When you think about displaying family portraits in your home, where’s the first place that comes to mind?
For many parents we meet at Moore & Moore Photography, it’s the living room. And that makes perfect sense. It’s often where the family spends time together, where visitors gather and where there’s a lovely space above the sofa or fireplace.
But your living room isn’t the only place where family portraits can feel at home.
In fact, some of the most meaningful places to display portraits are the rooms and spaces you walk through every single day, often without giving them a second thought.
So, if you’re wondering where your family portraits might look best, here are a few ideas worth exploring.
1. The living room — where everyone comes together
The living room is a natural choice for family portraits, particularly if you’d love a beautiful piece of artwork that becomes part of the room.
A larger framed family portrait can look wonderful above a sofa, fireplace or sideboard. Alternatively, a collection of smaller portraits can tell more of your family’s story, bringing together different expressions, personalities and relationships.
Think about the furniture, the available wall space and where your eye naturally travels when you enter the room.
And remember, you don’t necessarily need a large, empty wall to create something beautiful.
2. The hallway — a lovely welcome home
Your hallway is one of the first places you see when you come home and one of the last as you leave.
Imagine walking through the front door and being greeted by the faces of the people you love most.
A family portrait can make an entrance hall feel wonderfully personal, while a collection of children’s portraits can bring warmth and character to a space that’s sometimes overlooked.
Don’t forget upstairs hallways and landings, either.
These can be particularly lovely places for family artwork, especially if you’d prefer your children’s portraits to be displayed somewhere a little more private, just for the family to enjoy.
3. Your child’s bedroom — somewhere especially meaningful
Of all the places you might consider, your child’s bedroom is one I particularly love to suggest.
Imagine your little one waking up each morning and seeing a beautiful portrait of themselves, or a photograph of them with the people who love them.
It’s such a simple thing, but there’s something rather special about a child growing up surrounded by visible reminders of their family.
Their bedroom is their own space. Somewhere they play, rest, dream and gradually discover who they are.
Having their portrait displayed there can be another gentle reminder that they’re an important part of their family, that they belong and that they’re deeply loved.
And it doesn’t have to be a large piece of artwork.
A smaller framed portrait on the wall, somewhere they can easily see it, can be just as meaningful.
For me, this is one of the loveliest reasons to bring family portraits into our homes. They’re not simply there for us as parents to admire. They’re also there for our children to grow up with.
If you’d like to explore this idea further, you might enjoy our Journal article, What Your Child Sees on the Walls Shapes More Than You Think, which looks more closely at why these everyday reminders can be so meaningful.
4. The kitchen — the heart of everyday family life
For many families, the kitchen is much more than somewhere to prepare meals.
It’s where breakfast conversations happen, where children sit doing homework, where everyone gathers at the end of the day and where so much ordinary family life unfolds.
A family portrait in the kitchen can become part of all those everyday routines.
Perhaps there’s a wall beside the dining table, a space near the breakfast area or a little corner that would feel more personal with a portrait displayed there.
Just be mindful of positioning artwork away from cooking steam, splashes and excessive heat.
5. The playroom — a space that celebrates childhood
If you’re fortunate enough to have a playroom, it’s another lovely place to consider.
Children’s portraits can sit beautifully alongside their books, toys and favourite things, making the room feel even more their own.
This can be a particularly fun space for portraits that capture their expressions and personalities, whether that’s a cheeky grin, a thoughtful look or the wonderful character that emerges as they grow.
A collection of portraits from different ages can also be a lovely way to see how they’ve changed over the years.
6. Your own bedroom — something just for you
We often think about displaying family portraits in shared spaces, but your own bedroom can be a lovely choice too.
Perhaps it’s a portrait of you with your children, a favourite family photograph or an especially meaningful portrait of your little one.
There’s something wonderful about having those faces close by in a space that’s personal to you.
And because it’s not somewhere visitors generally spend time, you can choose artwork entirely for your own enjoyment.
What if you don’t have enough wall space?
This is something parents sometimes mention when we start talking about artwork.
They’d love to have portraits displayed at home, but they can’t immediately think of anywhere to put them.
And I understand. Once you’ve accounted for furniture, windows, doors and everything else that makes a house a home, it can feel as though every wall is already spoken for.
But sometimes it’s simply a case of looking at your home a little differently.
Rather than thinking only about the largest walls, consider the smaller spaces you pass every day.
An upstairs landing, a wall beside a bedroom door, a quiet corner or a space above a piece of furniture might be just right for a smaller portrait.
You may also find that one carefully chosen piece of artwork feels more at home than trying to accommodate a whole collection.
The important thing isn’t how much wall space you have. It’s finding somewhere that feels right for your family.
And if wall artwork isn’t right for your home?
Not every family wants framed portraits on their walls, and that’s absolutely fine.
There are other lovely ways to enjoy your portraits.
A beautifully presented album gives you something to sit down and explore together, perhaps with your children curled up beside you, looking through the pages and talking about the people they see.
A Portrait Box offers another option, keeping a collection of individual portraits together so you can take them out, enjoy them and revisit them whenever you wish.
Both allow your family portraits to become something you interact with, rather than something that stays tucked away on a phone or computer.
The best choice is the one that suits how you and your family want to enjoy them.
How we help you find the right place
At Moore & Moore Photography, choosing your portraits is only part of the experience. We also love helping you think about how you’ll enjoy them once they’re home.
During your Design & Ordering Appointment, we’ll often talk about the rooms in your house and where your finished portraits might live.
Sometimes parents already have the perfect place in mind. Other times, we’ll imagine walking through their home together, considering the living room, hallway, bedrooms and perhaps a few spaces they hadn’t previously thought about.
You can also see examples of framed artwork and portrait collections displayed here in our Fleet studio, helping you get a feel for different sizes and arrangements.
And if you’re considering an album or Portrait Box, you can see and handle those too.
It’s all about helping you choose something you’ll genuinely love having in your home.
Choose somewhere that means something to your family
There really isn’t one perfect place to display family portraits.
For one family, it might be a beautiful framed portrait taking pride of place in the living room. For another, a collection along the upstairs hallway. And for someone else, it might be a little portrait in their child’s bedroom, greeting them every morning.
What matters most is that your portraits become part of the home and family life you’re creating.
Because the real joy of family portraits isn’t simply seeing how everyone looked on the day they were taken.
It’s having those wonderful reminders of your love, your connection and your family right there, woven into everyday life.
And for your children, it’s growing up in a home where they can see, every day, just how much they belong.
Let’s talk about what might work in your home
Perhaps you’ve already spotted the perfect place for a family portrait, or maybe this has given you a few ideas you hadn’t considered before.
If you’re thinking about creating family portraits and would love some guidance on what’s possible, we’d be delighted to help.
Book a Discovery Call with us, and we can chat about your family, the portraits you’d love to create and how you might enjoy them in your home.
