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Dear Jessica,
I finally had a family portrait made and am looking at my walls, trying to determine where the picture will fit. I’ve wanted to create a more interesting photo layout for some time, but don’t know how to move past my tendency to hang one picture per wall. Do you have any ideas for a more creative arrangement? — Meaghan, Greensboro

Dear Meaghan,
Gallery walls can be great for accessorizing a difficult space. I love to feature family photos near a staircase or back hall. These are spaces that need special attention, but perhaps not a priceless piece of art.

Your first step is to determine a theme for your gallery wall. You can group any photos together; however, the most successful gallery walls have a common thread, whether all black and white photos or pictures with similar backgrounds.

A box full of favorite photos, combined with a desire to dress up an area in my beach house, led me to decide to create a photo wall featuring my family at the beach. The wall has become a time capsule of sorts, with photos dating back to 1929 through the present day. Some of the photos are priceless, capturing moments of days gone by — like my great grandmother in a wool swimming costume. I have a nice photo of my aunt in her cat glasses on the dunes of Cape Cod in the 1960s, and some of me and my sisters in the 1970s. Of course, my photo wall features plenty of shots of my kids splashing around at the beach last summer. This wall has become a great conversation area and was truly a rewarding family project.

After you have a space selected and determined the theme or images you are using, the next step is to select a frame style. Create interest by incorporating several different frame sizes and styles. Don’t be afraid to vary the frame profiles or molding details, but keep the style similar and true to your decorating personality. If your décor style is contemporary, select a simple frame, not a fancy gilded frame or a distressed cottage-style frame that will look out of place and random.

When you are shopping for your frames, select a frame finish that will create uniformity within your grouping. By using similar frame colors or finishes and matting them in like colors, you will create an integrated look. Mixing up the shapes and sizes, but keeping the frames similar, will create a signature display unique to your space.

Use the same style frame and size repeatedly in your grouping. This does not mean you cannot mix in several different styles or sizes, but be sure to repeat them. Repetition creates a unified look.

Before you begin hanging your collection, lay out the frames on the floor to determine the best design plan, which you can then translate to the wall. If measuring is difficult, stick with a more asymmetrical arrangement. The more randomly you plan to hang your photos, the easier they will be to hang up.

If you want a more symmetrical design, use a laser level tool. Nothing is worse than a symmetrical arrangement with a frame slightly askew, so take your time getting the placement right.

After you have hung your photos, apply a pinch of bonding putty to the back of each frame to secure the frames to the wall. The putty trick is a must for stairwells and high traffic areas to keep your display in place.

Jessica Dauray is owner of Elements of Style Interiors, a full-service interior design firm with offices in Greensboro and Wilmington. Visit her Web site at www.elementsofstyleinteriors.com. Have questions for Jessica? E-mail her at jessicaofeos@bellsouth.net.