When it comes to buying and showing off art within a home, whatever is purchased is based completely on individual taste as art is very subjective. The contemporary art displays one would see in a gallery are not necessarily going to work within a family home. Personal taste will play a very big role, as well as budget.

Family photos, including those handed down through the years, can make a lovely art installation within a home. With the advanced technology available to us, it is really easy to take even the most worn and damaged photos and have them touched up and restored to look practically new.

Use the area of wall in your casual living room to create a wall of photographs that will tie the decor together and make the room feel more homely. You will need to start planning the layout ahead as once the frames are fitted they should be complementary to the overall look and feel of the room.

Spend some time collecting the frames and pay attention to local thrift shops as well as people selling personal items at yard sales. It's also possible to find a good selection if you scour your local decor stores. Once they are all filled with pictures and hung on the wall, you will have an overall impression of a mismatched collection that holds beautiful pictures.

To bring the collection together and prevent it from looking too mismatched, you can use a computer program to edit your digital prints before printing them out. You can alter the tone of them to keep them with a similar theme, such as monochromatic. Mark off an area on the floor and start arranging your frames to fit into the shape. It might take a bit of work but it really is the best way to do it. Retain an outline shape such as a square to retain a balanced visual.

If you opt for matching your frames, the layout will be a lot easier to do. Pick bold black frames and set them out in a formal pattern with identical spacing between every picture for an aesthetically pleasing result. They could be in three rows of five frames or keep to a square of four rows of four frames. With a monochromatic frame plan, keep your photos in color for the best result.

Another way to set up a wall of personal photographs is to select a particular theme for the pictures. It's probably wise to stay away from filling the frames with one particular event such as a wedding or a Christmas party. Look at scenery or wildlife pictures that were taken on family holidays, and consider framing the best of them. This kind of collection can be expanded and updated over many years.

Using family photos and showing them in a specific setting within the home is a very attractive way of decorating. First, the pictures are completely unique to you and second, it is a deeply personal subject. The overall installation will be special as well as adding the finishing touch of contemporary art display to a room.