Prints charming: wall art to impress

Yorkshire Post - 23rd January 2008 - Life & Style Section: Homes

Interiors

"For the effective display of artwork in your home, look to your photographs", says interior designer, Jamie Hempsall

I always get a little sentimental around this time of year, especially when finding those family photo albums at Christmas and leafing through them. It seems such a shame to pack everything away on a shelf or in a box to be looked at occasionally. Photographs are part of our heritage and should be incorporated into our everyday home designs.

There are a number of options available, particularly since the introduction of digital photography and clever cameras that allow us all to take great shots. Your special memory can be turned into a real work of art to be incorporated into your interior scheme. Choose images that show the subject relaxed, happy or at play, rather than formally posed to ensure the memories really are special.

Canvas Wrap prints have come down in price dramatically in recent years, allowing you to make large scale artwork. This service is often available on the High St (e.g. Boots or Snappy Snaps) or you can upyour images online at places such as www.yourimage2canvas.co.uk and have them delivered to you. You can expect to pay around £65 for a 20 inch x 25 inch print. Bear in mind the shape of your image when choosing canvas size to avoid any disappointments.

Another innovation is the ability to have your photograph enlarged onto a piece of acrylic, which is mounted onto the wall via four stainless steel fixings. The effect is innovatively stunning and very contemporary. Klick Photopoint produce a 20” x 20” piece for £69.99 or look at www.seeingthebigpicture.com.

For environments demanding something more conventional do not forget about a standard enlargement, but think bigger than 10” x 8”! Placed in a good frame and professionally mounted, your memories will look impressive.

Bespoke wallpaper is also now possible, allowing your image of a treasured place or activity to brighten up a room. This works to particularly good effect in urban apartments and Children’s Bedrooms. It is a more expensive option though costing from upwards of £60 for a square metre (check out www.print2wallpaper.com), but use it carefully to avoid a “Hilda Ogden Muriel” effect.

If you want to make use of existing pictures, a group of portraits of family and friends gives you a constant reminder and can also help solve the odd interior design problem: for example, when used on a wall which is partially obscured so that a large picture could not be fully viewed. A mass of photographs will allow some to be seen initially and others as you move beyond the visual obstruction.

When planning your wall, do not worry about matching frames and sizes exactly, as a reasonably eclectic mix adds interest however, do try and keep an overall theme for the frames (even if it is just an accent colour). Choose frames that not only suit your decoration scheme, but also that complement the photograph and the personality of the subject. Places like TK Maxx and other discount outlets are terrific sources of unusual frames at discount prices (check they can be wall mounted though!). Remember, a frame might look cheap en masse, but presented individually can be unusual and beautiful.

A final fun, and relatively cheap, tip is to get some glass cut to fit the top of a table (such as your coffee table or kitchen dining table). Ensure that you get a bevelled edge to avoid cuts. Then place photos on the top of table and cover with the glass. That way you will have a constant reminder and can change the pictures as often as you wish.

Jamie Hempsall is one of the regions leading interior designers, if you have any queries or wish to see some of his work, visit him at www.jamiehempsall.com or e-mail studio@jamiehempsall.com.