Interior Decorating With Picture Frames

By Antigone Arthur

There are many ways to decorate the interior of your home, none the least of which is with picture frames. Picture frames have the unique ability to personalize a house in more ways than one. You can share with friends, family and visitors your memories and cherished moments.

There are literally dozens of different picture frames to choose from including:

• Collage picture frames
• Digital picture frames
• Magnetic picture frames
• Shadow boxes
• Wholesale picture frames

You don't have to spend a fortune to decorate your home using picture frames. In fact cheap picture frames or discount picture frames look just as classy and elegant as expensive ones. One thing you do need to do before decorating your home however is stock up on picture framing supplies. Be sure you get any matte, mounting equipment and other items you need so you can do your decorating in one fell swoop.

Steps For Decorating Your Home

There are several steps you can follow to ensure your decorating goes well. Here are a few tips for saving time and decorating efficiently:

1. First inventory all the photographs and memorabilia you have. Separate groups of photos and memento's into categories. Some ideas include vacation shots, weddings, birthdays, children etc.
2. Survey your home. Take some time out to decide what walls and areas of the home you would like to display your pictures in. Stairwells are a popular choice for displaying photographs. You can also use wall space in the living room, dining room and bedrooms. Hallways are also a great area for displaying pictures and frames, as are foyers.
3. Don't forget, you won't have to mount all frames, like digital picture frames. These picture frames look great as stand-alones. You can decorate your office, bedroom and den with them.
4. Assess the number of frames you need relative to the photos you have.
5. Decide the style frames you want in each area of the house. Try to match the style of the frame to the theme of the photograph and then to the decor of the room.

Tips For Hanging Your Pictures

Before you start hanging your pictures, be sure you gather all your supplies together. You will need at the minimum your frames, pictures, hanging wire, a hammer, pencil and some wall screws. If you can, enlist the assistance of a housemate or family member to help you hang pictures. They will help you decide if your pictures are placed correctly and hung evenly.

If you don't have someone to assist you, you can use a piece of paper or cardboard cut to the exact size of the picture. Take this "pattern" and tape it to the place you want to hang the picture. That way you can move it about easily to see exactly where you want it without having to put a bunch of holes in your wall! This works particularly well if you want to group several pictures together.

Keep in mind when hanging picture frames for decorations, you want each photo to add to the room, not detract from it. You don't need to cover your walls in hundreds of pictures to make a statement. Rather select a few key pieces that will accent the room. If you have a group of pictures that are too large to display at once, you can rotate them seasonally.

Think about the room's layout. This includes other accessories in the room such as a table, TV, lamp and more. Decide where the best place to put your picture is. Then hold it up to the wall and experiment with different angles. Not all pictures need to be centered in the middle of the wall. Figure out where the picture looks best relative to the other furniture in the room. Have your companion help you decide the best spot for your picture.

Now you can hang your picture. You want to make sure your picture is even. Measure the distance of your picture from each corner to the edge of the wall. You can use a tape measure if that helps. Mark your spot with a pencil once you decide what place the picture is most even.

Most pictures hang well using ordinary picture hooks. You should have a supply of these readily available. The bottom of the picture hook should land at the spot you marked for your hole. If you need to hang heavier pictures you should use nails and not hooks. You can use two instead of one to provide added support.

The most important thing to remember when decorating is to have fun. Remember you can rotate out pictures during certain times of the month or year. Decorating with picture frames is one of the easiest ways to accent your home in a loving and personal manner.

About The Author:
Antigone Arthur is a successful freelance writer with 10 years of professional experience providing consumers with informative articles on such topics as digital picture frames, discount picture frames, and shadow boxes.
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