Adding this to my list of favorite ways to bring soft, sentimental warmth to the walls. A little framed house portrait can instantly make a hallway feel personal and cozy.
I’d wanted to try this project for a couple of years and finally did: turning photos of our current home and our previous home into framed paintings. It’s an easy, meaningful way to preserve memories of places that matter.
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How to Transform a House Photo Into Art
I discovered an app called Waterlogue some time ago and finally gave it a try. The app makes it easy to convert photos into watercolor-style images with a few taps, and it’s a quick way to get a painterly look without hiring an artist.
We have a little tradition of framing portraits of meaningful houses — my and Robert’s childhood homes are displayed beside our front door — so adding our last house and our current house felt like a perfect addition to the entryway display.
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Where to Commission an Artist for a House Portrait
We’ve had custom portraits of our childhood homes commissioned by artists, and those pieces have a charm and character that apps can’t fully replicate. If you want a truly unique, hand-drawn or painted keepsake, hiring an artist is the best route. Commissioned house portraits make thoughtful gifts for weddings and housewarmings and have a special, personal touch.
That said, apps are a fast, affordable option for creating beautiful pieces you can print and frame yourself. They’re especially handy when you want several prints or a quick way to capture a memory without waiting on a commission.
Favorite Artists for Commissioned House Portraits
If you’d like to hire someone, here are a few house portrait artists I admire and have bookmarked over time:
- Letterfest
- Architect in the Wild
- Holly Whitcomb
- Arohika Verma
- Frankie Norman Designs
- Peggy and Kate
We decided to display our last home and our current home next to our childhood portraits in the foyer beneath the stairs. Grouping these images together tells a story about where we’ve been and who we are.
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How to Make Custom House Portraits in Minutes
The process was simple: I uploaded photos I’d taken into the Waterlogue app and experimented with the various watercolor filters until I found a style I liked. Waterlogue offers a free trial option, which makes it easy to test and save a few versions. If you use the free trial, set it up, create your artwork, download the files you want, and cancel the trial before a charge is applied.
Tips for better results: start with a clear, well-composed photo that shows the house front-on with good lighting. Close-ups of architectural details also work nicely if you want a more focused look. After converting, compare a few filter variations and export the one that feels most like a painting to you.
Photo to Art Apps
There are several apps that turn photos into different artistic styles — watercolor, oil painting, sketch, and more. Try a few to find the effect you prefer; some apps emphasize brush detail while others create softer, more abstract results. These tools are also great for turning family portraits and floral photos into decorative prints for your home.
- Brushstroke
- Oilbrush: Photo to Painting
- Waterbrush: Watercolor Effects
- Graphite: Photo to Sketch
- Watercolor Effect Art Filters
- BeCasso: Photo to Painting
I photographed our current home in the summer of 2018 when the grass and trees were lush, and I took a final photo of our previous house just a few weeks before moving. Those seasonal details and the moment captured in each photo help make the printed pieces feel alive and personal.
How to Print House Portraits
I often use MPix for printing; their prints are reasonably priced with good quality. For an even more premium finish, specialty art printers and fine art paper can elevate the result. You can also print smaller pieces at home on quality paper and frame them for informal spots around the house.
After printing, choose frames and mats that complement the watercolor or painted effect—simple, neutral frames tend to let the artwork breathe and fit well with other framed pieces in a gallery arrangement.
For fun, I also converted a few flower photos and plan to print some of those to scatter through the rooms. It’s an inexpensive way to add original-looking art to the home while preserving memories.
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