i created my first photo wall when i became a mother. we were living abroad and we did not have any family near. i wanted my baby son to recognize and be familiar with both his living family members and those who came before him.  we called it “the family museum.” we would stand in front of the different photos and tell stories about the people represented.  he couldn’t believe that a picture of his father and grandfather standing together was not actually a photo of him and his own daddy (despite the red velvet overall shorts and knee highs his father was wearing.)  he found it hilarious that i was ever a baby or that his grandma could have been a little girl.  we traced his green eyes back to his oma and later, my daughter’s one dimple to her paternal great grandmother. we laughed about big midwestern bonnets from the 30’s and grandpa’s pants from the 70’s. the photo wall was a treasured prompt and reference for family stories and has been recreated and updated in each of our homes.

i love helping clients design and mount their own family photo walls.  i learn so much about how their families came to be, where they are from, and what is important to them.  i am so proud of the following photo display. it goes back several generations, as well as sharing current moments and special events from this family. we carefully balanced the black-and-whites with color photos, head shots with group pictures, large frames with smaller ones, simple frames with more decorative ones, and of course, made sure everyone was equally represented. i like the frames to be all one color or tone so that the photos are heroed and the frames remain in the background.  we designed this display like a sudoko puzzle… all of the frames fit into one clean, large rectangle.  i like to imagine this family pausing in front of their own family museum - laughing, discovering and sharing stories with each other.

photos: HBK photography