You spent months searching for just the right sofa, agonized over paint colors and endlessly debated area rug options. Don’t leave your walls blank. The perfect finishing touch is something you already have: your own photos.

Thanks to innovations in digital technology using your personal snapshots to create works of art is easy. You favorite landscape, special event or vacation can be transformed to fit your style and room.

A grouping of black and white photos brings a modern touch, but not many people have the cameras or film to create this style. But digital photos can be transformed to black and white with the click of a mouse, and older photos can be scanned and changed. Keeping your pictures in the same color scheme allows you to bring a cohesive look to unrelated images. A collection of prints from similar occasions – birthdays, graduations or reunions – provide a timeline of memories.

Pictures tell a story when showcased alongside objects. Using shadowboxes, add the little extras to give photos more punch. Seek out ticket stubs and maps to accompany photos of far-flung adventures, an heirloom handkerchief next to a portrait of your grandmother or even a dried bloom from your bouquet to set off wedding photos.

A treasured portrait gets the look of an Old Master by reprinting the image on canvas. Many companies will take your photos, reprint them on canvas and stretch them across a frame. These ready-to-hang creations have the appearance and texture of a painting. Add an ornate or antique frame to complete the look.

Gaze out over a pine forest in the middle of a city. Look down cobblestone streets from your basement rec room. Wake up to a Caribbean ocean while snow falls outside. You can bring a piece of paradise into your home with a wall mural.

For some, the image of a tropical sunset is the perfect way to drift off to sleep each night. Others might prefer to visit a scene from their favorite city in the den. Murals Your Way, a Minnesota-based company, will create a wall mural from your own photograph or you can select an image from their collection.

Murals Your Way’s collection of images includes famous paintings, city skylines and fantasy worlds. “Imagine a coral reef in a child’s room, or a Parisian café in the kitchen. With a wall mural you’re instantly transported,” says company president Todd Imholte.

For smaller spaces, think about accessories. Transfer photos to fabric for custom pieces that also make great gifts. A child’s artwork can grace a pillow or tote bag. Quilts can boast a collection of smiling grandchildren. In the living room, ditch the dust-collecting jumble of frames by constructing a photo tray. Simply layer pictures under glass to create a useful display that can rest on the coffee table or sideboard when not on duty.

Artwork should be a personal expression of your style, taste and the things you love. What better way to surround yourself than with the people and places that mean the most to you.

For more information on custom wall murals, visit www.muralsyourway.com or to
speak to a Design Consultant, call (888) 295-9764.

Courtesy of ARA Content