using vacation pictures as art

I would looooooooove to escape on a little getaway right now, but unfortunately, it’s just not in the cards, so, instead, I’ve resorted to looking at photos from vacations past and it got me to thinking that a lot of them would look amazing on a large scale and framed!  You guys know I love to decorate with personal items and what’s more personal than memories from some of your favorite getaways?  I found quite a few contenders from past trips that would actually look amazing blown up (you guys don’t need me to tell you how much I love oversize art, right?)  So, I thought I’d share a few of my personal favorites to inspire you to bring your camera on your next vacation, day trip or even walk around town for some creative, budget-friendly pretties for your walls!

My hubby snapped these from our first sailing trip in Newport, Rhode Island years ago with a pocket-size point-and-shoot and they look like they were professionally taken! I love the fresh pop of color and the nautical vibe!

Right now, I have one printed in an 8×10 and framed on my built-ins, but I’m itching to print it bigger!

One of my favorite things to do in Charleston is to walk King Street all the way down to the Battery and picnic underneath the huge oak trees.  It’s so peaceful and pretty and there’ always a bit of a breeze from the water, and at night, the trees are softly lit and look hauntingly beautiful! I’ve always thought an oversize shot of these beauties would make such a dramatic statement!

And how amazing does it look in black and white?

I’ve had this image of an oversize black and white beech in a living room by Carrier and Company saved as inspiration for a while:

I don’t think you can ever go wrong with photos of the beach or the sea; the picture below was from one of our jaunts to Riviera Maya and not only does it remind me of such amazing vacations, but I love the color and calmness that it would bring to a space:

This master bedroom by designer Steven Gambrel has always been a favorite, mostly because of that gorgeous, oversize photograph of the sea over the bed.  It’s like a window to the sea!

Here’s another shot from a girl’s trip a couple years back to Palm Beach; one of my good friend’s, who was born and raised there, actually has this one blown up and framed in her house here in North Carolina as a reminder of the dreamy place from which she hails and she’s ALWAYS getting compliments on it!

What are some of your favorite spots to vacation?  And what kind of photos do you think would look amazing on a large scale?