Photo frames are often considered to be interior design accessories but they can be so much more. Other than housing for art or photos inside a protective casing, a photo frame serves more than a single purpose in the home. It lets you add functions to your space that impacts the feel of a room.
3 Functions of Photo Frames in Any Room
- Centre Piece or Focal Point
Above the mantel, side table, or over sofa wall hangings are often used to add a focal point of interest. These are usually oversized frames, or at least in sizes that take up a good proportion of the available wall space.
If you are considering adding a focal point to any room using a large photo frame, the best approach is to measure the width of your wall and choose a piece of artwork or a frame that covers between 60% to 75% of the available wall space.
An alternative method to create a focal point with frames is to go with smaller picture frames displayed together as a gallery wall.
- Accent Frames
Accent frames tend to be more decorative types in smaller sizes that are displayed on furniture such as coffee tables, side tables, the shelves of bookcases and, in the bedroom, on a bedside table, dresser or on top of a chest of drawers. Accent frames are great for mixing and matching to create a bespoke collection, such as a black 7” x 5” frame to the front accompanied by a larger 10” x 8” to the back of a display, one on either side.
These smaller frames are ideal for accentuating your other soft furnishings, ornaments and perhaps decorative vases for your houseplants. Use them to compliment the colour scheme. Depending on your taste, you could mix different textures and framing materials, such as wood frames and metallic frames. For formality, designers stick to one finish such as wood frames or silver frames throughout. This adds continuity to your interior design.
- Sentimental Family Photos
The family home is never complete until the family photos are up on the wall. Which wall is entirely your call and it is not uncommon to have framed family photos in most of your rooms. The most common areas for family photos are the rooms where your family gather. In most homes, that is the living room. The kitchen is another, but, for framed pictures, it’s best not to have these in the kitchen due to the high levels of humidity from cooking.
As family photos can be changed frequently to replace older photos with newer ones, it can be beneficial to buy photo frames in neutral tones, along with a neutrally coloured mount board, so that the photos can be swapped out periodically without having to update the frames to match the new décor.
The same neutrality for colours and finishes crosses over to gallery displays too. The more frequently you tend to change your photos or art, the more beneficial it will be to invest in quality photo frames that can be repurposed to display any photos and art, regardless if you change the colour scheme in any room.