Social Graces - Hanging Personal Photos
BRAGGING RIGHTS - AND WRONGS
Choose Wisely:
Being conscientious about what you display and how you display it can turn a potential egomaniacal disaster into a good-looking, intriguing expression of you and yours. Gather together your favorite snapshots, portraits, awards and mementos, and isolate the ones that truly please you. Be creative: That ballpoint doodle your husband drew of you on the first date might look super in a frame - and prompt more conversation than multiple wedding photos. Be ruthless: Four pictures of you in an adorable Halloween costume is three too many, and high school diplomas are why scrapbooks were invented. If beloved items are faded or torn, have them repaired before hanging.
Channel (Some) Humility:
Accept that an arrangement of personal artifacts and documentation can be deeply boring to other people. Spice up the mix and the mood by making your self-tribute fun, not too perfect and not too serious. Your expensive formal studio portrait will come off as less showy hung next to a candid snapshot. Go for a playful look by combining large photos with tiny ones and by avoiding equal spaces between frames: A few on-purpose "mistakes" will humanize the composition and make it seem less self-conscious.
Decide On A Look:
A careless mishmash of frame styles distracts from the images they surround. One way to make your personal keepsakes appear less chaotic is to house them in frames that compliment each other. The frames don't have to match, but they should be similar in either style (modern/plain, or curvy/girly) or color (all black, all metallic, all natural wood, etc.).
Hang Strategically:
Forgo showing off your likeness in prime, obvious spaces such as living and dining rooms, and go with out-of-the-way, unexpected sites, such as stairways, hallways and home offices (or bedrooms, should you wish to keep your private life private). Your need to surround yourself with yourself is satisfied, and your guests can check out your goodies without having to live with them for the entire evening.
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