Our master bedroom has come a long way in just a few days. It went from feeling like a big empty room with a bed to a warm, personal space—thanks mainly to curtains and, mostly, frames. Lots of frames.
Before we started putting holes in the wall, the room looked much like it had since we painted it nine months ago: solid and a little stark. It desperately needed curtains, but for now let’s talk about the frames.
We’d been planning a gallery wall above the bed for a while and decided to use large dark wood frames with white mats for a classic, substantial look. After comparing options, we picked frames from Michaels that felt sturdy and timeless. They weren’t cheap at face value, but a sale brought the average price down to something reasonable for this size and quality.
Back at home, Sherry cut templates from leftover rosin paper and taped up a roughly symmetrical arrangement to get a sense of scale and placement.
At first, the layout felt too rigid, so we loosened the grid—loosely mirroring each side of the bed but allowing slight shifts to make the gallery feel more casual and relaxed. That small change made a big difference.
Hanging 17 frames wasn’t as daunting as it sounded. Each frame hangs on one or two nails thanks to a groove in the back. Because we’d taped the templates to the wall first, transferring the placement was straightforward. For symmetry, we used a laser level to match the heights of paired frames and a yardstick to keep even side-to-side spacing.
After the initial installation, the arrangement still read like a horizontal stripe across the wall. To balance the composition and fill the space above each nightstand, we added five more larger frames. In the end we had five large frames with 8 x 10 openings and seventeen slightly smaller square frames with either 8 x 10 or 5 x 7 openings. A small tweak later—moving a few frames near the curtain—brought the whole grouping into better balance.
We wanted the wall to be personal, so we filled the frames with family photos. Framing these memories felt right for a bedroom. Many of the photos had never been printed large before, so we ordered a selection of 8 x 10 prints for in-store pickup—an affordable option for this batch.
With the photos in place, the gallery came together: warm wood frames and crisp white mats contrasted against the dark wall, while colorful prints added cheer. The result reads both classic and lively, tying into our pillows and headboard.
Choosing photos was a two-step process. We scanned our yearly iPhoto folders, flagged favorites, and then narrowed that list down to the 22 prints we needed. Instead of sticking to a color palette, we focused on images that captured moments—people looking at each other, down, or off to the side—so the wall wouldn’t feel like a sea of direct stares.
Once hung, patterns emerged. About a third of the photos feature water—beaches, lakes, pools—reflecting our love of travel and outdoor time. The gallery includes shots from six different states, and amusingly, a few of the photos were taken right on the bed that now sits beneath them. It’s a nice, homey full-circle moment.
After the frames were up, the once-plain wall became a daily celebration of family. It’s one of the first and last things we see each day, and it already ranks with other favorite displays in our home.
Those prints tucked behind a lamp are more visible from bed and at certain entry angles than you might expect—angles matter when you’re enjoying a gallery.
We hope the gallery encourages us to keep documenting family moments. Almost half the photos were taken with iPhones or an old point-and-shoot, which shows you don’t need fancy gear to capture meaningful images.
When Clara was napping, we took the chance to photograph Teddy and Burger together. Given our tendency to frame bed shots, that photo might someday join the wall—very meta.
It’s getting harder to remember the room’s “before” without pulling up the old pictures, which is a good sign of progress.
We’re pleased with the change, though the space still feels a bit busy. A few remaining updates—a better bench at the foot of the bed, proper bedside tables, finished curtains, and an overhead light—should help calm the room over time. Slowly but surely.
Are you updating a bedroom or hanging a family gallery? Often a theme reveals itself afterward—water, travel, or cozy bed shots. Do the photos seem to follow you with their eyes, Mona Lisa-style, or do they capture private moments instead?
