Creating a Gallery Wall with Violet

I’m a Wisconsin Girl and if any of you have peeked at my website, you’ll know that part of my story is that my parents met at UW-Madison in the 60’s and my dad was a mechanical engineering major who landed his first job with Eastman Kodak. He went on to become the lead on patenting several products of that era including the flashcube and the instamatic camera. One of the job perks was free film and developing (does anyone remember those days?). Thus, I have hundreds of photos from my childhood, most of which I’ve since had digitized. These images are priceless to me as we lost my dad when I was a little girl, and taking photos has since become part of who I am. Having a catalog of family memories is near and dear to my heart and it’s nice to look back, especially with Father’s Day around the corner.

That said, trust me, I’m focused on being present while having fun experiences and not getting caught up in documenting every single second of our lives, but when certain moments present themselves, be ready to take the pic. Violet had the opportunity to have her first swim in Geneva Lake a couple of weeks ago and thus that was an important moment for me to take her photo. Luckily, she is quite the poser! What I’m getting at here is that moments matter. Memories matter and it’s about keeping those people who are close to us in our hearts, even when we’re not together. It doesn’t have to be the perfect pose or the perfect setting or even the perfect lighting. It just needs to feel important to you.

Why I convey all of this is that capturing images of moments in your life provides the material to create a photo gallery wall in your home and this is the first step, collecting the images. It’s fun to take a full wall and arrange the images most special to you and create a theme. And there are no rules here as you can mix in artwork or even sculptural items. Hallways, stairwells, and large walls above a sofa can be the perfect spot to arrange your memories. Starting with the same frame in different sizes is a good way to begin. Also decide whether an even or odd number of images works best for your space.

For my own gallery wall in my stairwell, I chose 10 images: 4-8” x 10”, 4-5” x 7” and 2- 4” x 6”. I selected photos of my dogs, my kids, and some vintage family photos, including my dad’s Karmann Ghia. I decided to use the same frames in black, with ivory matting, in various sizes. I mapped out a layout on the floor and then installed the images accordingly. It’s best to begin by laying out the larger images first, then the second largest, etc. Also, view the collection as one entity and arrange the center of the grouping at eye level, which is about roughly about 60” from the floor when standing. I also suggest taking a photo of your layout before you begin hanging the photos or artwork. You can have all black frames with black and white photos or mix up frames and images for a more eclectic look. You can also choose a theme that doesn’t include photos such as a collection of vintage oil paintings or even classic album covers. The choices are as endless as your imagination.

Here at Ann Kottler Home, we have the artistic capability to assist you in creating the perfect gallery wall in your home and can also help you to create a vision for the images you would like to display. Here are some of the images from my own gallery wall which include both of my sons, a family wedding, our two other special labs, Zoey and Frankie, and finally, me and my dad, Franklin Delano Kottler. Now it’s time to add Violet to the mix!

Please contact us if we can help you create your own special gallery space. Happy Father’s Day to all!