Gallery Wall Upgrade

Our photo wall in the main area of our home was full of adorable baby photos of our first child, Penelope. But hmmm, something’s missing…oh that’s right. There were no photos of our two-year-old, Ciro. None. Zip. Zilch. We needed a gallery wall upgrade.

While cute, the original display was outdated and reeked of typical “second child” syndrome. This is because most of my time is spent chasing after the little monster and his big sis. Being the sixth child in my family I have firsthand experience of how this works. But still! Every time I walked past that wall I imagined updated photos of both kids, and a few appearances of me and Greg, too. No excuses – it was time for an upgrade.

The reason it took me so long is that I dreaded the task of designing it. Choosing frames, arranging the display, and picking the right photos loomed over me. And, since it’s smack in the main area of our home, I wanted it to be just right. But then I found Mixtiles.

Boom. I am in loooove with how it turned out! I want to walk by this wall all day long.

Mixtiles are 8×8 inches large, and just under an inch thick. They’re removable, reusable, super lightweight, and don’t damage your walls. No nails! No damage! No brainer. And because they are so easy to hang and reposition, there was no pressure to hang them. I first laid them out on my dining room table to see how I wanted to arrange them:

Then I started sticking them on the wall to play around with the arrangement.

The ‘Better Together’ wood sign came from Etsy. Greg and I both love Jack Johnson and we put that song on our wedding video. I knew I wanted some letter art to break up the photo collage, so that was a meaningful fit. (You can check out the shop where I custom-ordered them, here.)

They wanted an additional $30 to paint the signs, but that was expensive and hello, I live with preschoolers. There’s paint everywhere in this house. I broke out some flat white and did the job myself.

I didn’t meticulously measure anything and it’s not perfect, and that is exactly how we roll around here. I mixed in candid, real-life shots with professional shots, and while I wasn’t sure how that would flow, it turned out to be a wonderful blend. And now, when I walk by that wall, I can’t stop smiling.

You can download the Mixtiles app and select photos right from your phone or Instagram, order right from your phone, and they ship to your doorstep. This was so easy to do. I think what I love most is that I can replace photos or add-on more as time goes on. I should mention I have zero affiliation with Mixtiles – I just loved the experience and thought you might, too.