Frame It Right: Best Practices for Styling Picture Frames in Your Home

A thoughtfully chosen frame can be just as impactful as the artwork it holds. Whether you're showcasing a cherished family photo, a collected landscape, or a bold abstract, the right frame adds polish, cohesion, and a layer of intentional design.

At Liza Pruitt Art, our collection of hand-crafted, custom frames is designed to complement and elevate your art—while blending beautifully into the rooms you live in. Below, we’re sharing our favorite best practices for styling frames and working them seamlessly into your home’s aesthetic.

1. Choose the Right Frame Style

Frames should support the artwork they house without stealing the show. Our custom collection features finishes and profiles that suit a range of aesthetics, from traditional to transitional to modern.

• Simple wood or gold leaf frames offer timeless elegance and work especially well with classic landscapes or figurative pieces.

• Distressed or rustic finishes bring warmth and texture, making them a great match for pastoral or impressionist works.

• Clean-lined modern frames (think whitewashed wood or matte black) are perfect for abstracts and photography, creating contrast and crisp definition.

TIP: When in doubt, let the art lead. Choose a frame that reflects the tone, era, and mood of the piece it surrounds.

2. Think About Matting

Matting not only protects your artwork, but also gives it room to breathe—adding a sense of scale and presence on your wall.

• White or off-white mats are classic, clean, and help draw the eye to the art.

• Colored mats can enhance specific hues in a piece, but work best with minimal, modern styles.

• Float mounting is an elegant choice for works on paper—perfect for showcasing raw edges, texture, or deckled borders.

TIP: A wide mat paired with a thin frame creates a gallery-worthy effect. This is especially effective for smaller works that need a little more visual weight.

3. Mix and Match—With Intention

There’s no need to match every frame in your home. In fact, mixing styles adds character and charm—just keep a few rules in mind:

• Vary the frame finish, not the tone: Mixing gold, black, and wood can work beautifully if they share a similar warmth or coolness.

• Stick to a theme: For example, pair all vintage or all modern profiles, or unify with consistent matting.

• Create visual rhythm: Use a mix of vertical and horizontal orientations, but keep spacing and alignment intentional.

4. Placement Is Everything

Where and how you display your frames makes a world of difference. Here are a few classic styling ideas:

• Lean it up: Rest a medium-sized framed piece on a mantel, console, or bookshelf for a relaxed, layered look.

• Go salon-style: Create a gallery wall using a mix of frame sizes. Start with your largest piece in the center and build out organically.

• Stacked & symmetrical: In more formal spaces, such as a dining room or hallway, a grid of identically framed works offers balance and structure.

• Anchor a vignette: Use framed art to anchor tabletop decor—on entry tables, buffets, or nightstands.

5. Let the Frame Tell Part of the Story

Great frames aren’t just decorative—they’re part of your home’s narrative. A gold leaf frame might nod to traditional craftsmanship, while a light oak profile adds coastal calm. When chosen with care, your frames speak to your style, your values, and the way you curate the spaces around you.

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