Gallery Wall - downstairs


The first year we moved into this house I created a gallery wall of family photos heading to our third floor. This wall looks great and makes me smile every time I walk up the stairs.  I wanted to create a similar look heading downstairs into our basement but needed to complete this for little or no money.

Over the last fifteen years we have gathered quite a collection of random picture frames.  Many of which did not get unpacked or put to use when we moved into this house. I decided to hunt down all of these frames to see if I could make something work.  Once gathered I realized we had quite a mish-mash of sizes, textures, finishes and colors and I wanted a clean and somewhat uniform look.  Color seemed the best way to tie all of these together.



As a test I took a few of the crappiest frames and spray painted them black.  The paint covered well and they looked great so I thought I tackle painting all of them.  Running after a toddler only provides me with short intervals of time to work on projects. I have learned I cannot rush or complete projects quickly. It took me a few days to paint all of the frames.  I used a box as my spray booth and finished one to two frames at a time.  When each frame was complete I printed a new photo and reassembled the frame. Each completed frame felt like a little mini project.




Arranging them on the wall was trickier than the upstairs gallery due to all the varying sizes and backings. To get a decent idea of where I wanted each photo hung I cut paper to size and taped it to the wall until I was pleased with the arrangement.  Then I started at the top of the stairs and with a level and clear ruler worked my way down the stairs hanging frame by frame.




I really liked how it turned out and am even more pleased that I was able to reuse and keep it on the cheap. Two cans of black spray paint and some photo paper - wall-a!



Here is just one of the photos I included in the gallery.  This photo of Nicholas makes me laugh.