Category: Framing

There’s something warm and energizing about the outdoors. But if you are cooped up in an office all day, only to go home and do housework, you’re never able to enjoy it. That’s why many people choose to bring the outside indoors with greenery. Plants can be great for decoration and possess conversation-starting characteristics. It’s also fun to watch them grow and thrive over time. And last but not least, it’s nice to see greenery year-round, especially when the world outside is grey during the winter.

Just because you are a fan of the outdoors, doesn’t mean you have a green thumb. So the first step to bringing the outdoors inside is to incorporate these low maintenance plants:

• Fiddle Leaf Fig – The fig’s large leaves stay a nice deep green, and the sheer size and shape has an exotic feel. It’s almost like you’ve taken a tree from the jungle and transplanted it indoors.

• Sansevieria (Snake Plant) – The name hints at the nature of this plant, whose leaves almost look like gigantic blades of grass. On the plus side, it’s a whole lot easier to take care of than a yard. You could leave this plant for a week or two without water, and it wouldn’t know the difference.

• Ficus – A ficus looks like a typical outdoor tree/bush with smaller leaves that flutter in small breezes. They can stand to miss a watering, but they do shed their leaves regularly.

• Money Tree – This braided trunk plant is a little less hardy than the rest, as it’s sensitive to overwatering. But it can live for decades and is said to bring luck to the household.

If plant care isn’t right for you, there are alternative ways to bring the outside indoors through your interior design. Animal prints are a modern favorite for upholstery and accent fixtures. Furniture with grainy wood inspires a sense of depth and character. The same could be said of wood frames. Simply fill the frames with landscape or wildlife photography in order to capture the wild outdoors inside.

Frame Warehouse offers a selection of artwork that might be the perfect fit for your nature-themed space. If you don’t find a pre-finished piece, you can ask the frame experts for guidance on wooden frames, as accents to your finished design.

No family room or entertainment space is complete without a focal wall. For some focal walls, a built-in fireplace stands as the testament of strength and warmth. But other walls often don’t have a natural focal point. In those cases, a photo collage is a great way to give personality and pizazz to an otherwise bland wall. In creating a photo collage, you’ll also bring a great design element to the room and display memories that will make you smile each time you see them.

If you’re ready to start building a photo collage of memories on your focal wall, follow these steps:

1. Choose Photos – With hundreds of photos to choose from on your computer, this may be the most difficult part of a photo collage. Luckily, most collages include a larger number of photos. Depending on the size of your wall, you can start with somewhere between 5-15 photographs.

• Eclectic: If you include fewer photos, you can enlarge a couple to stand out. This method ensures a collage of varying sizes and shapes of photos.
• Refined: For a more refined appeal, you can design your collage to include photos of the same size, shape, and orientation.

2. Stop by Frame Warehouse – Frame Warehouse professionals can guide you to find the right frames to match your project and personality.

• Eclectic: Select frames of to fit the various sizes of photos you’ve chosen. The size differences themselves can add enough variety, but you may also opt for frames of different colors and materials – dark and light wood, black plastic, antique finish, ridged or smooth.
• Refined: The frames should match in at least one way, whether they are the same color, material, or texture. There should be some unifying factor.

3. Shop for Jazzy Little Extras – Whether you are leaning toward an eclectic or refined photo collage, shopping is the best part! You can add class and/or personality with other wall decor. For instance, you could center your collage around a wooden block letter (the first letter of your name), an inspiration or affirmation quote, mirror, or metal flower.

4. Block Out the Collage on Your Wall – Before hanging and putting holes in your wall, plan out your collage! One of the quickest and easiest ways is to trace your photos onto old newspaper, cut out the shapes, and arrange them on the wall. Be sure to use a tape that is gentle on paint or wallpaper so that you do not damage the wall by sticking and removing the newspaper cutouts. This way, you can also move the shapes around and step back to test out different collage looks.

• Eclectic: Stagger the newspaper shapes on your wall. Spiral the photos away from the center or create “rays” of photos in lines extending from the center. Be creative!
• Refined: Line up your newspaper shapes in rows and columns to create a larger straight-edged shape: square, cross, rectangle, etc. Use a ruler and leveling device to ensure measurements are maintained and symmetrical.

5. Hang Time! – You’ve done the grudge work, now see the results! Hang each photo piece by piece, replacing the newspaper shape with the framed photo to which it corresponds.

Your hard work is complete and your focal wall looks fabulous! But as the years go on, you’ll probably want to switch out a few photos or even add some to the outside edges of the collage. Remember Frame Warehouse for all your framing needs! The framing experts guarantee quality and unmatched service so that your photos and artwork dress up your home for years to come.

Dressing up your home in the appearance of wealth need not actually empty your bank account. Part of the “expensive” look comes from the skill of interior decorating and some fancy tricks. Want to be let in on the secret? Read on to discover five tricks to dressing up your home decor!

1. Three is a Magic Number – For some unknown reason, the human brain digests information and takes pleasure processing things in threes. The triptych, a three-paneled piece of art, arises from early Christian artwork and has been established in different cultures throughout the history of the world for this reason. Historically, a triptych was able to be folded in on itself as well as displayed open. However, the revitalized version seen today is a group of three separate pieces of art which depict one scene or subject, usually hung in close proximity on a wall. The history of this device and the human preference for three make this a great method for decorating a space to seem more expensive and cultured.

2. Expand a Room Without Renovations – Renovations are expensive, and size is generally associated with a higher price tag for that reason. Instead of investing in reconstruction, throw down a large rug and hang a few mirrors. Both of these give the illusion of space and expense. Also, avoid loud colors in everything from decorative throws to frames. Keep it neutral!

3. Create a Focal Point – Every room, especially ones frequented by guests, should have a focal point in order to be balanced. The easiest focal point is a large piece of art or art collage on one wall. Try not to overpower the room with multiple walls with large paintings, as it ends up looking cluttered.

4. Try Textured Wallpaper – In smaller rooms like bedrooms, it’s ideal to create the intention of “cozy” rather than cramped. Applying textured wallpaper on one wall is budget-friendly and adds warmth and personality. Many decorators call this an “accent” wall because it should ideally accent everything else in the space. It also causes otherwise flat pieces of art or photographs to pop.

5. Add an Element of Surprise – Fancy and expensive aesthetic doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, it’s more often bold. Jazz up a neutral room palate with a pop of unexpected color in an accent pillow or a single picture and frame in a larger collage.

Whether you have family coming into town, love playing hostess, or simply want your home to look top notch on a daily basis, take these decorating tips into consideration! Need a perfect focal point painting for your living room? Want custom frames for a wall collage? Thinking of expanding the size of a room with a mirror? You can find all of these and more at Frame Warehouse, so stop by today!

Hanging framed art, mirrors, and photographs is an essential aspect of decorating. For new homeowners, a first time renter, expecting parents, or a business upstart, decorating is also one of the most exciting tasks for building a livable space and making it truly your own! However, when you’re staring down a series of blank walls, it can be a little intimidating. Where do you start? What if you change your mind and have holes in your otherwise pristine walls?

If this sounds like your situation, you could probably use some advice, and that’s why we’re here to provide the six essential tips for hanging frames!

1. Reconsider Nails – A nail usually functions just fine to support smaller art pieces, mirrors, etc. But consider other options that have a wide balance for the weight, such as screws or threaded anchors. The right hardware now will help prevent tilting and falling later on. Something else to take into consideration is if you are hanging on sheetrock walls, plaster or wood – make sure to do your research before drilling or hammering into the wall!

2. Create a Template – Everyone does this at one point or another, claiming to be able to eyeball how twelve framed pieces will fit together on a wall and just starting to drill – only to run out of wall space or create a wall full of holes. To save time and a potential headache, create accurately sized picture stand-ins from newspaper and tape them up on the wall. Stand back and rearrange until you are satisfied by the placement.

3. Eye Level? – The general rule of thumb for hanging a framed piece is to keep it at eye level. However, there are exceptions. Framed pictures and mirrors may be above or below eye level if they are part of a bigger collage of framed pieces on the wall. It’s possible to cover an entire wall this way, making it impossible for every piece to be at eye level. In addition, a framed art piece hung above a couch or other piece of furniture should only be 3-6 inches above. Any more and the eye will be drawn to the blank wall rather than the focal point that is framed. Measure twice, drill once!

4. Just a Reminder – Have you been a victim of drilling dust and plaster residue littering your carpet from the simple process of hanging a frame? Try folding a post-it note in half and adhering it to the wall just beneath the spot you will drill. The V shape of the note will catch falling dust and debris.

5. Sore Fingers? – Don’t find out the hard way that you aren’t a good aim! One overly zestful strike and the hammer may come down onto your fingers instead of the nail. Try holding the nail steady with a clothespin. It keeps your fingers at a safe distance while maintaining control over the nail.

6. Size Matters – Big walls should have big pictures or a grouping of smaller pictures. Similarly, a smaller wall should not be overpowered by a piece that covers the entire wall.

Planning and prepping for the ease of hanging art and mirrors is only half of the battle. The other half is framing! Let Frame Warehouse fight that battle by your side, helping you decide amongst the many options for frame style, material, and color. If you have a collage, you might want to have all of the pieces custom framed to match – Frame Warehouse can do that, too!