'Memory Walls' Inspire

(CBS)  What better way to showcase a family album full of pictures than with a memory wall?

Design expert Susanna Salk says it's easy to transform an ordinary wall to create a special place that reflects both personal style and memories, and it sure beats keeping the photos hidden away in the albums.

On The Early Show Thursday, Salk and co-anchor Julie Chen went to a Manhattan Pottery Barn store, where Salk introduced viewers to several possible ways to put together a memory wall.

Salk says it is "a wonderful way to take all your memories in your photo albums and hang them on the wall and enjoy them in an everyday way."

She said it's a place to display your memories and emotions to inspire you on a daily basis, rather than being kept in an album or on a shelf.

There are many ways to fill a space, no matter how big or small, prominent or remote in your house, Salk noted, adding it is, in fact, more the space that will determine the kinds of things you'll want to hang and how than the other way around.

All it takes is some creativity and preparation, says Salk, who is special projects editor for House & Garden magazine.

VIGNETTE 1: TRADITIONAL

A traditional memory wall typically has a very uniform look. To bring unity to the area, frames are hung in rows evenly spaced, and the same colors and shapes are repeated not only in the frames, but in the matting and photos. Depending on the space, they can be stacked high or wide or both; even from floor to ceiling! Rooms most conducive to memory walls are entry ways, hallways, staircases and small quirky areas.

Salk's traditional example featured stacked brown frames against a red wall. Painting the walls with a punch of color not only acts as a kind of frame for the frames, but makes the traditional way these frames are hung less serious. The white mats also give a nice contrast between the brown and the red. As for the actual images, a series of photos taken from one time period or by one photographer gives further unity and importance.

Tip: Achieve proper balance between your wall space and the frames you want to display by keeping them horizontally centered. Use a tape measure to find the center of your wall, and mark it with a pencil. Frames should be placed at eye level, approximately five feet from the floor, but they can hang higher if your room has high ceilings. And remember, the picture wire should always be pulled tightly upward, as if it were already hanging on the hook. Measure the distance from the centerline to the top point of the wire.

Tip: Placing adhesive tape on the wall where you hammer in the nail and hook will help prevent any plaster from chipping.

Tip: Smaller frames have more impact when grouped together around a larger one.

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