One of my favorite devices for decluttering our walls and shelves is the digital picture frame. It’s essentially a customizable slideshow of pictures or videos that you control.
I practice what I preach, and I have a frame sitting on my desk that connects to all the photos on my phone. I often glance at it while I’m on the phone or working on my computer, and it frequently brings back cherished memories. This repetition has a learning effect, as I often find myself recalling when and where a particular picture was taken. It activates parts of my brain that might otherwise remain dormant.
I also have another frame that displays postcards collected during my travels around the world. This feels much better than having them sit in a box that I only sift through every five years.
Recently, my mother-in-law moved from her spacious family home into a much smaller space in a retirement home. Her walls were covered with hundreds of family photos, and she was unable to decide which ones to keep and which to discard. Faced with the daunting task of eliminating 90% of her photos, she was completely overwhelmed.
I suggested we scan all the photos on her walls, as well as those in piles on her shelves, and display them on a large digital frame. We uploaded everything onto the frame, and all she had to do was plug it in. This way, she wouldn’t lose any of her precious memories.
We then took most of the physical photos out of their frames and stored them in a box, which she also keeps with her. Some of the framed photos were hung in her new home. Now, when visitors come to her new space, her digital frame inevitably sparks questions and interesting conversations.
Digital frames are affordable and come in various sizes. They are generally Wi-Fi enabled, allowing you to push new photos from your phone to the frame. This feature lets others share photos with you remotely, simply by sending them to your frame, provided you grant them access.
Photos can be easily removed, and it’s very easy to update these frames.
Want the time or temperature shown?
Need them to turn on and off automatically?
Would you like the photos to change faster or slower?
All of this can be done with ease.
Higher-end models come equipped with motion sensors, sound, and other bells and whistles. Each frame can hold more pictures than even the Louvre could display. In my opinion, the sweet spot is between 250 to 1500 photos per frame, but that’s just my preference.
In short, digital picture frames are some of my favorite space-saving devices, memory enhancers, and conversation starters.
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