I’ve talked before about how important designing our home with intention is to us. From function to aesthetics, we don’t want to make the same mistake we did with our first house and just buy stuff to have stuff. For that reason, we are taking our time to decorate, really living in the space and getting a sense of how we want it to look, room by room.
The same goes for the art we use. When it’s time to find art to use in our home, I don’t mind using store bought pieces if it’s something I genuinely like, but my favorite thing to do is to make art using my photos.
I’m not great at it, but that doesn’t stop me from taking pictures everyday, resulting in thousands upon thousands of options at my disposal. For someone like me who is terrible at making decisions quickly, that’s not always a good thing, but I love decorating with pieces that have a personal connection.
Once I select the photo I want to use, there are a few ways to turn it into art.
Option # 1
Print as is.
Sometimes you love the picture or collection of photos just as they are so it’s just about deciding the size you want to print them. Then, choose your mat – if you will use one or not, and if so, color and size along with your frame. Those key components offer plenty of options for customizing how you want to display your prints.
Option # 2
Edit before printing.
Maybe your original photo isn’t perfect for the space, so it needs some tweaks. Whether the coloring is off or you don’t want to use the entire picture, by playing around with the basics of photo editing like crop, color, contrast, exposure, and hue, you can take a nice photo and turn it into a perfect piece of art.
That is exactly what I did using a few photos from a girls’ trip to Salem, Massachusetts. As we toured the town, I snapped these photos from a few graveyards. I knew they would be the perfect additions for my Halloween “Season of the Witch” themed décor, but I wanted to make them look older for that added spooky effect.
Option # 3
Transform a photo into a painting (sorta).
If you want to transform your photo to look like a completely different form of media, there are plenty of apps to help you do that. This method is a great alternative when you want to use a photo that may not have the resolution quality to be printed on a large scale. From cartoon to oil painting, sketch to water color, the options are endless. When I wanted a single framed piece of art to incorporate into my fall design, I used the BeFunky app to turn a picture I took with my phone on a trip to Tahquamenon Falls into a realistic faux painting. Playing around with all the settings can give you many different looks to help you create the perfect art.
Whether you are on a budget or just want a custom piece of art that means something to you, displaying your photos in your home is always a great way to create a space you love.