizes. Feel free to mix, match, and even use frames you already have!
But, in case this helps you get started, the design above includes two 14×18 frames with mattes for 8×10 photos (available in black and white from Target), two 10×12 frames with mattes for 5×7 photos (also available in black and white from Target), and one 12×12 frame with a matte for an 8×8 photo (available in black and white from Target). Target also carries lots of cute floating shelf options!
Now, I know it can be easy to let hanging photos in your home fall to the bottom of your to-do list. However, there are psychological benefits to hanging photos in your home.
For example, regularly seeing photos of the people you love can boost your mood, increase self-esteem (especially for children), and give you and your family a feeling of security.
With all of this in mind, I want to encourage you to make displaying photos in your home a priority! And, I hope these simple photo wall ideas and links to frames make the process of hanging photos easier and less stressful.
Now, get to hanging photos, friend!
