When I was growing up, my parents were fortunate to have two living rooms in their house. In reality, one of them was probably meant to be a dining room. What I could never understand, as a young child, is why they kept one of these living rooms for special occasions. It was what they classed as the “posh living room”. Their three children, including me, were basically not allowed in this room unless one of these special occasions was taking place. The special occasions were few and far between, and the room was probably only used for around five days of the year. What a waste of a room, I would often think to myself. What a great games room it would have made! My nan and grandad also had a “posh” living room, as did a number of other families that we knew. And none of us were what you would call posh!
The types of picture frames suited for the “posh” living room
These “posh” living rooms are designed to impress and are often in pristine condition. Even though ours was rarely used, my parents took great pride in regularly cleaning it to ensure the room always looked immaculate. All of the furniture was top-notch, and the sofa was so much more comfortable than the one in the other living room. Everything in the “posh” living room was just of a much higher level and spec in comparison to any other room in the house, and this included the picture frames.
I have to say that I was always very fond of the gold leaf frames. They were impressive and added a touch of class to the room. My parents housed their favourite artwork within these frames, as well as a couple of oil paintings. They looked like they were worth a fortune, but I later found out that that wasn’t the case.
There were also lacquered wood picture frames, and these housed some black and white photography. The photos had been taken by my father, who was a keen amateur photographer. He was always quick to point out that he had taken the shots!
And there were a shadow box frame and a brushed metal frame, plus an ebonised wood frame.
To try and show that additional level of elegance, some of the picture frames had bevelled edges and the majority had high-quality picture mounts which gave the artwork breathing room.
My parents went for a classic neutral colour scheme for the room of light beige and cream, which they believed best matched the above picture frames. I think it worked well as it enabled the artwork to shine without any distraction.
I have to say that the room was without doubt my favourite room of the house. I loved how it was decorated, the artwork, the sofa, the chairs, the colours, and the sheer grandeur of it all. I just would have preferred to have been able to spend more time in there!