Infusing a space with your own unique personality can be a challenge, especially with the stark white walls, floors and ceilings of modern apartments. Photos are a simple and effective way to personalize any room.
Everyone has pictures of their most-loved people and places. The trouble is that photo frames - especially if you want them all to match, or at least correspond - cost a pretty penny. But don't despair! Even on a tight budget you can get frames that will be a great fit for your pictures, and won't look like something from the twenty-five cent box at a yard sale.
Actually, where you want to start is a yard sale, or better yet your local Salvation Army and other thrift stores. Look for picture frames that have similar styling; find frames that all have beveled edges, for example, or the same kind of indentations. Colour does not matter, but look for frames made of a material that will hold paint well. Wood is an excellent option, plastic not so good. Size doesn't matter either; a variety of sizes for your photos makes them more interesting and easier on the eye than a whole row of identically proportioned pictures. Keep in mind that you can enlarge and crop photos to make them work with a particular frame.
Take your frames home (you may want to make multiple trips to the thrift stores in your area, as they are constantly receiving new stock) and paint them with a simple acrylic paint, available at any craft store. Use any colour you want, depending on the colours in your photos. Dark colours are best for pictures that will be displayed on light walls, as they'll make your photos pop out and have an impact. If there is no consistent colour among all your pictures, go with a neutral tone: black, white, silver or brown. Black or white will provide the most modern, cutting edge look.
Put two to three coats of paint on the frames, allowing them adequate drying time between coats. Whether or not you paint the backs of the frames is entirely up to you. When the last coat is dry, put a layer of sealant (wood finish is perfect) overtop, to keep the paint from chipping. Water and oil-based wood finishes can be found in hardware stores for a relatively low price (you'll only need a very small can). Water based finishes ensure less mess and easier cleanup, but either kind will work.
If the frames you have chosen are old or cheaply made they may not hold the photos in place well. A staple gun can be used both to make the frames' contents more secure, and to attach the necessary hardware for hanging the frames on the wall.
Now put your pictures in your newly refurbished picture frames and arrange them on the wall. Be sure not to hang them too high; eye level is where they will have the greatest impact. You do want your visitors to admire your fine photography skills up close, after all.
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