Tips For Choosing Wall Art & Picture Frames For The Office

Different Considerations From The Home

One of the easiest ways to add a little personality to your office is to decorate it with framed art.  Having your artwork or photos professionally framed can be very expensive, but with a few tools and a little know-how you can do it yourself.

“People generally don’t treat their offices like they do their homes when it comes to decorating with art and picture frames,” said Margot Dark, co-owner with her husband Andy of Contract Pictures Framers Inc., of Cherry Hill, N.J., which has been providing quality picture framing, artwork and installation to businesses and homes for more than 25 years.  “But a thoughtful approach to the office environment can boost morale and productivity.”

First, choose the piece of artwork or photo you wish to frame. This sounds simple, but there are things to think about here, too. If you want to frame a photo or a series of photos, say that you took on your vacation or from your wedding, you will need to decide if you want to blow them up, mount them together in the same frame or in different frames, or keep them small and mounted in the same frame. The answers may depend on the quality of the photo and if you have the negatives (which will allow for a cleaner image when enlarged) if the pictures logically belong together (as in a series, like someone swinging a bat or tossing a bouquet) and what kind of frames you like.

Once you have chosen the photos or art you want to frame and know what size it is, you can begin thinking about matting. The mat adds to the size of the photo and makes it look more professional. A mat can be used to hide the ragged edges of your preschooler’s latest work of art or to add unity to a group of pictures. Mats can also help draw different accessories together by using a similar color theme. Mats come in different widths, and the general rule is to use a narrower mat on a smaller picture. You don’t want the mat to take over so people notice it instead of the art it surrounds.

To help you choose a color for your mat, consider the colors in the picture you are going to frame. Perhaps there is a subtle color in the background you want to play up, or a dominant color you would like to compliment with your matting choice. If you don’t know what color might look good with your picture, you can get someone at a crafting or frame shop to help you by describing the colors in the picture to them. They can offer you some good choices you might not have thought of.

Now it is time to consider the frame itself. Of course the frame and mat go hand-in-hand, and if you’re choosing a frame that comes with a mat the mat decision will be made for you. The frame is almost as important as the picture itself when giving a room a theme or trying to set a mood. Do you want your office to be playful? Modern? Do you want it to look like an antique shop? Or something completely different? All of these moods are possible with different kinds of frames. Let the piece be your guide and choose a frame that harmonizes with it. If the picture is wild, choose a more subdued frame. Think about any other accessories that may be in the room that you will want to coordinate with.

Remember, too, that coordinate does not mean match. Just because the desk set in your office is brown leather doesn’t mean all your frames have to be brown leather, too. But it does mean you have something to work with, warm colors, perhaps leather in a different shade or just dark brown wood. The things that are already in the office give you a place to start, but it doesn’t have to be the place you end up.

Have fun choosing the artwork and frames that will decorate your office. This room is the place where you spend the most time, and you should have things to look at that you enjoy, that look good and that reflect your personality.

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