An important criterion to making a house a home is adding personal, unique touches. This makes your home more inviting, which makes your guests feel welcome. This can be done by displaying items from travels or heirlooms from family. In addition to the Tibetan singing bowl on the bookshelf or the sturdy ranch oak chair from your grandparents, pictures are a great way to invite guests to conversation.

Pictures don’t always have to be of people, though it certainly makes the friends and family in the photo feel special and loved. For example, in your entertainment area perch a photo of the microphone from your karaoke birthday night. By the bar, hang close ups of a wine bottle and cork from a trip to Italy. This opens up more conversation of where are you and who are you with. You and your brother posing in view of the St. Louise arch is nice to look at, but doesn’t propose additional questions.
In terms of how to frame a picture, you have options.

Whichever mode of display you choose, you are ultimately going to need to hang it on the wall. Placement is key. Make sure there is plenty of space around the framed piece, hang at eye-level, and not near corners. These things of course are exempted if you are attempting a gallery wall.

Once you decide where to hang your chosen photo, you will need to determine how to secure it. If your frame comes with a hanging kit or obvious way to be hung, go with that. Otherwise, it is typically preferred to use hooks as opposed to wire. Best hardware are D-rings on the frame and J-hooks on the wall.

To determine where to hammer nails on the wall you should measure the distance of the hook from the edges of the frame then make the same measurements on the wall, allowing space from nail to bottom of hook. You could also trace the frame on paper (or use the paper that comes in the frame when purchased if it’s the full size), cut out the paper and make a mark where the ring is. Once prepared you can now place the paper on your wall with painter’s tape and put the bottom of the hook where the ring is marked. Remove the paper, hang your frame and get ready to invite your friends over to admire your work.