5 tips for buying the right frame for your photo

     Once you've spent money on buying a beautiful image for you home you are faced with how to frame it.  Here's 5 quick tips I've put together to help you get started.

     1.  The frame should fit into the decor of your room.  There are a few ways to do this.  You could have all the picture frames in the room the same, rather like they do in a gallery.  Maybe you want to tie in the metal of your lamps as an element.  But when you are considering the decor of your room you need to consider the next tip.

     2.  The frame is all about showcasing the photograph or artwork.  The frame and the matting should enhance the photograph and draw your eye in.  Consider the art, is it bright and bold or soft with muted tones? Look at it and ask yourself if there is a color in the photo that you want to call out.  Choose a frame that will draw out that color or feature.  This can also be done with a colored mat.

     3.  Know where you want to hang the artwork.  This will help you determine the frame size and matting options as they will add to the overall size of you piece.

     4.  Frames can be artsy and creative.  I have an artist friend that makes frames.  She embellishes them with found objects.  A photo of a sailboat might be in a frame made of driftwood.  A great artsy photograph can most likely support an artsy frame.  Be creative when looking at how you will showcase your art.

     5.  Not all frames in the room need to be the same.  Mix and match your frames.  Especially if you have a large collection of photos that you display on your walls.  Your photos don't need to be the same size and your frames don't need to all match.

     But should you mat your photos?  How should you decide what size the matting should be?  Those questions will be answered in the next post on Matting a Photograph.