wallpaper that it’s going to be hung on) and paint the
mount and frame yourself. It requires patience, as it takes
about four coats to get it right. A simple tip with second-
hand frames is to paint the backboard of your found
frame in a complimentary colour, Ellis says. Assuming
your picture is smaller than the backboard then it will
“float” within the frame and avoid the need for a mount.
Mounts matter Mounts are important, Bryan says:
“I have seen pieces with three of them!” They aren’t
expensive and you can get them in hundreds of
different colours. Try a simple oak frame from Abstract
House (my favourite online purveyor of frames,
because it makes them with glass and not Perspex) with
a colourful mount from eFrame.
Think about fabric The right fabric can add texture to a
frame, Saunt says, and it can also be useful as a backing
when framing objects such as shells in box frames,
notes Ellis. Try stretching and then stapling a piece of
inexpensive linen or even velvet (the Cloth House is a
good source) over the back of a deep frame, and then
place a tiny object you love in the foreground.
Use frames to separate a space The right frame can be
especially useful for open-plan spaces as “they zone
spaces within a room”, Saunt explains. You could try
a simple framed print above a sofa in one half of
your living space, with a series of colourful prints in
your dining area, to demarcate a shift in mood from
animated to calm.
And don’t forget the W hite Tack If you want to keep
your picture straight, use a tiny amount of White Tack,
not sticky tape or glue, which may damage the picture,
Bryan says. ■
1 Flump frame, £80; hosthome.co.uk. 2 Washed oak frame, £15; bgastore.uk.
3 Block frame, £100, Facility x Gemma Tickle; glassette.com. 4 Vintage gilded
frame, £293; vinterior.co. 5 Gloss frame, from £16.50; eframe.co.uk. 6 Pink frame,
from £45; wearefacility.bigcartel.com. 7 Red frame, £35, PLTY; trouva.com.
8 Check frame, £12.50, & Klevering; madeindesign.co.uk. 9 Marquetry frame,
£35; addisonross.com. 10 Walnut frame, £160, Facility; glassette.comThe bigger picture
14837625910Above Petri Prints uses mounts to enhance its artworksThe Sunday Times Style • 37