Displaying Family Photos and Kids Art
Interior Designer Advice

Q. What do you think of displaying family photos of deceased relatives? Many of our relatives are no longer with us and my daughter claims that the room looks morbid with all their pictures displayed.

To me, they will always be family and it helps me remember them. What do you think?

A.This is not so much a design questions as one of generations dealing with reality.

I'm going to assume these photographs are in your home and your daughter lives elsewhere. If so, it is your home and you should do what is important to you.

I also have lost most of those relatives that shaped my early life and seeing their images is very important to me. For our children, they are facing the reality that their parents will be in that group of photos sometime and that is scary.

Perhaps to serve both of your needs you could incorporate many family pictures, not just those who have left this world. This may help to put things in a proper perspective for all generations. Enjoy your memories.

Q. We love our grandkids but they seem to give us every drawing and test paper that they create for us to display. We are in a smaller place now and the refrigerator is full and we don't have room for so much. We don't want to hurt their feelings. Do you have any suggestions?

A.Children have a short attention span. Sometimes it works in our favor, and this is one of those times.

I would suggest acknowledging new items for a short period of time, then put them into a folder that is handy to the children.

Maybe each one could decorate or draw a picture on their own folder, then be responsible for exchanging the pictures on the refrigerator.

This will satisfy the children. It is the adults that think in terms of "forever".

Reita Bayman