3 Things to Look for When Choosing a Picture Frame

Picture frames are very versatile design elements. You canuse it to liven up the wall and help set the mood of a room. You can mix andmatch circular, square and oval picture frames. You can add some vintagepicture frames to your elegant living room. The great thing about pictureframes is that it can hold a whole lot of things – pictures, mirrors, cloth,art work and even 3-D items such as wedding memorabilia, dried flowers, evenguitars and rifles!

Now, you can order picture online via Victorian FrameCompany. When ordering online take note of the following:

• -Framecolor. What is the overall look you are going for? There are classic woodfinishes such as maple, oak and cherry. There are also black, silver and goldpicture frames. The frame should complement both the photograph orartwork and its surroundings. Usually, black and dark browns work for most artwork(photographs and paintings) as well as wall colors. There are also frames thathave vibrant colors such as red, blue and green if you want to liven up thedécor. The rule of thumb is for you to choose a frame color that does notdetract from the photo or artwork that it holds. The frame should draw the eyeto the picture. It should act as a foil to the colors featured in the pictureor artwork. If you are also grouping a number of frames on the wall, check thatall the frames complement the others. That is, they don’t have to be of thesame color, but they have to be in visual harmony with each other.
• -Mouldingwidth and type. The moulding is made of wood or metal. It comes from widthsthat range from 1” to as wide as 7”. First, consider the size and the shape ofthe item being framed. This will help determine the width of your selectedmoulding. The width of the moulding should not be too flimsy or thin that itcan easily break, nor should it be too wide so that it dwarfs the picture. Theconvex glass will be heavy so you would want to choose moulding that is strongenough but not too heavy that it will be problematic to hang on your wall. Useyour aesthetic sense of proportion. The moulding size will determine how muchroom you have for hooks or nails at the back. Generally, you can choose thefollowing moulding widths for the specified frame sizes:
• o1 inch-moulding for frame sizes from 8”x10” to15”x19”.
• o1.5 inch-moulding for 16”x20” to 23”x25” framesizes
• o2-inch moulding for frame sizes from 24”x36” orlarger
• oWider moulding for more drama, and if you planto use wider matting as well
• -Matting. Thisis actually optional and is used to add more visual effect to the item beingframed. It adds some depth as well as space between the frame and the picture,like a frame within a frame. You can have one layer or more. First, choose thecolor or colors based on the color family you want to emphasize in the picture.When choosing single matting, choose neutrals or simple colors (i.e. light blueor green, gray, cream or white) that don’t clash with the focal point of thepicture. When choosing two matting boards, you can choose a stronger color forthe outer matting so that they will draw the eye to the picture. When choosingthe width of the matting, some professionals take the smallest dimension (i.e.the length or the width) and multiply that with 15% to 20%. For instance, a 16”x 20” photo will have a matting of 2.4” to 3.2”. There are also some who choosewider matting to add more visual impact to the picture. Be careful, though,that you don’t use matting that is too wide or it will dwarf the picture.