25 Ways to Use Photos at Home (a Feature)

Someone from Redfin contacted me a couple of weeks ago, and asked me to submit an idea to an article she was writing. “25 Unique Yet Timeless Ways to Style Your Home with Photos, According to the Pros.” Unique yet timeless is a hard ask, especially since I knew I was not the only photographer being invited to be featured. I had to be sure my submission was different from the obvious ones I figured would be included. 

If you’ve been here for any amount of time, you know I love a good gallery wall. I think galleries are the best way to get the most bang for your wall space buck, because they let your eyes dance over the space each time you look at it. I even have a saved highlight on my Instagram about gallery walls that I’ve done and walls my clients have shared with me with the prints they got from me.

So obviously, I went with a gallery wall for my feature. I went pretty specific in my example, to highlight how a theme can create cohesion. Here’s my feature:  

5. A themed gallery wall

Can’t decide on one photograph for your wall? Create a photo gallery with a theme, like places you’ve traveled, your children as babies, or even “bathtime,” and incorporate other non-photography elements into your gallery that fit the theme. For example, a gallery in the foyer with an “our home” theme could include a formal photograph of your family on the front steps, casual images of the kids playing in the yard, along with a watercolor painting of your home, and even the address numbers hanging on the wall in a cohesive collection. Keep the frames in a similar style and color as the address numbers so it feels curated. – Allison Patel Photography

The example I used was specifically about the entryway into your home, but you could use the same technique elsewhere in your house. I have an NYC gallery in my house that includes photos I’ve taken from travels to New York, as well as selfies, paintings and drawings related to the City, and a super old subway token that a friend of mine sent me because she knew how much I love NYC. 

If you love a gallery wall but need something more structured than the natural style I like to use, there are plenty of suggestions in the Redfin article about how to decorate with photos in your home, with tips and advice to match any style. Go read it!