Small Pieces for Small Places?

by brypstra | Mar 11, 2021

Small Pieces for Small Places

No room or area is too small for artwork!

Can you name all the small empty spaces in your home?

Probably not, because there are more than you think. Take look around your home – do you see them now? How many of those small spots could use a touch of art?

The small wall space by the door
Open shelving in your office
On a tabletop
Above the cabinets in your kitchen
A windowsill
…the list goes on and on!

You’ve found an empty spot that needs art, you’ve got the perfect small piece for that space, and now you need to frame it. Here’s a few ideas.

How about that small piece of art you picked up on vacation?

It works well in your powder room. It is simply framed, but the contrast between the art and the mat makes your eye go right to the image, creating a noticeable piece.

These small antique images are the kinds of photos you see sitting on a piano, shelving, table or desktop.

The framing doesn’t need to be much larger than the photo already is, so forget the mat – just add a wide frame around it so it doesn’t get lost with all the others photos on the piano.

This cross-stitch says it all, and it’s perfect for your dressing table.

The cross stitch itself measures 4” x 4”, but by framing it with the same silver color used on the outside of the cross stitch, it ‘extends’ the size. Using a matching purple fillet makes it stunning.

How To Frame Small Pieces

The key is to not introduce multiple elements, such as color, size or frills. Because this pocket watch is so small, it could have easily been over-powered. The frame is proportionate to the watch. Only one color of matting was used so that the watch didn’t get visually ‘lost’.

How Small Is Too Small To Frame?

This tin-type photograph only measures 2” x 3”, but the framing takes your eye in, making the image noticeable. We added a small frame (fillet) around it and kept to one solid color of matting.

Paint Colors that Make a Room Feel Larger

Go Bold, Go Dark: Dark colors can actually make a space feel larger since they draw in your attention.

Make it Dynamic: Choose colors that change with lighting, such as Mint or Sage Green or a Pearl Gray

Classic Whites: White reflects the light and makes the walls recede, which makes a small space feel large and airy.

Nothing is too small to frame!

Let us show you how a small piece can become a noticeable piece.

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What is Your Style Identity?

by brypstra | Feb 16, 2021

What’s Your Style Identity?

Your design preferences make up your own personal style!

We all have a style identity when it comes to interior design. You know what you like, but you might not know the name or the specific characteristics of that style. Have fun answering a few questions to find out what your style is.

Does your house look like an English garden or a beach house?
Do you love the casual look as opposed to straight lines?
Do you enjoy natural light to indoor lighting?
Would you rather be outdoors or at the beach instead of stuck inside?

The Your Style is: Shabby Chic / Coastal

Characteristics: Casual furniture in natural materials such as wicker and rattan and worn looking white-washed woods. Stripes and florals dominate fabric patterns.

Color Palette: Layered blues, crisp whites, rosy reds and greens.

Does city-living appeal to you?
Do you like the linear look of urban architecture?
Do you have suspended lamps with Edison bulbs in your home?
Do you like bare building materials in old factories and lofts?

Then Your Style is: Industrial

Characteristics: Spacious, simple design that includes wood and metal elements. Exposed pipes, ducts and brick walls are often seen. High ceilings are common.

Color Palette: Neutral palette – gray, brown, grayish-white, tan.

Do you read about art and know furniture designers’ names?
Are you a fan of low sleek furniture with style and comfort?
Did you have a serious addiction to Mad Men?
Would you describe yourself as simple and uncomplicated?

Then Your Style is: Mid-Century Modern

Characteristics: Clean, often curved lines mixed with simple geometric shapes. There usually is a variety of materials (woods, metals, plastics) used in this design.

Color Palette: Background earthy neutrals (browns & grays) paired with bright, bold colors such as oranges, chartreuse, pink and blues.

Do you prefer simple design with clean lines and geometric patterns?
Do you believe ‘less is more’?
Would you describe yourself as organized, methodical and efficient?
Is your home free of clutter?

Then Your Style is: Minimalism

Characteristics: This is a bare essential look. Simple, uncluttered, clean lines in an open floor plan. Functional furniture with flat, smooth surfaces and strong lines.

Color Palette: Monochromatic – variations of 1 color like whites, beiges & greys.

Do you appreciate history and tradition?
Does your home have a “timeless” look?
Are you a planner who rarely acts on impulse?
Do you prefer stately color palettes and elegant furnishings?

Your Style is: Traditional

Characteristics: Curved, heavy, dark wood furniture is the norm, paired with stuffed patterned fabrics, hardwood floors, and classical art.

Color Palette: Deep, rich jewel-tone hues in reds, blues and greens.

Are you trendy, yet classic and chic?
Do you love to shop at the Flea market for well-loved décor items?
Have more seating than you need because you love to entertain?
Is your home known for its warmth and simplicity?

Then Your Style is: Modern Farmhouse

Characteristics: A comfortable mix of old and new with heirloom hand-me-downs. Texture abounds with organic and natural materials.

Color Palette: Dominated by natural colors such as soft whites, stormy grays, greiges, browns with accents of purple and blues.

Is The Great Gatsby your favorite book or movie?
Do you love rich metallics and sumptuous fabrics?
Is your home filled with stylized geometric patterns?
Do your friends describe you as glamorous?

Then Your Style is: Art Deco / Hollywood Glam

Characteristics: Bold and opulent, yet elegant and functional. Angular, geometric forms are common, and fabrics have exotic patterns or high-shine finishes. Deeply colored polished wood, often with a lacquer finish, is frequently paired with metallic accents.

Color Palette: Accents of deep yellows, reds, greens, blues and pinks, offset by softer colors of creams and beiges.

Frames shown are an example of what may be available.

Still not sure what kind of frame you want?

Let us help!

Our designers know how to match your art to the perfect frame for your style.

Want more fun? Take this

Style Identity Quiz!

https://www.tryinteract.com/quiz/what-s-your-decor-personality/

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COLOR TRENDS FOR 2021

by brypstra | Jan 15, 2021

Color Trends for 2021

Illuminating Yellow & Ultimate Gray are Colors of the Year! Everyone is looking for changes this year! It certainly has been a challenging time for everyone. We don’t know what this new year will bring, but many are ready for a change. With all the pressing uncertainty and unanswered questions, why should we concern ourselves with color right now? Because color reflects our mood. By changing the color around us, we can change our mood. We need comfort and hope. We need the soft, solid colors of familiarity – the caring, ‘we are all in this together,’ dependable color. We also need the happy colors of optimism that hint better things to come in the year ahead.

In-Home Color & Art Consultations

It can be overwhelming to put a color scheme together. We can help! Our design experts will help you pick out colors that match your space and style. Email, Call or Come in to find out how we can help you. Our staff is taking extra precautions to ensure we all stay safe. We sanitize our hands before entering your home, wear masks in your home, and maintain a 6’ distance. We will utilize technology as much as possible. Many companies make color predictions but this year their forecasts all have one thing in common: solid, soft neutrals paired with bold accents. The palettes are filled with comfort colors to promote a sense of calm and wellness.

Pantone’s Illuminating Yellow & Ultimate Gray

Pantone©, an industry leader in color forecasting, has predicted that Illuminating Yellow and Ultimate Gray will dominate color trends in 2021. You could call the pair ‘Happy & Dependable’. One color plays off the other to create synergy, union, and balance between practicality and positivity…just what we all need for 2021!

Sherwin-Williams© Urbane Bronze Messenger Bag Modern Gray Benjamin Moore© Aegean Teal Foggy Morning Gray Cashmere

THANK YOU!

A huge Thank You to our first responders, teachers, health care staff and countless others for being there for us. And Thank You, our wonderful customers, for supporting small businesses.

Using the Color Trends

What’s Trending

Look for Bold Color, Good Quality & Comfortable Minimalism

Deep, Bold Color has a stabilizing and comforting feel. A rich color can feel like a warm hug and have a feeling of elegance and sophistication. Look for the colors in paint, window and floor treatments and cabinet coloring. We can show you how to use these new colorings with matting and framing. Craftsmanship, Comfort & Durability is key for 2021. Look for furniture, fabrics, and accessories that will last, that are made with sustainable products, and that can be passed down through the generations. We have always prided ourselves on the quality of our frame mouldings so you can enjoy your framing for a lifetime. Soft Minimalist Design is here to stay. Organize your home with intentional, clutter-free spaces that make you feel calm. It’s about having less things, but the right things. More relaxed, casual, comfortable minimalism allows for an escape, with a feel of innocence and whimsy. You will see colors and patterns that make you smile. Now’s the time to frame a playful piece that will make you happy every time you look at it. We’ve all spent much more time in our homes recently – plenty of time to notice how our rooms need new color! How can we use these color trends to update our homes?

Recent Projects:

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Brian @ work Lots of Fun

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Ready for Christmas

by NookBlogAuth | Dec 15, 2020

Don’t Show Up Empty-Handed

Surprise Your Holiday Host with a Custom Framed Gift!

Thanks to the ongoing pandemic, this holiday season will not resemble any other in recent memory. Holiday parties will most likely be limited – just a small group of close friends or family. Small gatherings can be wonderful because you can spend more quality time with the people you love…a welcome change from social distancing and quarantines.

Your holiday host has put in time and effort to make this gathering a success, and you want to show your appreciation and gratitude. Custom Framing can make a wonderful gift, so you don’t have to show up to the party empty-handed. Whether you need a host/hostess gift, or your family is doing a traditional holiday gift exchange, framing a memory is a thoughtful, personal gift idea.

Frame A Memory

Precious pictures of the grandkids.

A pic of fun socially-distanced times you had during the year.

You’ve had some extra time this year to make small gifts. Gather them together and make a presentation that will be valued and used year after year to decorate for the holidays.

___

Framing a past Christmas card is always fun, especially if it is a group photo of the host’s family.

A holiday themed print is always appreciated for holiday decorating.

An old picture of earlier times.

HOLIDAY HOURS:

Monday-Friday: 9am – 5:30 pm

Saturday: 10am-4pm

Closed: Christmas Day to Jan 3rd

Thank You for shopping local!!!

Delivery & Installation

This December, let us deliver your framed project! From our house, to yours, safe and sound.

Gift Wrapping

We know gift wrapping a large framed item can be challenging, so let us wrap it for you!

Bringing some homemade treats never hurts!

Need a little something extra to bring along? Here are some of our favorite cookie recipes.

What NOT to Bring:

Cut Flowers: A potted plant is fine, but don’t bring anything that requires immediate maintenance.
Cheap Wine: Noooo! Your host has gone to a lot of time and expense, so reward them!
Uninvited Guest: Especially if it is a sit-down dinner, don’t bring an uninvited one.
Your Pet: Don’t put your host on the spot by asking if you can bring Fido.

Visit Our Gift Shop

Oh no! You forgot a gift and you need one last-minute. We do have some framed art – but – the best deal is probably giving a Gift Certificate – available in any amount!

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Float Frames For Stretched Canvas

by brypstra | Nov 7, 2020

FLOAT FRAMES

A Versatile Frame Moulding For Stretched Canvas

Have you seen these frames and wondered what they are used for? They are called Float Frames. Instead of the frame sitting on top of your art, a float frame rests under your art. It is a frame designed to lay behind a painting or stretched art to make the art appear as if it were ‘floating’ within the frame.

Why would you use a float frame? Float Frames:

Allow the viewer to see the sides of a canvas
Give stability to a canvas and prevent warping
Can appear minimal or invisible
Are available in a variety of colors, sizes and materials

Sometimes you need to raise the art above the frame.

You can also add a frame within a frame for a dramatic, multi-dimensional effect.

Traditionally float frames are used to rest behind a stretched canvas. It gives a clean, contemporary look.

A float frame is more versatile than you would imagine.

Using a float frame can be a great way to add another frame to your moulding stack, leave a visual distance between your art & frame, extend the depth of the moulding for shadowboxes, or add character to your framing. We’d be happy to show you our float frame collection!

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY HOURS:

Monday-Friday: 9am – 5:30pm

Saturday: 10am-4pm

Closed: Dec 24 to Jan 3

We will be accepting new Christmas gift projects well into December, however IT IS BEST TO START YOUR FRAMING AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE to be sure everything gets done in time! It usually takes 2-3 weeks to have your custom framed project complete but we will also try to get the last minute RUSH jobs completed for you.

DELIVERY & INSTALLATION

We would love to deliver and install your new floated frame or Christmas project. Ask us for details.

Gallery Wrap Vs. Traditional Stretch

With traditionally stretched canvases, the fabric is wrapped around shallow stretcher bars (plain wood frame) and secured to the sides. The edges are unpainted and staples are visible. The canvas is usually intended to be framed before presentation. The shallow depth ensures the canvas can fit inside normal frames.

With a gallery wrap, the fabric is wrapped all the way around the edges and secured to the backside of the stretcher bars. Edges are painted and finished; no mounting methods or staples are visible.

When using a float frame, the depth of the stretcher bars is a matter of preference, based on the look you want. Ask us about your options. Either way, when using a float frame, it is best to have the edges painted (even if it is painted black) since a little edge will show.

Small businesses are at the core of every successful community. Local businesses need your support now more than ever. Shop small on Saturday, November 28th.

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