Beautiful family. :)

Can you show the room, please? I like this arrangement, but it’s hard to say without seeing the wall(s).

Lovely family, I would use the same simple frame style for all of the photos.

I never like family photos in a spaces for guests so I am no for this at all. How about a really nice piece of art there and that nice group of family photos in a hallway going to more private spaces. I do agree it is always agood idea to post pics of the space you are asking about too.I do agree if this is what you want there all the frames the same is a much nicer look .

It’s going on this wall which is opposite of the family room

That looks like a great wall for your idea, and something you’ll enjoy looking at.

One idea is to cut out pieces of paper in the proper sizes, and hang using painter’s tape to get arrangement and scale ideas.

I love the photo on the bottom (it looks like a watercolor almost). I'd make that the center:) You all look so pretty and happy. Can't think of anything nicer to view while eating dinner.

Can't agree that family photos don't belong in a dining room... nor that it's a guest space. As a guest I love to see photos of friends and their families. Really think it's wonderful to celebrate family where one is sitting down together.

I too disagree that personal photos do not go in certain rooms. Our homes are for us, not outsiders. Hosting guests is lovely, but when we do so, it is with the understanding that they are entering our homes and thus into our lives. Anyone who finds photos of loved ones objectionable should feel free to decline my invitation.

Thanks for the feedback! I initially purchased a couple of floating photo ledges and all new black frames with mattes but it would require reprinting all of my photos, and they wouldn’t have the same color schemes nor match each other. Keeping them in the frames and canvases seems like as if I intended to make them all different to place together on the dining room wall (one of the largest areas for the display of our family portraits). We do not have another hallway large enough for these photos.

I too, love looking at family portraits when going to people’s homes. We move a lot due to military life and it can be hard to ensure we capture our life’s most precious moments because we end up packing them away and or they don’t fit in the new home.

Not the right location for family photos. Better to use picture ledges to display family photos so as the number of photos increases the wall can accommodate the numbers. Place these in hallways or the private areas of the home.

Your dining area needs a bigger statement on the wall. Consider some canvas art for your wall.

Go with your family wall! It is your home. Use enough pics so it has impact - that is my suggestion. Jinx's suggestion to make templates of the sizes and play is fantastic. Don't be afraid to try something that makes YOU happy.

Iris, you are well on your way to creating a lovely, personal and unique-to-you display in your home. You're on the right track. Can't wait to see how you end up hanging them all. Have fun with it!

ETA: The idea of public vs. private spaces in a home is outdated. We no longer entertain guests in a parlor set aside for one purpose, but we actually live in every single space. Our guests live the same way in their homes. It's 2022 and our personalized spaces reflect that home and family are our priorities. Heaven knows we need our homes to feel like a warm embrace, now more than ever.

Some guidelines that may help...

I disagree. Family photos belong where we want them. The idea that personal photos do not belong in anywhere except a bedroom is an old, leftover idea from the Victorian era.

Your photos will look great there. The idea about cutting out paper the size of the frames is great. That way you can move the sizes around to the way the look best.

Just took a look at Buckingham Palace dining room photos. Portraits everywhere ;)

I say go for it, I love the gallery wall in our DR - we used consistent frames to bring cohesion to the grouping. We also matted all of them to give the photos more breathing space and presence - Definitely use paper the size of the photos to help you with layout - that takes patience 😅

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Bluebloods are allowed lots of leeway and fill every room with portraits of the ancestors to prove their claims to nobility. My mom meticulously assembled family albums, which I'm now disassembling and sending photos to the subjects, or relatives of them, who are still alive and may not have these pix. My cousin's home was struck by a tornado and he was grateful for photos I had available to give to him. My aunt and uncle enjoyed the ones I shared with them just before his death. Photos are important; they are the historic "monuments" of family, not to be torn down or discarded just because they are old fashioned, out of style or date and have no meaning to you personally. Locally we have a little museum of town history and they may get some of the photos as well. My dad worked for the Corps of Engineers and took lots of pix during construction of various dams. I will send those to a district office for their collection. Keep your history flowing downstream. Label what you can - mom was a stickler for detail and I'm glad now. Today there are so many ways to preserve photos for posterity; be sure you do.

I Love Family Photos!

Everyone does what makes them feel good in their own home.

I have art that I love and I have family photos that I love and they are in the same room.

Oh My!!!! :-)

I wouldn't have a problem with family photos in a family dining area, but here are the things I would do to help make it more unified and intentional: eliminate the sign in the middle, use matching color/style of frames, and print all the photos in black & white or sepia tones.

Conversely, the frames might all be the same style but in different coordinated colors to offset the monochrome photos.

I like the picture rail option best, makes it easier to rearrange, add and remove.

I prefer colored photos and similar, but not matching frames. I do like different sizes of photos. I might try one of the rails, but I'm not sure I have room.

I gave it a try!

That looks nice, Iris!

Are those the actual size?

They might be spaced out a bit more...

You work fast!

This is only my preference, and if you’re happy with it, just ignore me —

I’d space it out a bit more, and lower the whole grouping.

Again — just my opinion and disregard if you like it as is!

The pictures make me smile, you’re all adorable. :)

All those fabulous smiles! A well-lived life :)

I think you should put the photos wherever you want. I do think Beverly is making a good point - the amount of space on that wall may overpower the current arrangement. You don’t want it to look puny.

@decoenthusiaste gave you good examples of how to arrange the photos. You may need some more.

I have a small family photo collection in the hallway where the bedrooms are. Most people don’t go there but a friend recently was using the back bedroom and stopped dead when she saw them. She was fascinated and we ended up spending time on some of my family history. (I have gorgeous photos of my grandparent’s wedding.)

Thanks, everyone for the inputs!!! I spaced them all 1” apart from each other, for the most part. The wall is 13.5’ wide so I centered the wedding photo in the middle of it and worked from there. The height of the ceiling is diagonal. I didn’t want to lower the grouping too much since the dining table is placed right underneath, if someone sits in the chair below the grouping it would be too low?

I just read it should be 2-3” spaced apart, ahh! Should have researched before plunging into the project. I’ll have to space it out shortly.

Since you would be pulling the table away from the wall if someone is seated at the back, I don’t think the photos will get in the way. In my opinion, you will mostly be seated when viewing them, so they should definitely be placed much lower.

Don't over think it Iris. It isn't a science or a math problem. Go with your gut. Try it and adjust if need be. Nothing is forever! Including how we hang our pictures. Brain surgery is precise from what I read. Hanging pics of your family and friends is love, memories, hope for the future and trust in the past. Enjoy.

It’s nice to put a block of color behind them too. Stripe tape available at cmykco.com