My dad sent me his pics....

This might be useful...

Here is a link that might be useful: stairway gallery

Your Dad needs to start posting on Garden Web! He really has the decorating knack. :-) I love those blue walls with the B&W etchings. An that runner is beautiful!

boopadaboo - WOW! That is stunning!! Talk about picture perfect =)

Have your dad come over and hang them for you! Beautiful!

Wow, those etchings look beautiful. Who did them? What a wonderful collection. If you have as many as your Dad, you could probably just start hanging and keep going, since you would essentially be covering the whole wall with the etchings. But if you are going to use, say, 10 or so, the spacing between the pictures will really make a difference in how the arrangement looks. I'd make a template of each one, use the putty you can easily remove to stick them on the wall, and try out the arrangement. I just did a photo gallery in my hallway, and that worked really well. I just used some white posterboard for the templates, so I could draw in the matt openings to get a real idea of how it would look. DH was even impressed that the whole thing got hung with minimal wall damage. Can't wait to see the finished wall when you're finished.

Sorry, can't respond, too busy drooling over those bookcases in your last house.

I think it would be great to display your etchings along your stairway, but I, too, would be worried about the toddler factor. I have 3 kids and when my youngest was around that age, I hung pics in my stairway and kept them up high because I knew she would mess with them. Especially when they're at the stage where crawling up stairs is so entertaining! Even better -- pulling pictures off the wall at the same time! So if I were you, I'd keep them above waist level for now. As far as how to do it, it all depends on how anal you are. I tend to measure and make sure space between the pictures is the same, etc etc, but that's just me. I do have one wall with a mess of various pictures and photos where I didn't measure, just started at one point and kept adding, and that works for me in that particular space. If you are starting with a limited number, just start at eye level and go up the stairs that way, and add more if/when you have more, either above or below. When I hung my limited number of photos along my stairway, I stood on one step and measured to eye level, hung a pic, then went up 2-3 steps, measured to eye level, hung a pic, and so on.

I would like to have my dad come hang them. DH gets mad and says why can't we do it. (where is the eye rolling smiley when you need it!)

I will tell my dad of the lovely thoughts on his house. The whole thing is gorgeous. You should see the rest of it! My dad and step mom have very good taste, and their things combined with all they have from my grand parents that traveled the world every summer for years, make for a wonderful house. It is very traditional.

I am kind of nervous about the toddler thing. My stairwell does not have as much wall space as my dad either.

I found more black and whites last night. I think I have too many for the wall space in the stairway and upstairs hall. I am not really thrilled with how my dining room came out. I tried to do salon style there. Now I am thinking maybe I should put the black and whites in the Dining Room.

I have to paint in there still, but do you think the black and whites would go with the furniture, rugs and drapes I have in there?

This is the terrible wall:

I have replaced those two small plates with a long painting. I can't take pics now since that room is filled with everything I am keeping that was in the basement. I have to find a place for everything!

I am kind of on overload. I just still can't figure out this house even after living here a couple of years......

Oh - and I meant to say thank you olychick. That was a great article.