Framing is one of the trickiest parts of collecting art. Keep in mind that the role of the frame is to make the art look good. Good framing enhances the art, while bad framing kills it. So it’s a very important part of the purchase and the display. That said, and even though we’ve been doing it for years, and have worked with some of the best framers around, we still make mistakes – which is so frustrating. When that happens, we have to bite the bullet and reframe, because nothing is worse that having a great painting ruined by the wrong frame. Unfortunately, these can be very costly mistakes so we advise our clients to seek out the best framers and to learn from them as you go.
While we don’t profess to be experts, we have learned a lot over the years which we are happy to share, such as:
· Keep frames simple: The painting should be the focus
· Avoid colors that complement or compete – we prefer neutrals
· Don’t be afraid of style contrasts, such as traditional frame with contemporary paintings. Break rules!
· When grouping paintings together, don’t match the frames – but keep something similar to tie them together
· Use a liner when a painting needs to breathe; we like linen liners with more traditional pieces; gold or pewter in other instances
· Avoid contrasting colors like dark painting with light liner
· Make sure that the frame and the liner are different sizes
· Use the best possible molding you can afford (and appropriate to the cost of the painting)
· Group matted pieces together, and hang them separately from non-matted pieces
Mats:
· Make the frame a contrasting size to the mat - big mat, small frame
· We like to use large mats, to focus you in to the painting; we think small mats are a distraction to the painting
· Color should be neutral. Note that museums mostly use white or light mats since they are the most traditional and help emphasize the importance of the art. Light mats are classic and do not make pictures and frames look outdated as quickly as colored mats. However, some art just looks a lot better with a colored mat though how colorful is really up to you. Darker mats tend to look better against lighter walls and lighter mat better against darker color walls. Use color mats sparingly.
· We also like to use double mats, and if so, we’ll often have the bottom mat (the part that is underneath and barely seen) in a color from the painting
· With pastels, put in a small gap so pastel doesn’t dust off onto mat and fall behind the mount
· We often use filets (that little colored line around the inside of the mat) or colored bevels (the deep cut mat edge next to the picture). These can add style and help make art look as important as it is.
· When hanging art framed under glass, place a small piece of cork between the upper part of the frame and the wall to reduce glare..
· Framing your artwork adds to the life of your art. Be sure to ask for 100% conservation materials, such as cotton-rag matboard and acid-free backings. This combination results in the best long-term protection of your art and will not yellow or pollute the art work with acid stains
· For better pieces behind glass, consider using non-glare glass, which is much more expensive but totally worth it, especially if the painting has a direct light on it. Note: We generally do not use anti-reflective glass on paintings that are under $1,200.
People often ask us how we choose a molding and of course much of it is personal taste as well budget considerations. We’ve seen a trend towards more contemporary frames recently, with many of our clients prefering “floater frames” in a simple antiqued molding. We think these work well on larger paintings, but we often like to give smaller paintings a grander frame for that extra lift.
Regarding color, we look for elegant but simple finishes, such as Florentine gold, which is not too shiny and looks aged, with a glimmer of red shining through. We also love a rich nickel finish, as well as a matte chocolate wood finish. We tend to frame many of our pieces in similar frames to keep a unified look, and we will almost always hang matted pieces together.
We are fortunate in Atlanta to have many wonderful framers to work with and there is no shortage of beautiful moldings and finishes. We are also happy to consult with you on any framing dilemmas that you may have.
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