I've moved a lot over the course of my 36 years. Each time I/we settle into a new place it isn't until the rugs are on the floor and the photos are on the walls that we make that shift from calling it "the house" to "our home." Needless to say after roughly 20 changes of address in the last 20 years, I'be become something of an expert at hanging said pictures, so I thought I'd devote today's post to a few tips and tricks for creating your own wall collages.
1. Pick a color.
I choose one color frame per room. For my living room, I usually go with white frames because I like that room to feel sunny and light. Too many different colors for frames can make the room feel busy and cluttered.
2. Choose a color palette.
Remember that your wall is a composition and if you have a frame that holds multiple pics you have a composition within a composition. Try to choose photos and art pieces that all have similar colors to create a unified look.
3. Choose a Focal Piece.
I usually begin with the largest piece I own and put it right in the center. Then I add in my medium size pieces and use the small pieces for edges and fillers.
4. Be Deliberately Crooked.
Trying to keep all the frames perfectly lined up will drive you bonkers, particularly if you're working alone. You may spend hours hanging a pic, stepping back, checking to make sure it's level with another and then someone will come in at the end of the day and say, "Did you know that one's not level?" Avoid hurting your loved ones, by creating a deliberate chaos. Things don't need to line up perfectly to look perfectly balanced. And, remember you can always use paper shapes to do a mock up on the floor or with sticky tack before you start hammering nails into the wall.
5. Keep it Balanced, Not Boring.
For my collages, I always try to keep each side of the focal piece balanced both in frame shape and photo content. For example in my collage you'll notice I have one large oval on its side at the top left which is diagonal from an upright oval and the bottom right. Two identical rectangle frames are directly diagonal from each other on the opposite side. If my collage pieces were perfectly mirrored from each other, it would definitely be balanced but boring. Mixing up the shapes and positioning brings visual interest to the whole.
Happy Decorating!
