The Classic Looks of Fall

The air is crisp and the trees are ablaze with color; finally Fall has arrived! With it comes familiar flavors like caramel, pumpkin, gingerbread, and apple crisp evoking wonderful feelings of warmth. These aren’t only the flavors of fall, but some of the hottest colors in paint and home decor right now! We’re all spending a little more time at home and many of us want to create spaces that keep us feeling warm and cozy all season long!

Here are 3 ways you can bring in the warmth:

Color Your Room Golden

Painting a room is one of the most impactful and least expensive ways to transform your look!

Gone are the days of bright-white rooms and furniture. We need to feel a little less sterile and a little more snuggled. Warm colors in shades of gold will do the trick – we love anything in a caramel or brown sugar color. Framed artwork enhances the warmth, so choose art that compliments warm tones with frames made from wood like our 2” brown wood.

Layer Rugs

Keep those toes toasty warm with layered rugs! Hardwood floors are fantastic until the temperatures drop and the latest trend in floor coverings includes layering! Start with a low-pile area rug in a warm neutral color, then layer on the cozy with a soft printed shag or animal skin.

Wood is Good

When you want to bring the warmth, nothing brings that fall feeling like wood. Whether you are stoking a crackling fire or propping your feet on a gorgeous walnut coffee table, the warmth of wood can’t be beat. Try adding warm woods to your decor by using end tables crafted from barnwood or a live-edge coffee table. Include lots of framed family photographs to conjure memories of home; our ¼ inch yellow or orange ready made frames are the perfect choice!

Ready to “fall in love” with home again? Follow these tips and don’t forget the frames! Frame Warehouse is here to help you with your custom or ready-made frame projects.

Visit one of our 11 locations in North and South Carolina or shop online anytime www.framewarehouse.net.

Style Your Bookshelf Right

Bookshelves are a place where you can show off your style and, of course, a home for your favorite reading material.  As the type of bookshelves and ease of assembly have emerged over the years, a cleanly styled bookshelf has stood the test of time.

Where to begin

When you start to style your bookshelf, first make a pile of all the items you want to display.  Go through each of these and take out books and accessories that are worn or damaged. Start with adding the books first.  Make sure to vary your placement of the books from shelf to shelf.  One shelf can have the books aligned to the left and the next to the center. Books can also be stacked to break up the variations.

Bookends and sculptures

Sculptures make striking bookends. Make sure your sculptures are heavy and sturdy enough to be a functioning bookend. Use bookends and sculptures that flow with your room. Using sculptures with similar colors to the room decor helps pull the bookshelf in, especially if the bookshelf is tucked away in a corner.

Artwork and frames

Artwork and framed photos can help bring depth to the shelving. Place a small, framed picture towards the back of the shelf to emphasize this. Frames made with different materials can add touches to complete your shelving—a classic gold frame pairs well with navy sculptures.

The finished look

After you have placed a few small pieces of art on the stacked books, take a step back and look at your bookshelf as a piece of the room.  Should you place a small amount of greenery on the shelves? Make sure the bookshelf has balance.  You may need to move a few things. But overall, the bookshelf should enhance your room, not take it over.

Need a frame to place on your bookshelf?  Frame Warehouse offers a large selection of quality frames at excellent prices.  You can find the perfect frame at one of our 11 locations in North and South Carolina or shop our frame selections online anytime www.framewarehouse.net.

Spice Up Your Walls with the Color of Fall

Fall Frame | Frame Warehouse

The weather is a little cooler, the air is crisp and the leaves are exploding with fiery color – autumn has arrived! There is something about this time of year that makes us want to dress in flannel, roast smores, and of course consume anything pumpkin flavored!

The autumn solstice provides a different rainbow of colors, one that evokes warmth and represents everything we love about the outdoors. From burnt orange sunsets that lead to inky blue nights, leaves that look as if they have ignited in gorgeous reds, oranges, and gold to rich greens, greys, and browns that are exposed once the flora has gone to sleep, autumn colors comfort and mesmerize.

Bring this feeling inside by adding the colors of autumn to your space. Consider changing the frames on your gallery wall to a spruce green or espresso brown, bringing a woodland feel into your home. Spice up your space with frames in colors of cayenne, marigold, and of course pumpkin – gorgeous! Like a little more glamour? Capture the flicker of a flame when you choose frames in beautiful metallics like gold, silver and even mirrored frames.

Whether you are a pumpkin spice fan or you love the crunchy leaves under your feet, www.framewarehouse.com can help you spice up your walls this season! Have an idea for artwork but need some guidance? How about just a few ready-made frames for those pumpkin patch photos? We have the expert advice you are looking for at an affordable price.

Harvest the memories, It’s fall y’all!

Don’t Get Spooked When Choosing A Frame

Don't Get Spooked When Choosing A Frame | Frame Warehouse

It finally happened. You went to your local fall art festival and bought a gorgeous original painting. The composition and color left you breathless, so you took the plunge. After carefully walking through the crowd back to the car, you placed it in the trunk and prayed it would make it back home in one piece. Just a few weeks later, the artwork rests in your home, unhung and unsung. You know you need it framed, but where to start? To matte or not to matte? Floating or not floating? Not to mention the countless moulding colors and styles. Where do you start? Luckily, at Frame Warehouse, we have a few ideas!

First, consider the type of art you want to be framed. Is it an original painting or a piece of modern art? How about the medium, is it oil paint, watercolor or drawing? All of these qualities will help guide you down the path to the right frame. For instance, if you are framing an original oil painting, you may want to choose a moulding that reflects the time period when the art was created. Have something modern? Try a sleek metallic.

Next, think about where the artwork will be displayed. Environments that are humid, dusty, warm, or even exposed to sunlight for an extended amount of time can impact your artwork. Giving full consideration to where the art will be hung will help you choose the correct glass (or no glass) to be incorporated into the frame.

Finally, choose an established framing professional like Frame Warehouse. With over 25 years of experience, the specialists at Frame Warehouse have preserved nearly every type of artwork. We can help guide you through the process of custom framing and know the relevant questions to ask in order to create just the look you want in your home. Custom framing does not have to be a spooky process, especially when you trust a professional with that art piece.

Did you recently purchase a fabulous piece from your local art festival or gallery? Visit framewarehouse.net to find which of our 12 locations is closest to you! We can’t wait to see what you bought!

Summer Memories

Frame Warehouse | Summer Memories | Charlotte NC

The early morning sunrise, the squeak of the brakes from the school bus and children squealing with excitement as they don just the right backpack for school…these are the sounds of summer fading into autumn. But, before you say goodbye, be sure to remember the days between the last bell and the first bell! Here at Frame Warehouse, we have a few ideas to keep you basking in the glow of summer memories!

First, curate moments. You know, the ones where the first barbeque of the season left everyone a little messy or the time the water balloon toss became a neighborhood event? What about the first time your child went down the waterslide or you traveled to some exotic land? Whatever the moment, save it for savoring.

Next, once you have identified your moments, print them out in black and white. Black and white photos evoke nostalgia, wistfulness, and emotion. They also happen to look great when hung next to one another!

Lastly, frame these beauties to last a lifetime. Preserve the moments in minimalist or floating frames so that the focal point is the memory. Create a collection of 4, 6, or 9 for maximum visual impact. An up and coming trend is chrome frames which are striking when paired with black and white photography.

Regardless of the images you choose, you can count on Frame Warehouse to help you every step of the way! Whether you need help choosing just the right photo or selecting the perfect frame and glass to preserve it behind, we are here to help you pick just the thing!

Visit us at www.framewarehouse.net or drop by one of our 12 locations for expert help today!

6 Professional Tips for Incorporating Metallic Picture Frames

Metallic Frames | Frame Warehouse

Whether you’re displaying pastorals, skyscrapers or abstract, finding the right frame is essential. It must complement the work. But it shouldn’t take center stage.

The perfect frame simply feels like a supporting actor making the lead look great. Metallic picture frames do just that when paired with the right images in your gallery. Do you know these expert design tips for using metallic frames?

1. Create a Fresh & Modern Design
Metal, glass, and steel are the primary mediums for the Modern design style. Incorporating metallic picture frames into an art gallery gives a room a distinctly modern look and feel.

Complement modern images with a modern frame.

2. Go for an Industrial Look
With the right image, metallic picture frames scream industrial. Whether matte finished or polished to reflection quality, metal is your best option in a gallery displaying industrially-themed art.

3. Consider Going Narrow
When using metallic frames in a gallery, you may not want too much reflection and shimmer. Opting for a narrower metal frame gives your guest just a taste of modern metallic shine without overwhelming the piece.

A narrow frame fades into the background, allowing the work to take center stage.

4. Don’t Be Afraid of Chunky Frames
While narrow has its benefits, a thicker metal frame can also serve a purpose. When you use a larger frame, be prepared to explore your options to choose the perfect one because the frame even more so becomes an extension of the art.

5. Accentuate Clean Lines
The cold, straight lines of metal accentuate a work of art that focuses on clear, straight lines. The frame becomes a seamless extension of the piece.

6. Make B&W Pop
Whether you’re showcasing old photos or modern B&W art, nothing makes black and white images stand out like metallic picture frames. A silver frame brings out the greys, offering the viewer the kind of sensory experience that will keep them coming back to your gallery.

What Is Canvas Stretching?

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At a glance, stretching a canvas may seem unnecessary to some. Can’t you simply lay canvas across some boards, staple it and put in a frame? But the art of stretching is precise and the benefits well worth undergoing this time-consuming task. Let’s explore the answer to this question and find out what canvas stretching is all about.

The Benefits of Canvas Stretching

The benefits of canvas stretching are many. Stretching helps you perfectly complement a space in your home by:
1. Stretching an image to precise dimensions (within reason)
2. Stretching it to a certain shape
3. Protecting the image from undue wear and aging
4. Giving the image a firm foundation on a quality wooden frame
5. Showcasing an image that can now last for generations
6. Achieving perfect and permanent image alignment (no slipping or wrinkling as the years go by)

What Is Canvas Stretching?

A canvas stretcher uses stretching tools to stretch an image over stretcher bars, which are the wooden pieces that make up the frame that supports the canvas from behind.

These tools include but aren’t limited to:
• Mallet
• Stretching pliers
• Industrial strength scissors
• Hammer
• Staple gun
• Staple remover
• Measuring tape

With these tools, a canvas stretching professional very gently yet firmly and uniformly pulls the canvas and perfectly aligns it with the stretcher bars. An improperly stretched canvas will appear misshapen and may have waves that will become more pronounced and unsightly with time. A properly stretched canvas is taut with perfectly folded and affixed corners. Stretching a canvas takes time and patience but the finished product is amazing.

Getting Your Canvas Stretched

Do you have a canvas image that you want to last for generations? Do you have precise specifications for the image so that you can showcase it in a space? Frame Warehouse can help you perfectly complement your space with a professionally stretched canvas. Contact us today or visit any of our 12 locations in North and South Carolina.

Mirrors as a Decorating Piece, What to Consider

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Mirrors have been a timeless decorating piece found in almost any area of a home. If placed properly within a room, a mirror can make rooms brighter and feel larger. Read some ideas and placement tips from Frame Warehouse before you purchase the perfect mirror.

Creating Light

We all know mirrors reflect, so placed properly they can help reflect light in the room. Place your mirror on an adjacent wall from windows or on the wall across from a window or windows. Make sure your mirror is not covered by large furniture or décor.

Balancing Size

When deciding on your mirror selection decide if the mirror will be a focal point or accent piece in the room. If the mirror is a focal point, the larger the better. When being used as a focal point a framed mirror also helps achieve this. If you are looking for an accent piece a smaller mirror in comparison to your largest wall hangings is recommended or the use of several small mirrors.

Mirrors can be used in almost every style of home and when placed correctly with appropriate sizing can help bring in light to a dark room and even bring the illusion of a much larger room.

Need assistance with finding the perfect mirror? Browse our selection of mirrors and frames at any of our 12 locations in North and South Carolina with Frame Warehouse. We like to think of mirrors as art and certainly believe they look great in the perfect frame.

Should I Use A Mat When Framing My Art or Photos?

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Should you use a mat when deciding to frame your art or photos? This is one of our most frequently asked questions and though there isn’t a yes or no answer there are things to consider when making your choice.

The size of your piece of art

A small piece of art or photo can pop when framed using a mat. When the art is bright and colorful, pairing with a white mat helps bring the eye to the art while balancing a clean look. On the other side, a large photograph without a mat looks more like art rather than a photograph.

How will you place the piece

A mix of matted pieces and full bleed framed art can be used to create many looks while small matted pieces can be used to frame a larger piece of art or even a large mirror. Don’t forget sizing of your piece. If you are confined by spacing remember adding a mat will change the size of your final piece of art.

Looking for inspiration, follow the Frame Warehouse on social media to see our framed pieces in everyday places. With 12 locations and the option to purchase your frame online you can trust the Frame Warehouse with your framing services.