The Spirit of the Room: 5 Tips for Choosing The Right Picture Frame

Finding the perfect print or painting for your home is only the start of adding beauty and style to your interior walls. Next, you must choose the perfect frame for the art. The same goes for that collection of favorite photographs you want to display. A frame can overwhelm a piece of art, or it can be too small and diminish the art's importance. You need to choose a frame that is the perfect size and finish for the artwork. Then, the frame should not clash with the home decor style or the color scheme. Experts have 5 tips for framing perfection.

The Spirit of the Room: 5 Tips for Choosing The Right Picture Frame

1. Seek Advice From a Framing Professional

For especially important pieces of art, seek professional advice. A framing shop that has a wide range of framing solutions can give their customers a few choices of framing options that work. One good choice is wood picture frames. Wood frames come in different widths with color accents and more. Online framing companies often have experts on staff to help customers choose the right frames.

2. Consider the Materials the Art is Presented On

Is it stretched canvas, paper, or other material? The material will dictate the framing material choice. Works on paper are more fragile as a photograph. They often need to be matted and framed under glass for protection. The art may be susceptible to the elements and soiling. They may need to be protected from wear, stains, and tears.

3. What Is the Medium?

The medium makes a difference in the art presentation. Oil and acrylic paintings on canvas with a finish coating do not need to be under glass and should not be under glass. The paintings on canvas involve texture as part of the art. Watercolors, pastels, and photographs need protection to keep them intact. 

They should be framed under glass with acid-free matting. Some contemporary artists use protective finishes on their work so that no matting or glass is needed. Other artists use the framing as a part of their creation and no additional framing should be used.

4. The Framing Process

The framing process must involve the decision of whether to use a mat or glass or not. Once the choice is made, the frame choice can be made. Works on canvas do not need matting or glass. The thickness of the canvas stretcher will play a part in choosing the depth of the frame molding to use. 

Once the depth is decided, the customer and the framing expert can work together to choose the correct width of molding. The frame should be large enough to compliment the artwork but not so large as to overwhelm the piece.

5. Choose the Style and Finish for the Frame

Once the size and depth of molding are decided on, the remaining molding choices must be narrowed down to the perfect one. The frame color and finish should complement the style and colors used for the painting. Match the frame to the mood of the painting. Also consider the style of the painting such as contemporary, abstract, traditional, landscape, portrait, and so on. 

Frames can be sleek and modern, transitional with beautiful wood finishes, or traditional with gold leafing and ornate details. Frames can also have linen liners to give a little visual breathing room between the art and the frame.

The right frame can make an inexpensive print look like a masterpiece. An original work of art can shine with the perfect frame choice. Choose carefully and your artwork will last for years and look its best.