This post contains affiliate links. See disclosure. The Mixtiles featured in this post were generously provided by Mixtiles in exchange for a social media post. However, I earn no commission on Mixtiles purchased via these links. As always, thoughts and opinions are my own.
I’ve never been a fan of displaying family photos prominently in our home.
I mean, when’s the last time you lusted after a room in Arch Digest or Apartment Therapy where you were wowed by the wedding-photo-slash-baby-picture gallery wall? Oh, that’s right. Never.
Most of the time, a gallery wall comprised solely of family photos ends up looking a little...err...basic. But, if you totes lurve your Uggs and pumpkin spice lattes, who am I to judge?
If this appeals to you, we cannot be friends. Image via Etsy.
I, personally, don't need a daily reminder of what my family looks like. I manage my nostalgia by opening Google Photos and taking a scroll down memory lane.
Lately, though, I thought it might be nice to display some photos from our travels somewhere in our home. Our most Insta-worthy pics have been taken on our trips together, after all.
But, where to put them?
My list of acceptable locations for a family photo gallery wall:
part of your home not easily visible from your main living space (i.e. back entry, a narrow hallway, home office)
the basement
stairway to the basement
the basement bathroom (you get the idea...)
I also approve of a light sprinkling of a select few family photos amidst other types of framed art or as part of a larger non-family-photo gallery wall. Kinda like a ‘Where’s (Uncle) Waldo?’ situation.
As per the above, I designated this little strip of wall in the back corner of our kitchen for our family travel photos:
It's right next to our DIY command centre/kids art display.
Since this bulletin/chalk board combo's prone to clutter and is admittedly pretty basic (it's hard to be cool when you have kids...), it’s deliberately out of sight from our main living space.
It seemed fitting to hang our family photos here, in the epicenter of uncool.
I was fortunate enough to have been gifted some Mixtiles by, well, Mixtiles, in exchange for a social media post.
In case you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t come across one of their ads, it's an app that allows you to order printed photos from your phone in framed 8 x 8 squares with a re-stickable adhesive on the back. This lets you hang them without harming your walls and allows for unlimited repositioning.
I downloaded the Mixtiles app, selected the photos from my phone and ordered, all via the app. The process took five minutes (if you exclude the hemming and hawing over which pics to print).
Upon receiving my order, Mixtiles sent me a pdf of what they'd look like in the frames I'd selected:
All of the photos I chose were taken on our trips together and include some of our favorite hiking spots in Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Algonquin Park, and the Bolivian salt flats.
Tips for selecting photos for a family photo gallery wall:
Choose photos with common elements, such as color palette or theme, for cohesiveness. We picked travel photos with warm neutrals, for the most part.
Apply the same filter to each photo for a tidier look.
Avoid using only close-ups and posed photos. Unless you're going for the Sears Portrait Studio aesthetic...
Within a week of placing my order, this box showed up on the porch with my Mixtiles inside:
A short excerpt from my Mixtiles promo. I'll spare you the audio.
I was really happy with the photo quality. The colours were exactly as expected and the images were crisp.
What surprised me the most was how light the tiles are.
They come with an adhesive strip on the back and are ready to hang without a hammer or nails.
If you're a putter maniac, like I am, this is everything. I never let anything sit in one place for too long. See this post on how I'm constantly restyling our shelves. Theses re-stickable strips have probably saved our wall from death by a thousand holes.
I can vouch for the adhesive still going strong after having moved them around over two dozen times before settling on this arrangement. For now...
Mixtiles gave me eight tiles (I ended up hanging seven), but I plan to fill the wall as we cross more off our travel bucket list.
Set of 9 Square Gallery Wall Frames - $77.77 (Amazon.com).
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That's all for this week! Stay tuned for upcoming posts on windowsill decor, how to hygge up your home for fall & winter, and an updated review of our Comfort Works sofa covers after a year.
