Dear Decorating Diva

Dear Decorating Diva,

What is the rule on displaying/hanging family photos/portraits versus other art in your home? I have so many family photos that are important to me, but I've heard not to overdo displaying them in common areas of the home.

Diva says:

Your home is your castle. It is the reflection of (in my case) your Queendom. Don’t be afraid to put pictures of your children/family out for everyone to see. If you are going to hang them on the wall – mount them, matte them and frame them nicely. For an eclectic look use different frames in varying sizes and shapes – just make sure the matte is the same color on all of them or it will look like a patchwork mess. For a more gallery style like going up the stairs use the same frame and black mattes – this gives a more formal feel and the subject of the picture will be what is showcased and not the frame – because the frame will be repetitive the eye will be drawn more to the photo and not its surrounding. Before you hang them on the wall lay them out on the floor so you can see how they relate to one another spatially. If you are going to group them, use the distance of the edge of the frame to the interior of the matte to determine how far to place them apart. This rule is good for more than 2 pictures. If you group 2 use twice the measurement in between.

If you are going to show them on a table make sure to use landscape and portrait style frames, and use an odd number stair step type of composition.

The only time I discourage family photos is when you are trying to sell your house. In that case staging is required and I remove all references to the family living in the home at the time.

Keep your questions coming!