Around The Room | Living With Your Photos + Color Inc Giveaway

I'm a huge fan of living with your photos. Out of albums, off your computer and onto your walls.

Over the years I've amassed quite a collection of family images - many of the recent ones being mounted rather than framed as you'll see below (and above). When I first starting hanging up photos I wanted them to be all black frames with white mats. Now I'm really enjoying the variety of both the framed and simply mounted images.

Around our house I've got quite a few gatherings happening on the walls. Some are consistent collections (meaning all mounted or all framed) and others are a mixture of the two.

The first ones I want to talk about line the hall from our entry into the kitchen.

The images are 12x12 photos are "standout mounted" from Color Inc. (Color Inc is a sponsor of my blog and has been generous with samples for me in the past and as you'll see below. This set I purchased on my own. They are excellent quality and have wonderful customer service.) When we moved into this house I ordered eight or nine of these with the intent that they would be grouped together and I love them.

They are mounted onto the wall using Miller Studio Magic Mounts removable mounting tabs. I tried a couple of other brands and these have worked the best.

You might have seen this image a couple weeks ago. This is in our dining area, between the kitchen and living room. This wall has a combination of framed and mounted images. The one of Simon and Anna in the blue shirts is from Persnickety Prints.

Upstairs I've got a few other collections starting. In the room you enter before coming into my office I've got a large standout mount from Color Inc (photo taken by Tracey Clark). That one is 3o inches x 20 inches.

In my office I've included two Ikea frames with 12x12 photos of me and Chris as kids. I enlarged these 1970's photos on my scanner and they were printed at Scrapbookpictures.com. These hung in Anna's room in our last house.

A little collage in Simon's room that includes photos, Star Wars stamps, and a signed photo of Yoda from Frank Oz.

And this one was in Anna's room in our last house. I didn't recreate it here yet, but it was a favorite in the old place.

In our bedroom I'm just beginning to build a photo wall.

The newest addition is a Framed Gallery Wrap Canvas from ColorInc. As one of my sponsors they kindly sent me this new product to review and want me to give one away as well (with your own photo of course).

Here's what they have to say about this new product:

Love the sleek modern style of a Gallery Wrapped Canvas? Now you can add a frame! Our Gallery Wrapped Canvas Frames will give you that same modern and edgy look you've wanted but with a touch of traditional style to give you a unique shadow box feel to add to any home, work, or studio wall space!

These ready to hang Gallery Wrapped Canvases come with a 2 1/8'' deep smooth black laminate frame. With a 1/2'' floating space between your canvas and frame, each of our hand wrapped canvas prints will be permanently attached with the finest attention to detail. Each piece will arrive properly finished with a wire hanger, bumpers and Tyvek® backing. A true first class upgrade to your studio or home!

These Framed Gallery Wrapped Canvases are really, really nice. I didn't realize when I was ordering it that there's a space between the frame and the wrapped canvas but when I opened the package here at home I was really pleasantly surprised. I'd definitely consider ordering another one.

GIVEAWAY | One Framed Gallery Wrapped Canvas (20 x 14 or smaller) from ColorInc.

TO BE ENTERED into this giveaway please leave a comment below sharing how you live with your photos (if you are reading this post on Facebook please come to my blog to leave a comment). Comments will be closed at noon Pacific on Friday and the winners posted shortly after. Please be sure to check back or subscribe (click here to get posts delivered to your email box) to see if you are receiving one of the items this week.

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1128 thoughts

  1. Julie says…
    03/30/2011

    I just love these ideas. There is something so beautiful surrounding yourself with memories of time spent with those you love.

    I love having pictures of my son on the walls. He is two now and it is so sweet to be reminded of how tiny he was and how much he has grown and changed over the past two years.

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. Jill D says…
    03/30/2011

    I know it's pretty common, but I love to keep the refrigerator full of updated snapshots.

    Reply 0 Replies
  3. Genevieve says…
    03/30/2011

    We're still renting so I feel like I haven't settled in enough to any one particular place to set
    up my photos beyond a few pics in frames, but I know for sure that once we get a house I want photos, bog ones, everywhere! I love the mounted images color Inc offers, I actually gifted an image cluster to my friend and she loved them!

    Reply 0 Replies
  4. Kymberlee says…
    03/30/2011

    I have always lived with my photographs. Even before I had my children I had photos hung on walls and framed. I loved displaying memories of when I was young, my college days, friends and moments with my husband . I recently printed some 10 x 20 on canvas and am now addicted. Loving black and white prints.

    Reply 0 Replies
  5. Carol says…
    03/30/2011

    First, let me say how much I enjoy your blog. I've gotten such a wealth of information from you, & we have a similar style to our scrapbooking. I also feel a kinship for our love of pictures that tell the stories. I have photos all over our home. We are moving soon to a home that has a lot of hallway space where I want to create galleries for some of our photos. I like the idea of the picture rail or shallow shelves where I can arrange, rearrange, & easily add to our collection. Thanks, Ally, for all that you share. You have such a precious family.
    CAS

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  6. Jo says…
    03/30/2011

    I love seeing your photo walls. A couple of weeks ago I decided it was time to get some photos onto our dining room walls. My husband was away for a week and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to get some framed and up, and surprise him with the finished wall on his return. I ordered a large black wooden letter B (our surname is Boland), several 5 x 7 and a 12 x 8 print and took myself off to Ikea for black Ribba frames. I hung 8 frames in a grid with the letter B in the 9th position. I also made a grouping of 3 photos on the wall opposite. You can see it here http://halfacupofcoffee.typepad.co.uk/half_a_cup_of_coffee/2011/03/b-is-for-being-sneaky.html
    Thankfully my husband loved it when he returned home - phew! I now want (and have permission) to hang more photos around the house and this giveaway would be fantastic!

    Reply 0 Replies
  7. Rachel Wright says…
    03/30/2011

    I live with my photos in many ways. I scrapbook, doing Project life for the first time this year. I frame and place photos and collages all over the house. The hallway being my hmmmmmmm tough spot. I thought one of those HUGE framed collages would be good BUT I would L-O-V-E this!

    Reply 0 Replies
  8. Gina Crowley says…
    03/30/2011

    I went through a phase where I hung a lot of photos. They are kind of old and out of date now though. I need to spend some time to update and add. Thanks for this post. Its very inspirational.

    Reply 0 Replies
  9. Jodi R says…
    03/30/2011

    I am trying to get more pictures up in our house. I have some 8x10s and some 5x7s and a few 11x14s hanging. I also love to hang art work in frames that my children have created. Love you groupings. Thanks for the inspiration.

    Reply 0 Replies
  10. Mary says…
    03/30/2011

    You are such an inspiration!! My goal is to enlarge only the pictures I've taken and display them through the house... I love the fact that my friends and family are so cooperative with this new project :)

    Reply 0 Replies
  11. Gina Baj says…
    03/30/2011

    The only pics I put on our walls are ones that we have taken. I have lots of different frames all over the house and change the photos in them every six months. I also have them all over my fridge and have a special 12 x 12 frame that I display my latest scrap page for everyone to see.

    Reply 0 Replies
  12. Carrie O says…
    03/30/2011

    I don't have any of my pictures that I've taken on my walls, but after viewing your collection you have inspire me to dig through my computer and give it a try. Thanks for the inspiration Ali.

    Reply 0 Replies
  13. Susan Brennan says…
    03/30/2011

    I have a large photo of two year old me on our mantle. It shows me riding a tricycle next to a set of encyclopedias. One volume of that old set is placed next to the photo. I love combining photos and artifacts.

    Reply 0 Replies
  14. MelissaL88 says…
    03/30/2011

    I have some 12x12 layouts framed and hanging on the walls in our house. We also have a "photo gallery" in our stairwell with the formal school portraits for each of the boys. I am inspired by your gatherings and want to incorporate something like that in my house now. Thanks for the inspiration, Ali!

    Reply 0 Replies
  15. Alison says…
    03/30/2011

    I love hanging pictures in my home. I have lots of groupings similar to yours. If anyone is thinking about using Color Inc, they should do it! Awesome quality and excellent customer service.

    Reply 0 Replies
  16. Samantha O says…
    03/30/2011

    I currently have photos framed on a mantel, but would like to do more groupings in all the rooms in the house.

    Reply 0 Replies
  17. Debra Ford says…
    03/30/2011

    I thinkI'll have to "scraplift" this idea of creating a gallery of photos on the wall. I typically hang one picture at a time. I'm off to Color Inc to check out their wonderful products.
    Thanks for sharing.

    Reply 0 Replies
  18. Jenell says…
    03/30/2011

    Ali, thanks for sharing your walls with us. Love how you group the photos together. I have lots and lots of photos framed and a digital frame that I change frequent, however, I am beginning to get a group together that will be hung on the long hall wall. Have had this in the back of my mind for quite some time, and seeing your walls has now given me even more ideas.

    Reply 0 Replies
  19. Lynn W says…
    03/30/2011

    My walls are blank! I've been in my house for almost 6 years and other than 2-3 odds and ends the walls are blank! I'm saving this post, checking out the various products and I'm going to get my photos up on the walls! Thanks for the inspiration and sources.

    Reply 0 Replies
  20. sarah r. says…
    03/30/2011

    i don't live with my photos enough! if i really love them, i print them off and i have about 3 sets of 8 by 10s framed around the house but truth be told, i only print these about twice a year. eek!

    Reply 0 Replies
  21. cheryl says…
    03/30/2011

    I have many pictures around the house, in scrapbooks of course, but my favorite right now is pictures from our latest family pics on THE PICTURE BOARD, you would like it Ali, it allows a great showcase for current pics, and lets you change if you want by simply sliding in, however, I don't think I will be chaning mine for a while. I am just starting a picture wall upstairs, in my hallway too, this would be a great start! THANKS!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  22. Rosslyn Weigelt says…
    03/30/2011

    Stunning Ali! Love the look in each grouping you shared. We live with photos, on the walls, on tabletops and in scrapbooks. I would love to do more on the walls, we are a little limited in our present location. I can dream about it for the next time we relocate! Only 18mths from now!

    Reply 0 Replies
  23. Jenny S says…
    03/30/2011

    My intention is to start a family photo wall as you walk down the hallway in our basement. We have photos up throughout the house, but this one wall is going to be great once it's ready....

    Reply 0 Replies
  24. Kristine S says…
    03/30/2011

    I have photos (ever changing) on side of fridge, i have photos on display cabinet in our den. i have photos in our son's play room--all in black frames with white matting. However i like the mounted and canvas ideas!

    Reply 0 Replies
  25. Chris says…
    03/30/2011

    I've developed a photo "scrapbook" on the wall in our living room. I've set it up so we can change the pics around and one of the frames is set up so I can hang up scrapbook layouts. Love it!

    Reply 0 Replies

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