Over three years ago, I photographed our, then, two little girls in a simple and modern way, and blew them up as engineering prints and the result took the internet by storm. The project has been shared and duplicated hundreds of thousands of times and today, I thought I’d share a little update. Because they grew up and now, there are three.
I knew it was time to add Polly to the wall when I realized she was about the same age as Faye when I photographed her just over 3 years ago. In fact, it kind of could just be Polly, really. One of our readers suggested just taking a new photo of Faye and no one would even know. Ha!
But! One of my favorite things about this project is portraying the age gap and scale of each child. And now that all three are up, I don’t see myself updating the photos again. How does that quote go? The best thing about photographs is they don’t change even when the people inside of them do.
You can read exactly how I recommend editing the photos in the original post right here. This time around, I followed the exact same method. I photographed each of the girls in front of a mostly blank wall that got good lighting (in the stairwell for the older tow and in a boppy in the entry for the baby.) It’s a good idea to have someone there just carrying on a conversation with them because you’re not trying to catch them looking at the camera giving me their best cheese–you’re trying to capture their natural personalities. And after just a few minutes clicking the shutter while my mom chatted with each girl–I got it!
I like to crop each child with relative size in mind. And after I took the photos, I played with the order until the photos felt like a natural fit. (I.e. Greta looking in the direction of the other two. Polly in the center with Faye framing in the other side.)
Another update we had to make was the frame. Unfortunately, Ikea no longer sells their extra large RIBBA frame in the Walnut color, so I went on the hunt for a similar 24×36 frame with a wood look to it, for cheap. I found a pretty great dupe on Amazon! These walnut veneer frames are 24×36 and just over $20 a pop! I bought the 4 pack and they arrived quickly. The quality is about on par with Ikea. The acrylic fronts were protected on both sides and it came with the hanging hardware, too.
The color is a little more red than the previous frames, but the finish is smooth.
The last update I have on the project is where you can get engineer prints printed. We print ours through a regional print shop, Alphagraphics, (they dot the map in Utah/Idaho/Wyoming) where I printed all three for less than $8 total. I also checked with Office Depot and Staples, since that is where most of you mentioned you would get yours printed.
Office Depot basically said it varies from location to location, but to contact your local Copy and Printer center because they would be able to tell you.
Staples said they do it. The information is in the chat below.
The girls love seeing their cute faces, larger than life, in our family room/playroom and my heart, of course, melts every time I walk in there now, too. Don’t forget to check out the original post here, for more editing tips and if you have tried this project, we’d love to see! Tag us on Instagram with the hashtag #cljengineerprint and we’ll repost a few favorites!
SOURCES
Frames– Amazon
Sofa– Ainsley from Interior Define
Carpet– Stainmaster Medford in Fizz
Pouf– AllModern
Basket- Target
Throw – Macy’s
Striped Pillow-McGee & Co
Curtains (here’s a DIY version)
Bamboo Blinds
Shiplap Built-Ins
Where is your sofa from? I love it!
Interior Define!
My prints from Staples came out great and I got the large IKEA frames but when I frame them they look wrinkled inside. Did you tape the print to the back of the print to keep it from shifting?
Yes! A bit of scotch tape helps!
What is the shade on the wall and what brand?! It’s a mice cream!
Benjamin Moore Simply White
Where did you get your floating cabinets?
Thank you both so much for sharing this project and your space! Your kids are adorable and your space looks so dreamy, cozy and inviting. I’m especially thankful to you for the couch info b/c I’ve never heard of that company and their furniture looks fantastic! Just ordered swatches.