Me? I think it would give your wall life and dimension to mix it up.
I'd think about rematting six of the pictures to refresh the wall, and leave the rest alone.

I'd give the photo of the three little ones in the center of the second row from the top a navy mat.
I'd remat the three below it in a very cool pale gray (not a warm gray like your wall).
I'd put a paler blue on the child with the dog in the upper right, and also on the nude in the center of the bottom.

Or some other combination that pleases you. If I had any idea how to do it, I'd color your photo that way to show you what I mean...but with your obvious good eye, you will be able to imagine it yourself.

I thought you photo was the inspiration pic from a magazine! I love what you have and would not change a thing!

I think a navy would take away from the photos. Maybe revisit this after you have done the other things you plan on doing?

No matter what else you have going on in the room I would never change the mats on the photos. I have never seen gallery photos with anything but the timeless white mats and black and white photos. It looks wonderful as you have it. The emphasis is the photos not the decor. Leave it alone...of course that is my opinion. c

I would do things like put a navy band on the lampshade and introduce a few other blue/white objects but leave the art alone, I think.

I love white mats with b&w photos in black frames- timeless understated and elegant.

I wouldn't change anything about your framed photos. How could you possibly improve perfection?

No colored mats on timeless black and white, please! I love the look just as it is. Like others have said, I'd introduce some color with a few accessories.

If you want a change why not paint the walls navy, paint the frames white and leave the mats white?

Or...since the white really does look awfully nice...what about painting the one wall behind them navy blue? What would that do to the rest of the room?

Thank you very much for the kind words!

I don't want to paint the wall or walls blue since we will be selling and I really like the overall grey and greyish walls in the house.

Maybe what I should do first is get those blue curtains up and take a picture. Things always seem to look different when you view your own room through a picture. I could also buy some mats and place them in the frames unopened and see what that will look like too. Then I could returnm them if it really looked dumb.

Caminnc - I love that room! I almost bid on 2 of those shams yesterday but reigned myself in!

Well now I will lose a day just drooling over that picture! Love RL.

Oh, yum! That's my favorite kind of blue-and-white room...lots of navy, and rich wood, lightened with plenty of white.

So if you are hankering for a dose of navy, and if there is room, what about a blue and white lamp, like the ones in the photo? I see that you need something rectangular and shallow for that bookcase, but there are ones with square bases. Then perhaps a silver bowl with blue enamel inside, and your blue curtains...?

Are they solid, striped, patterned?

I agree don't change a thing. It's lovely as is. What about a blue ceiling?

I'm in the camp that says the gallery wall looks terrific as is. I love perfectly crisp white mats--read traditional, yes, but also modern, depending on the decor.

I also think indigo mats would just be too dark and not let you appreciate the photo itself.

BUT: Here's an idea--go back to Michaels, to the scrapbooking section where they sell the individual solid-colored and patterned scrapbook pages, and see if there are any solid colors that appeal to you. Buy a few, go home, cut out some "mats"--easy to do--just fold the paper in half and cut an interior rectangle out. And overlay them in the frame, so you can get an idea of how they'd look. Quick, easy, cheap.

I'd also be worried that you'd not be able to find pre-cut mats in the colors you want in the exact sizes you need. You def. don't want to have to get them custom-cut--some places, that's not expensive, but even at Michael's they can add up.

I love your gallery wall as is. I think it's perfect. I wouldn't change it.

I love the mats as they are. I am wondering though why the top frame has pictures that are sideways?

Bronwynsmom - We must think alike! I have been keeping my eyes open for blue and white ginger jar style lamps for the past 2 months or so. I'm interested in some for my LR. I even have a decent sized collection of blue and white stuff from Bombay Co. and I could kick myself for passing on the blue and white lamps when we were closing.

BTW the curtains are solid - they're IKEA w/ the tabs turned down and clip rings. They're kind of casual and remind me of a classic mens blue button down dress shirt that's been washed a zillion times.

Pammyfay - maybe I'll try that w/ the scrapbook paper. I have to hit that section anyways to get the paper for my storage labels so that would be a good time to try it out.

Lydia - LOL! Yes they are sideways indeed! I have 2 of those frames and in another arrangement 1 ran vertically and one ran horizontally. The original horizontal one was hanging out in the basement when I decided to try this arrangement on a whim and the vertical one was handy so I turned it on its side to see if I liked the arrangement. I tend to live w/ things 'as is' for awhile before deciding on it's permanence. The correct one is just waiting to be hung.

If you have a good lamp dealer where you live, you can probably get them to make a lamp for you out of a nice piece of blue and white china...sometimes the jars themselves are easier to find than a lamp you like, or that fits. I've had lamps made out of all sorts of things.
(I did draw the line at one client who wanted to make a lamp out of a big doll dressed in a replica of her wedding dress...)

ttodd, did you ever take the tags off that beautiful, curvy floor lamp?

I also agree with the majority of people...keep the mats white and add color elsewhere.

Ditto...keep art as is and add color elsewhere. Plants are always a good way to add some color too.

I agree. Keep the art as is and get a colorful lamp shade. Love your pic!

Olychick - yes I kept the lamp (still have to plug it in)! Every time I looked at it I smiled and I finally figured out what tied it together for me are the curvy white ceramic birds on the top of my desk.

I found an interior decorator down the street from work who customizes lamp shades and I'm thinking a pretty blue and white fabric shade would do the trick.

Keep in mind that the color of the shade will affect the color of the light that comes through it. I'd also keep the pattern very simple...your arrangement is so disciplined and refined, and it would be a shame to lose that elegance.
But I expect you already know that...

love your gallery wall as is... what a beautiful space

When I originally saw your picture and thought to myself, what a beautiful corner and I loved the photos up to the ceiling. Don't try too improve on perfect.

I love your gallery wall as is, also. I think it's beautiful!

ttodd, may I ask where you get your frames? I want to do a new gallery wall in my house, and need to buy a slew of frames! Or were they custom framed?

Thanks!

Beautiful as is!! Anything with a burst of color will take the attention. Right now your accessories are subtle and let the photos take center stage. You did a beautiful job, ttodd!

Bird Lover -

First I check the marked down banged up sections at Marshall's, TJ Maxx, Home Goods etc. for black ones. It's easy to take take a black sharpie to the dings and cover them up.

Then I head to my local IKEA for white or brown ones (I justed started using frames other than black) as well as black ones if I don't have the correct sized black one on hand.

Whenever I come across a cheap gallery frame and I have a few extra bucks on hand I buy it and store it. Years of doing this has given me quite an on-hand selection.

I used an IKEA poster sized frame for my wedding picture and had Michaels cut a custom mat and frame it for me during one of their sales. The total cost for frame and having Michaels do everything else was $60:

{{!gwi}}

Bronwynsmom - Oops! I'm looking to possibly do my LR lampshades in a blue and white pattern. I saw something similar in last months HB where they used a patterned ginger jar lamp and topped it w/ a patterned pleated shade and it looked great. I know that it would be easier to find a solid blue lamp shade but I don't want a blue cast in the room.

Thanks TH - always so good to see you around here (she's the inspiration for my black ceiling)!

That looks great! Did you do the paint job on your chest? It's lovely.

Ttodd, I missed your black ceiling! Sounds so cool! Love that chest and your style, girl! ;)

Thanks Bird Lover! I did do the bureau myself (clearly not done!). Last week I repainted it to better match my bedroom in medium and dark grey stripes (SW Backdrop & Requisite Grey) and I love, love, love it! Now all I have to do is get the bottom black glass knobs put on (a gift from DH) and have him dowl the holes from the pulls that were originally on.

TH - after seeing your black DR I missed mine sooooooo much but couldn't bring myself to do mine black again due to resale (can't say it's out of question 100% though). Man was it so cool! You never know though!!!!