Brighten up your room with photos

Photos have a way of lifting the face of a room. However, they can also be a turn off and give off a cluttered look if not given a thoughtful arrangement. Juliet Nalwanga, an interior designer, advises on how best to give a proper treat to those memories captured in photos around the house.
“First and foremost, the best way to keep photos safe, new and looking great is by having them in photo frames. This so far will be our major tool. Photo frames come in all shapes and sizes and designs. There are also photo boards that can accommodate a number of photos, as well as photos printed on boards. It all depends on what you choose to work with,” she explains, noting that one can decide to have photo frames as one of their decorative items around the house.

Choosing spaces
There is no magic in choosing space to put your photos around the house, however, Nalwanga notes that corners, corridors and independent spaces on the wall are better positions. “I also know that people like hanging frames on the sills above the windows and doors but I would advise one to have their photo frames hung at arm’s length, one where you would look at them with no difficulty.”

Designs
Photo boards
Photo boards can be great with small photos that are not framed. However, don’t just have photos pined anyhow. “You can have order as you pin them up; like sequences of occasions/ years, a simple pattern for example from the smallest in size to the biggest, or simply a line,” Nalwanga says.

Themes
Furthermore, one can do photo themes. To create these, one can have categories of photos from the same occasion for example a wedding, kwanjula, graduation, birthday parties, or photos with the same theme for example cultural wear, corporate wear, a theme with all frames looking alike or of photos of the same features or things. Put these in different spaces with each theme forming its own cloud in a different space around the house.

Uniformity
You can give your photo frames a sense of uniformity that will capture the attention of people and at the same time radiate your room. This uniformity can be created by for example having stand-alone photo frames orderly placed on the same table, or platform. As you’re hanging your photos, have them have a uniformity to them. This could be them following the same line, or all of them running vertically on the wall, creating a circle, or any other shape you might want.
“For perfection, you might want to invest in buying photo frames that are similar in design or colour. One might want to settle for photos printed on a board too. Whatever your choice maybe, just be consistent,” Nalwanga advises.

All around
Finally, one can also settle for the traditional ‘all-around-the-seating room’ arrangement, where you have photo frames run spread around across the room. “I should warn that this can only be perfect if you have lots of photo frames so that every space above the room is occupied. The other disadvantage about this design is that you will have your visitors crane their necks to survey the entire room,” says Nalwanga.