Where Do You Put Family Photos in Your Home?
My internal debate over a bedroom gallery wall.
Nothing makes me feel more seen than when I share something on Instagram I have been mulling over…only to find out you all have strong thoughts about it, too! The topic du jour: Where do you put family photos in your home?
Below, you will find my recent journey (/spiral) about a gallery wall in our primary bedroom. I had my heart set on the idea until this Reel made me think otherwise. Did I stick to my original plan or abandon it entirely? Read on…
But first! I asked this question in Stories today and received so many answers. The range here — of where to put photos, if you put them up at all — fascinates me.
“Where kids spend the most time, like living room, playroom and their bedrooms”
“Everywhere except the bathroom”
“On my phone — private and also always accessible”
“No rules here. They are all over. Plus art. No extended family pics in my bedroom tho”
“Semi-private spaces — family room, hallways. No living or dining where we entertain”
“I love a cluttered fridge full of pictures without frames”
“At nanna’s house”
“Gallery walls in hallways, small frames in shared spaces as an accent. Art in bedroom/living”
“I don’t have family photos displayed at all. I know what we look like!”
“All 👏 over 👏 my 👏 house. Sorry not sorry”
What are YOUR thoughts? Please click below and share in the comments.
ICYMI: More thoughts on home projects
Where Do You Put Family Photos in Your Home?
I have spent more time in the last few days than I care to admit thinking about where in my home I have pictures of our family. In the back of my mind, I have always had the “rule” (and I put that in quotes because this feels subjective) that you are not supposed to plaster pictures of yourself or your family in the spaces that guests visit. I don’t know where I first heard it, or even what the reasoning is — but it has stuck with me.
To be honest, it’s not a “rule” I have followed. One of the first things you see when you come through our front door are three small framed pictures, one of each child. Their little faces make my heart sing. And yet, if I’m being honest, the choice has always felt like…an indulgence? Like I was breaking that “rule”? The same is true for the tabletop frames I’ve tucked on a few surfaces around our first floor, as well as the pictures I have put behind books on the shelves that flank our TV.
My favorite display of family photos, hands down, was the gallery I hung in our previous home in the Bay Area. This felt “permissible” (again, I say that in quotes) because it was in my office. Which was also my bedroom, LOL. I moved my desk to one side of our bed in 2019 so my daughter would have a nursery. To make the space feel more like mine, I put up a wall of family photos. In all the same frames, hung closely together, it felt almost like wallpaper (which was not an option on our textured walls). I loved it.
When we moved to Los Angeles, I knew I wanted to try another version of this idea. I thought for a long time about where the best place in our home would be and kept coming back to our bedroom. As we began redecorating the space, I asked my designer, Jillian Sipkins, for her thoughts. She was all for it — and if she was game, I was very game. I ordered the frames we both loved and got excited to hang them.
Just as I was ready to start hammering, I saw this Reel from Julia Marcum, of the interiors account @ChrisLovesJulia (of which I am an enthusiastic follower). She posted a series about what *add* to your bedroom and what to *remove.* Art, she wrote, would up the “calm, cozy” vibes. As for what needed go? “Photos of kids,” the caption read.
WHAT, I thought.
“I know this is a controversial one,” she continued. “And I’m all for photos of your kids in other spaces in your home. Just not in the bedroom.”
I nervously clicked on the comments, wondering what other people had to say. “The bedroom, in Feng Shui, is considered a sanctuary for rest, relaxation, and romance,” wrote @old_line_home. “It is a space primarily associated with the relationship and intimacy between partners. Therefore, having pictures of children or other family members in the bedroom can dilute the energy of romantic and restful connection, bringing in the energy of parental responsibility and care. This can potentially disturb the tranquility and private connection that the space is meant to foster.”
Ugh. I get it. In my head, that idea makes perfect sense. But my heart? It sank. I texted Jill a link to the video. “I’m spiraling over the gallery wall!” I wrote, adding the insight from the commenter.
“I get that — but I also think it’s SO personal,” she wrote. “If it disrupts ‘romantic/restful connection,’ then yes I’d say to leave them out. But I don’t think that’s the case for everyone.”
Still, I found my mind searching for alternatives. I offered up other spots in our home as possibilities. Maybe the upstairs hallway? “I really love them for your bedroom,” Jill wrote back, reminding me that the wood tone of the frames we found would add some nice warmth to the walls. They came with thick mats, too, which made it feel elevated, as did the plan to hang the frames with several inches in between.
She was right…and YET. I now felt like hanging a gallery wall of family photos was suddenly the “wrong” thing to do. Jill stood firm and reminded me the stakes were low. Our bedroom will eventually be repainted when we redo the fireplace in the corner (a longer-term project that still needs to be sorted). Whatever holes I was about to put in the wall could be easily covered if I changed my mind. Or, I was really unhappy with it, we could swap in art.
So last weekend, hammer nervously in hand, I went for it. Six frames later (and seven holes 🙃 I only messed up once) I am here to say… I love it. LOVE. “Rules” be damned. What was once a blank, drab wall is now filled with memories. Almost immediately, I felt silly for my bout of self doubt. Pictures of our family, one we fought so hard to have, make me very happy.
As I was admiring my work, my eyes floated down to the mess of wires at the bottom of the wall. They are the remnants of the previous owners’ television that had hung there before we moved in. It was an ah-ha moment for me. I have never put a television in our bedroom because it felt like it would disrupt the vibe. TVs are *my* “what to remove” — not pictures of my family.
So here is your reminder to do what is right for you! Your home is your home, rules need not apply.
PS: We ordered a chair. 🥳 Thank you for all of your advice. Surprising even myself, I opted for a slipcover style. The cozy, relaxed, French girl appeal (IYKYK) was strong, as was the ability to wash it when needed. The Six Penny chair I had my sights set on proved to be too deep for the space, so we went with this style from Pottery Barn. I’ll let you know when it arrives.
“It is a space primarily associated with the relationship and intimacy between partners.”
What celebrates your relationship and intimacy more than the humans you’ve created? Nothing.
I’m glad you put them up!
I never thought this would such a big discussion! I personally love photos all over!! Bedroom, family room etc. It’s your family, you should display them wherever feels right and wherever brings you joy! Love your gallery wall!