Modern Antiquity?

Several months ago, I was approached by a customer with a dilemma. Now, this may be hard to believe in the current economy, but I assure you, it is not an urban legend! Susanne and her husband had just finished with a complete renovation of their house, to really make it their dream house. And it was- I got a chance to see it, and let me tell you, it was beautiful! Sleek and modern, with lots of light from expansive windows, lots of stone and granite surfaces (including floors), a floating staircase, a focus on making neutral colors and textures work together to be warm and inviting.

I've taken the liberty of pulling some photos from the Good Housekeeping decorator inspiration portfolio to show some examples that remind me of her house:




So, you are asking yourself, what is the dilemma? Well, her husband's family is one of those Main Line old money families, with a lot of traditions and heirlooms that have been passed down, generation to generation. His parents had recently bestowed one of those heirlooms upon them, and they had to find a way to display it proudly within the confines of the new style of their home. It was an antique map.

Such maps are usually found in homes with a more traditional decor, and are framed to match the period they come from in colonial style wood frames. That was not going to work in this case. Nor would going with a very sleek modern frame; that would not suit the map at all. Instead, we decided to look at some textured mouldings. We not only found a great frame, but it has become one of my favorite designs ever since- I have sold it multiple times, and have a showroom piece done in it as well.We framed this page from an antique Appleton's Journal in the same manner as Susanne's map. Here's a close-up of the moulding from UFP Arquati Mouldings. We used the silver finish- there is also a gold and a copper.


Why do I think this moulding works so well on these historic pieces? The colors in the moulding really coordinate well with the aging that has occurred naturally to papers over time. The mottled finish and dark spotting are also reminiscent of those aging effects. The worn sections of the wood showing through make the frame look like it could be an older frame, not a new addition. Finally, it is definitely an unexpected look that will showcase a historic piece and make it stand out from its surroundings. Susanne's family loved their final product, and it was able to hang prominently, as it should, in their home!

Take Me Out To The Ballgame!

To celebrate the beginning of a new baseball season, and the success of our hometown team so far this year, I thought I'd share this recent project featuring Citizens Bank Park. The print is a giclee by local artist Timothy Duffield and features a stepped panoramic of the interior of the stadium. The image measures about 30 inches from end to end. Our customer is a Phillies fan, as well as a relative of the artist, so this piece is very special to her.

I loved the ragged edge of the step pattern used in stitching the parts of the image together; it really is as much of the artwork as the image itself. To showcase it, we left a wider margin of the paper around it to let it breathe visually.

How could we not use Phillies Red for this frame? We chose a wood frame instead of metal to help it feel like the original art that it is. There are definitely exceptions, but I often feel like the use of metal frames gives a sense of framing a poster, not a more valuable print. However, I did want to make sure the red of the frame was really vibrant like a metal frame would be. The use of this particular red frame, which has a high gloss finish, gave us the pop we were looking for.

So far, we had, as one of my favorite TV personalities says, "a whole lotta look." To make sure we didn't take it too far, we chose a white mat that would give us some visual space between the image and the frame to relax the eye. Because the white matches the paper, and although we want that space, it is usually a good idea to provide a small dash of color through a second mat to help the project look natural- a wide expanse of white can be just as visually distracting as too many elements jammed together.

But what color to use for a second mat? We tried red. Too matchy matchy with the frame; it made it look like a cheap mall-bought, mass made frame job. I wanted to try grass green, to echo the color of the field. No matter the shades, red and green are tricky, and usually bring to mind Christmas. Not good for a piece that should evoke spring and summer. Finally, we tried a light blue that helped to extend the sky in the image, and helped the viewer remember warm sunny days spent at the ballpark. That was exactly what we were looking for. Now all we need is the peanuts and crackerjacks, and we'll be all set.

What A Doll!, Continued

Last week I showed you a framing project featuring a handmade doll from one of our favorite customers. I like to think of that doll as a 1930's flapper, and these little guys as some ragamuffins that follow her around. Or maybe "ragamuffin" keeps coming to mind because of the little scraps of rags that were stitched by little hands to make these happy friends.

I wanted this frame to complement the other without matching it exactly. The diagonal lines and dots in this moulding echo the grain of the fabric, but add a touch of whimsy that hopefully remind the viewer that these were once toys. The moulding is black, but only those lines and dots are polished, and the matte background adds a sense of age to the finished piece.

To tie this design in with the other, I wanted another fabric background. It needed to be darker so that the details of these lighter dolls would stand out. I chose a dark grey to blend into the background of the moulding. I love that this choice enables us to see the frayed threads hanging off the edges of the dolls. I chose to place them in an offset position to add a feeling of informality and play.

Like its companion, this shadowbox design uses conservation materials to protect the delicate fabric and stuffing from further damage. I mentioned last week that my customer had delayed having these pieces framed, looking for inspiration. When she saw the finished products, she told me how happy she was that she'd finally had them done. As a custom framer, sometimes it is part of my job to help find that elusive "inspiration" that will bring some joy to a person's life. I'm very glad for this customer that our collaboration has done just that.