Trend – Large Scale Furniture

   
Framing Solution = Over the past few decades, as large homes popped up across the U.S., furniture manufacturers have followed suit, creating pieces to be proportional to the larger rooms. When you are having something custom framed, be aware that the proportions of the frame and mat can help balance it too. A single piece of art can be framed larger or smaller to fit different spaces.

Trend – Eclectic Design

   
Framing Solution = Design today is often less pure than in the past. A traditional home may have contemporary features or a Victorian chair may get an updated new look with modern upholstery. Likewise with custom framing, you can mix and match art and framing styles to get the right look for your home.

Trend – Built-in Bookcases

   
Framing Solution = Built-ins take away wall space where framed art might otherwise hang. Rather than giving up on displaying your favorite treasures, there are several ways to utilize this space. Remove a shelf to create a larger open space where you can hang a framed piece on the wall at the back of the bookcase. Prop smaller pieces on easels. If the shelves are loaded with books, hang a small piece in front of the books, from the shelf itself.

Trend – Leaning Framed Art

   
Framing Solution = Rather than always hanging framed art on the wall, you can set pieces on mantels, shelves or other pieces of furniture. You can combine multiple pieces, with one overlapping in front of another.

As home building trends have evolved over the past few decades, home furnishings and design have kept pace. Custom frame designs should also be adapted to relate to those changes. Here are some of the popular building and design trends, followed by framing solutions that help framed art relate to its environment.

Trend – Hardwood Floors

   
Framing Solution = Because a wood floor is a large surface in a room, rather than choosing a wood frame that matches the floor, consider a contrasting finish. As you can see in the photo above, the gold frame shown helps the art stand out so it becomes a nice focal point in the space.

Trend – Open Floor Plans

   
Framing Soulution = An open floor plan means fewer walls separating spaces. Since walls are the usual spot to display framed pieces, you may need to look for other alternatives such as the upper wall space shown here. Try displaying a painting on a floor easel in the corner, setting smaller frames in bookcases, etc. Open floor plans allow you to see farther from room to room. In order to maximize viewing pleasure, consider selecting somewhat more dramatic art to frame when it can be seen from a longer distance.

Trend – High Ceilings

   
Framing Solution = In rooms with high ceilings there are several ways you can relate framing to your space. You can start with vertical pieces of art. If you have pairs or sets, hang them up the wall versus across it. If the art is something you can mat, your mat borders can be bottom-weighted or elongated to fill more vertical space.

Trend – More Windows

  
Framing Solution = Windows take away wall space where framed art may otherwise have been displayed. Look for other places and ways to display art. Your “wall” may be the side of a built-in bookcase or even a closet door. Also use conservation grade glass to protect your art from the light that comes inside through all that glass.

Trend – Colorful Walls

   
Framing Solution = Although colorful walls have been popular long enough now that some people are over it and going back to neutrals, all sorts of colors are still fashionable. Neutral mat colors are the best choice to provide the flexibility to look good on either background.

Unleash Your Inner Artist!

2012 Dates

Sun., January 22       4:30 – 6:30pm Medium: acrylics

Wed., February 22    6:15 – 8:30 Medium: collage

Sun.,  March 18     4:30- 6:30 Medium: mixed media

We are excited to be offering monthly adult painting classes, Vino and Van Gogh,  in our gallery space.  These classes will be led by Michelle Goffin of KidzArt/ Art Innovators.  Each session will have a new medium, theme, and finished piece.  The best part, NO experience necessary!

The fee ranges from $30-$40 which includes materials, instruction, and snacks.  We will be offering great deals on matting and framing too.  Please bring your own Vino if you like.  Contact us for more information info@boulderfastframe.com or better yet visit Art Innovators website at http://new.kidzartboco.com/classes.php

Early registration is a must.  Call (303)530-1368 or email
michelle@kidzart.com to reserve your space!

That’s right!  We are making room for the holidays, so come on it now for the best selection of ready made frames.  Sale ends October 31st!  It’s scary good!

Our featured artist for the month of September is Esther Hartley.  Esther is an international artist from London, England.  This exhibit features her smaller, more colorful paintings that are created by a process of pouring paint and then identifying patterns to create rules to link the splashed marks together with fastidiously drawn lines.

Her work appears in numerous private collections in the UK where she was nominated for the Jerwood Painting Prize, one of the UK’s most prestigious art awards.

Please join us for the artists reception in our gallery on

Friday, September 9th from 5-7pm

For more information about Esther’s work please visit her website at www.estherhartley.com

  So the legendary Phish band comes to Colorado this weekend. In honor of all the Phish heads and music lovers out there we are holding a sweepstakes give away for this official custom framed PHISH poster.  Yes we know you always wanted the lumberjack donkey in your living room.  But really we’d love for you to participate in our first giveway which ends September 5th.  Click on the donkey to enter.

Throughout the years we have had the pleasure to frame a lot of cool music prints and collections.  We have framed many of the posters for the historic Boulder Theater, signed guitars,  guitar picks, records, concert tickets, you name it.  It’s a great way to relive the experience and protect those pieces of time.   Have an idea for a project?  Come by so we can brainstorm and design your one of a kind project.

Hanging your art or photo collection can be a daunting task especially when there are numerous pieces to compile.  Though there are no hard fast rules there are a few that we follow for best results.

Most importantly use the correct type of picture hanger one that can support the weight of the art work and the surface it is going into.  Word of warning, a little nail may work for a while, but eventually it will fail. The center of your piece should be eye level, say 5′-7″ depending on how tall or short your family may be.  This may seem low, but most people hang their art too high and this does not optimize viewing pleasure.  Exceptions to this rule would be vaulted ceilings and furniture placement.

When hanging a group of picture frames start from the center and work out from there.  We also lay it out of the floor before we get out the hammer.  Another trick is too cut newspaper to the size of each piece and tape it up on the wall.  Again to have the visual before there are too many unnecessary holes in the wall.

Lastly have fun with it.  It’s okay to mix and match frames and mediums just make sure there is one common element in the grouping like; photos from Italy, all white mats, or all different shapes and profiles of gold frames.

Overtime both natural, and artificial light can damage and fade your artwork.  Regular glass typically has a 30% UV protection value.  Now there are many conservation glazing products that offer up to 99% UV protection.  Some of our favorites and most reliable are Conservation Clear and Museum glass by Tru-Vu. www.tru-vue.com

Museum glass is the ultimate in reflection free viewing and preservation.  This is the same product that museums use to protect valuable paintings from further deterioration.  Visit our showroom to experience the museum glass difference!