Photography and Display Ideas for Legacy Photographs

For the Holidays, Ashley Yeates turns to Photographer, Chance James for memories to add into an artful photography display in her home. Discover inspiring ideas that will make your family photos and artwork stand out or let us create a special display just for you.

Personal touches are what makes a house a home, and nothing does that quite as well as family photos and artworks. But finding ways to incorporate a photo display into an interior design can sometimes prove challenging. Color schemes, other art pieces, and overall atmosphere must be considered, not to mention the images themselves. Here, we take a look through the AD archives to see some of the best options for displaying family memories, from a gallery wall in Michael J. Fox’s home, to an artfully arrayed bookshelf in Tory Burch’s Manhattan office. From the mats to the frames, or lack thereof, and the possibilities for creative arrangement, there is endless opportunity to exhibit the truly priceless artworks in your collection.

Ready for the Wall

A holiday routine for Ashley, Astin, Hamilton, Olive and Clover with Photographer, Chance James.

Photo Mural

Make your memories stand out with a wall-size display. In a Tiburon, California, a black-and-white photo of the client's children was blown up and used as wallpaper in the media room.

A Pair of Portraits

In accessories designer Fiona Kotur’s Hong Kong home, James, left, and Rex do homework at the kitchen’s Saarinen table, under the gaze of bold and bright Simon Birch oil portraits of their younger brothers.

A Gallery Wall of Family and Friends

A gallery-style wall of family pictures is the focal point of this minimalist hallway in the Manhattan home of Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan. Using warm wood frames and clean white mats—an effective way to visually unify a wall of photos—showcases their collection of full-color and black-and-white images with elegance.

A Family-Filled Dining Area

The breakfast nook of magazine editor Darcy Miller Nussbaum’s Manhattan duplex comes alive with family memories set in tones of sepia and grayscale. The mix of frames in black, white, and gold not only integrates seamlessly with the room’s decor but adds a sense that the pictures have been collected over time.

An Over-the-Top Photo Display

Cherry-red picture frames, balanced by more classic black ones, bring a sense of ordered chaos to an otherwise spare stairwell in this Brooklyn home. The bright frames both heighten the vibrant hues in the brighter photos and complement the softer, more faded tones of others. Smartly, designer Nick Olsen left the walls white to let this visual dynamic play out.

A Floor-to-Ceiling Display

Full-color images immediately take center stage in this otherwise white stairwell in the Miami home of fashion designer Naeem Khan. Styling this gallery setup with larger-scale images, frames that disappear into the walls, and a floor-to-ceiling arrangement gives viewers plenty to look at as they ascend the spiral staircase.

A Hallway Gallery

In keeping with the aesthetics of this hallway in the Manhattan home of actress Julianna Margulies, the black-and-white family pictures are first given breathing room with clean white mats, then warmed up with dark wood frames. The gallery-style arrangement, usually prone to visual inconsistency, is unified by a single ledge shelf below, accented with soft pink flowers.

A Kitchen Gallery

Family photos aren't limited to living rooms. Why not put reminders of your loved ones in the kitchen? Family photos decorate the wall above a bar cart just beside the kitchen in Spencer Gervasoni and Austin Mill's Hell's Kitchen studio apartment.

A Curated Photo Collection

Fashion tycoon Tory Burch displays family pictures on bookshelves in her Manhattan office using her signature sense of style, a mixture of playful eccentricity and tasteful restraint. Images of family members mingle easily with books, artful objects, and natural materials, all creating a dynamic that speaks volumes about her loves and interests.