Shortly after we moved in, I shared this wood plank accent wall project on the stair landing:

I used stained luan, this saves a TON of money instead of wood tongue and groove planks. 

Years ago I blogged about printing those large engineer photos for super cheap as well. I hear from some readers that Staples won't do these inexpensive prints anymore, but some say they still do. It must depend on your location -- it's worth checking out!

Later, I added a descending (ascending?) gallery wall down one of the stair walls that I painted to match the basement walls (Westchester Gray): 

A couple of these art pieces were purchased directly from the artist, like this amazing piece from James Cook that is created entirely with a typewriter:

Some were purchased on trips, but most I found while browsing Facebook Marketplace. I shared my love the marketplace and some of my favorite finds last year. My obsession has not waned. ;) You can find so many quirky and unique art pieces!

Painting the skirting on the steps was especially difficult because of the carpet. I used this tip for painting baseboards to keep the paint from getting on the carpet: 

Painter's tape is a must and a straight edge helps to tuck that tape under the baseboard so no carpet gets painted. 

Our wood wall looks almost exactly the same as when I installed it: 

There are a few small additions: first up, I removed the shorter baseboards on the landing and replaced them with much thicker wood trim. Also, these rechargeable spotlights that I hung over the large prints are great for nights we watch movies in the basement, or just added ambience. 

They come with a timer and look so great over the prints!

While painting the walls, I noticed the length of the wood planks were slightly inconsistent at each end. I stained a couple of thin pieces of molding and nailed them on each side. 

This finished the wall off beautifully: 

Around the corner, I continued the gallery wall with these "see through" frames that I used on the opposite wall:

There are no mats in the frames -- they come with two pieces of glass and the photo goes between them. I like the simplicity of these for a busy gallery wall like this. (I gathered these on and off over months -- they're on sale often!)

**Quick interlude about family photos.**

I can't even count how many times I've heard interior designers say they don't have or recommend personal photos in home decor. I couldn't disagree with this more.

Your home shouldn't be a showcase, it should be a showcase of your life, family and the things that you love. 

I believe homes should reflect the people that live in them, and what better way to do that than with photos?: 

I will die on this hill. :) Please display your framed photographs, you won't regret it. 

It was so much fun to change out a few of the existing photos and add new ones. I'm so thankful I organized all of our photos years ago: 

While I was endlessly painting the baseboards and stair skirting, I realized the stair balusters and newel post stood out like a sore thumb. So I spent a couple of days painting those as well: 

This whole project was so satisfying -- the staircase now fits in with the rest of the basement and really creates the mood for the moody and cozy space you walk into at the bottom of the stairs. 

The best parts are the gallery walls, full of artwork and photos that tell the story of our family. They make me SO happy. 

Do you have family photos hanging around your home?