One Question: Family Photos

'One Question' is a new series I recently started in hope to help answer reader's questions and maybe inspire a few others who have the same dilemma.

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Hey Kristy,

First, let me say thanks for helping me out with my decorating dilemma!  So here is my problem... I LOVE the color I have in my house.. it is FULL of color! (all neutrals, but not boring neutrals!)  We just bought new furniture, which I LOVE.  We have 2 paintings... these are great, however, I hate how I have no family pictures about.  I want to incorporate them; my husband would like family pictures but he says they don't "go with our stuff".  How can I hang family pics and make it go together?  I just feel like my living room is so stoic and cold.  Can you help?

Abbey

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Here's a photo of Abbey's living room:

I think a lot of people can relate to Abbey's question.... how can we incorporate family photos into a room?  I absolutely adore candid, family photos.... there's so much more character in a room when personal photos are displayed.  Call me nosy, but I love walking into someones home and looking at their photos on the wall, table, bookshelf, anywhere.  It's like a little insight into their lives.

So, on to help Abbey..... her living room is loaded with lots of neutral colors, which is a great starting point to accessorize.  The furniture and painting on the wall are fairly new, so when I was looking to add photos to blend with their style, I chose sepia-toned.  And since Abbey mentioned she thought her living room was stoic and cold, I thought I'd help out by accessorizing a little (ok, maybe I got a little carried away!)... 

Here's Abbey's living room after I photoshopped in a few pictures (and a few others)...

I added three sepia-toned pictures to tie in with the neutral colors in the room.  The photos in those 'frames' were originally taken in color, but most online photo services offer color options when printing.... color, black and white or sepia.... and if you have Photoshop, well then you can do just about anything with your photos!

To really step up the family photos, another option would be to display the painting in another room and have a couple family (or kid) photos printed on canvases.... I love this (the kid's photos below are from Three Men and a Lady- so cute!).

Options are really endless for displaying family photos.... get them out, don't keep them in the bedrooms.... let the world see your spontaneity and enjoy your photos!!!

A quick note:  The designs above are not to scale.... the accessories that were added may or may not be sized correctly.  This is planned for fun and to help expand ideas on how to dress up a room.  But in case you are interested in the accessories added, here are the sources:

Task Light:  Target
Lamps:  Target
Gold Picture Frame:  Target
Pillow:  PopOColor
Pillow:  PopOColor
Pillow:  Turquoise Tumbleweed
Pillow:  Aminascats
Curtains:  Ikea
Rug:  Rugs USA
Books:  Anthropologie
End Table:  World Market

Have a decorating dilemma?  Read this to find out how to submit your question and be considered to receive an answer in the One Question series.