When we had professional photos taken of our family at the beach six years ago we bought a few of our favorites. My very favorite one was of E, just before she turned three, and I had no problem purchasing that 16×20 print despite the high, high cost. And then we stuck it in a frame from Target because we had no money left. Beach vacations and professional photos will do that to you.
After awhile I started to freak out because the photo was against the glass – not matted – and I know that over time photos can stick to the glass and get ruined that way. I was terrified to open the frame to see the damage, but luckily I sucked it up and all was good. Still, it was time to get a real frame and a real mat and to get that photo permanently encased in a better envelope.
Now we have F’s photo – same size – at just over three years of age. Both will hang in our bedroom, and so I knew that I wanted matching frames. I priced custom framing, but at almost $230 dollars – each – it was a little too much to stomach, post-holidays. Luckily they are standard sizes, and also luckily, Artmart stocks lots of high quality frames (as in UV glass, archival mats, wood frames, good hardware). They aren’t cheap either, but I had a handy 25% coupon (get on their mailing list) and I so I was able to purchase both frames for around $100. Total. Not too bad.
I was really debating the frame type for these – I didn’t want the same thin profile, black metal gallery frames like the two pieces we purchased years ago from a gallery in Florida. Our room is very crisp and minimal, and I certainly didn’t want some overly ornate frames either. In the end I found these wood frames with a nice profile – not too skinny or too bulky. They are wood and they are stained black, but it’s more charcoal looking and the wood grain shows through. They look good with the iron bed and the dark, brown leather bench at the foot of the bed, and best of all – they show off the photographs really well.
Still not exactly sure where to hang them, but we have a working picture rail in the room, so it’s as easy as wiring them up and trying them out in various places. So easy that I got right on that task… or maybe not. They are really just sitting on the floor for now, but I promise they’ll be up by next weekend.
And those two blank spots in the kids’ artwork collage there? I’ve got some really good F drawings to go in there now! More on that later this week when someone turns the halfway mark on her year. Time flies. Good thing we catch a bit of it on film as we go.
