It’s a brand new year! And I dunno about you, but the moment the Christmas decorations go away, I start thinking about my first round of spring cleaning. There’s something about a fresh start that just makes me want to change things around me enough that they feel new too!

And when it comes to making those kinds of changes, you can absolutely go shop the new years sales, get new throw pillows (because throw pillows are always a good idea) and freshen up the livingroom. But there are all kinds of other ways you can freshen up your spaces, and they have nothing to do with throw pillows!

I’m talking about WALL ART. And not just any wall art, images of the people you love. I talk a lot about how valuable it is to hang images of your favorite people in your home, because it’s true. There’s nothing more impactful you can add to a space than a picture of someone you care about.

And lucky for you, there are all kinds of ways you can use images of your loved ones when you’re doing YOUR first round of spring cleaning this year! Whether it happens this month, next month, or post-tax-season, there’s never a bad time to print photos from your professional sessions.

Things you can do to shake up your space in 2024

1. Adding a new gallery wall

This is a big one, but it’s also the coolest so we’re going to start off with a bang. Gallery walls are basically the most fun way to highlight images of your family, because they can be whatever you want them to be! The pictures, I mean.

Gallery walls can be anything from a series of three images you loved from your mini session, to a mix-matched set of 12 you’ve picked out from sessions in the previous year. You don’t even have to keep it to images of your people! You can mix in artwork, textured wall hangings, a little shelf with some adorable succulents (I suggest fake plants though, they’re way easier to keep alive…)

The point is, a gallery wall is what you make it, it brings personality to any room, and it’s a brilliant way to remember moments from more than just one photo session, if you’ve got enough space to really play with it. I definitely recommend getting on Pinterest and checking out some inspiration for the way you can lay out gallery walls in your home, and seeing whether there’s a style you can see working in your home!

2. Update the Images in your Home

If you’re someone who already has images hanging in your home – amazing! I’m that person too. But… that doesn’t mean you can’t freshen things up every once and a while! There’s nothing wrong with keeping older images of your people hanging up in your home, whether they’re on the wall or perched on a bookshelf. But taking just a moment to look around, and decide whether it might be time to update some of those images, can bring a whole new vibe to a space in your home!

One of the bonuses of this option is it doesn’t take a lot of time or funds, but can still make a big impact. And if you’re looking at the images you’ve already got printed, and you really don’t want to replace any of them… consider whether those spaces might be able to accommodate more! You don’t have to be going for a “maximalist” vibe in your home to fit in a gallery wall here and there. It could be as simple as getting two matching frames to one that’s already hanging, and creating a super simple set of three.

3. Grabbing an album for your coffee table

I read somewhere recently that coffee table books are becoming a thing again, which was news to me because I didn’t really know they went out of style. But that’s really neither here nor there, because I’m not really suggesting a coffee table BOOK, I’m suggesting a coffee table album!

I’ll admit that albums are on the pricier end of the printable image options you have through professional photography studios like mine, but there’s a reason they’re a more expensive option. Albums come in all shapes and sizes, and some are fingerprint-resistant as well as spill-proof. So if we’re talking about coffee tables… perfect option, right?

Ordering an album of images of your family to feature on your coffee table isn’t just for guests – it’s for you too. Because I don’t know about you, but albums on shelves come out at holidays, MAYBE. An album out where it’s noticeable and just begging to be flipped through? It’s something I’ll actually crack open and page through to reminisce about the days when my boys were causing mayhem on a slightly smaller scale.

4. Get creative with framing

If you’re in love with the images you’ve already printed for your home, amazing! That doesn’t mean you’re out of options when it comes to freshening up the space, though! Even in regards to images. Think about their frames!!

There are SO many options for the ways you can frame photos in your home, from float frames (love those) to antique style fancy frames, to the simpler, more minimal options. If you’re into a little DIY chaos, you could even take an afternoon and go hit a second-hand shop, grab some old photo frames and a can of spray paint, and suddenly you’ve got a gorgeous new way to present your favorite images.

Need more help?

If you’ve been here on the blog before, I think you know how I’m going to end this! Of course, if you’re looking for ways to work your images into your home… talk to me. For session clients old and new I offer consultations where I’ll help you to lay out gallery walls and bring your memories into your home in a tangible way. I want you to walk through your hallway and think about your daughter, or granddaughter, or son, or whatever creature (human or otherwise) you want to memorialize on your walls. And it’s important to me that I can help to make that process easier! So if in doubt… reach out!

Or, if you need some support in styling your gallery wall (if that’s what you’ve decided to go with!) then I’ve also got some helpful tips and tricks you can think about over here.