|
In our previous post we addressed the way we walk our customers through choosing a frame for their artwork. We invite our customers to have a conversation with us about the art, the room, and the various choices for custom framing.
There are many ways to frame a piece of art – and there is not only one right way. Mats serve a few purposes. They keep the art from touching the glass, they give the art a “quiet space” within a room, and they serve a decorative purpose by emphasizing colors. They can make the art come alive. Protection Mats serve a protective purpose by keeping your art from touching the glass. Temperature changes can cause condensation to form in the framing package. Although it may not be visible, even this minute amount of moisture can cause damage to your art. At some point in our lives, we have all seen a photograph that has become stuck to the glass. This is because of the build-up of condensation.
Mats also serve to give the art space to breathe – not only in the frame, but in the room as well. Many times, we recommend a mat to allow the art to have some space before frame begins. Without this space the frame can compete with your art visually. The purpose of a mat is also to allow the art to have its own space in a room. We often see art in galleries with white mats and natural wood frames hanging on white walls in barren rooms. But we don’t live in galleries. We have furniture, windows, shelves with books and small items. Art in your home should have enough space to stand out and harmonize with the room's other elements. Color Can Be Subtle or Fun When we help our customers choose mat colors we want their input. Your art may look beautiful with a hot pink mat, but if you hate hot pink you won’t want to hang the framed piece in your home. So, we have another conversation and then start working with you to find what color or colors work with the art and with your tastes. While we take all the colors in the room into consideration, we also want this finished framed piece to last throughout the various rooms and homes you will be in. At Gilded River, you will notice that we tend to pull several mats that work with the art and then we start to look at what works best for you as well as your art. Proportions Matter When you are standing at a counter and looking at a design that has a mat and frame, the mat may look too wide. Now we have another conversation. We will help you find mat width that will be appropriate for the size of your picture while considering the width of the outer frame. Remember that looking at a corner sample while your eyes are 18-24” away is very different then stepping back and viewing it in your room at 4-6 feet away. Once again, we will work with you so that you are happy when you hang the framed piece on your wall. Quality Matters as Well At Gilded River we carry mats from three different companies. We only offer high quality acid-free mats that will protect your art and look great for years to come. We have a wide variety of colors and textures. Visit Gilded River and See What We Can Do With Your Art If you’ve ever wanted to hang some art on your wall, you have had to consider custom framing. Thumbtacks and tape may have seemed appropriate when you were a teen, but they don’t work for adulting.
Frame it Right the First Time Here at Gilded River, we are passionate about custom framing. We know that framing is an expense and it’s certainly not an expense you want to do twice. Custom framing is like custom furniture that lives on your wall. If you frame it right, the first time, you will have it longer than the wall color, the furniture, the carpet and drapes. You may even have it longer than the house. That is why we spend time working with our customers. We walk you through it all and explain along the way. We use the best materials and techniques to ensure that your art will look perfect for years to come. Here's what to expect when you visit us: Questions After we greet you and introduce ourselves, we will invite you to put your art on our counter. Then the questions will begin:
We Don’t Make Your Art Fit in Our Box Let’s get something out of the way right from the start. When we design a frame, we treat it as a conversation. We will listen to you as well as tell you what we recommend and why. We believe that the more you know and the more transparent we are, the easier it will be for you to find the design that works best for you. We usually start working from the art out. That means that we start by looking at the art and discussing if mats are appropriate and why. We then move out to the frame, and glass. If you start with a frame you love but haven’t chosen a mat first, it’s like trying to squeeze a puzzle piece into the wrong space. Frame the Art, Not the Room When choosing mat colors, we usually start out asking what color the wall is. That is because we want to make sure that our choice won’t clash with the wall color. This becomes especially important if the art has a white border and you have asked for a white mat that will hang on a white wall. In this case, the art is most important so at the very least, the mat will have to act as a segue to soften the difference in the whites. There isn’t a formula for this, and again we will have a conversation to find the best solution. (Sometimes the best solution is to use something other than white. Holding it All Together Now we will move on to the frame. Here comes another conversation. Color, shape, texture, finish and style all play a part here. We aim to give you two or three strong solutions to choose from. We want you to love the finished product. We will discuss. I Can See Clearly Now Now we come down to the finishing touch – glazing. We offer two types of glass and several types of Plexiglass. Conservation glass and Museum glass both offer 99% UV protection, to protect your art from fading through the years. We also offer Plexiglass with UV protection. The things we help you consider are the light that the art will be seen in, the size of the piece, and your budget. Ready? Come see what we can do with your art. Let us show you how we work with you to show how we ensure that you Frame what you Love. Love what you Frame. Glazing is the fancy term we used for glass. Because we’re talking about framing, I’m going to include Plexiglass in this category.
Remember that framing a work of art on paper has several purposes. One purpose is to protect the art. Another function of a frame is to display the art in a way that complements it. This is why we use archival and acid-free materials. It’s also why we offer several glazing options. Protection Most works of art require some sort of glazing. Here at Gilded River we offer a wide variety of glass and Plexiglass. Glazing keeps moisture, dust, pollution, and light from damaging your art. Now, you might be thinking, “I understand moisture, dust and pollution – but LIGHT?” Yes. Light. We put sunscreen on our bodies to protect our skin from UV rays from the sun. The right glazing can act like sunscreen for your art. All Light is the Enemy of All Color Most of the art we choose to frame is printed on paper. (Paintings are different. We’ll discuss that in the future.) The inks that are used to print art can fade over time as they are exposed to UV rays. Yellow tends to drop out first. This is why you may run across a framed landscape that has a green mat, but the art appears to be blue and purple. (Blue and yellow make green. Purple and yellow make brown.) The glass in that frame will be the standard glass - similar to what is used in windows. “But the sun won’t hit it.” Again, when it comes to art on paper, all light is the enemy of all color. That means that the lights in your home will affect your art as well. This is why we only offer glass and Plexiglass that offer UV protection. At Gilded River, we want you to love your framed piece for many years to come. See Your Art, Not Your Reflection When it comes to choosing the proper glazing for your frame, we walk you through the options. If the art will be in a room where there are a lot of windows or light sources, we start by recommending Museum glass. This is because Museum glass offers the best clarity with the least reflection. That said, no glass is completely reflection free. However, in most situations, Museum glass has low or no reflection. We have many samples throughout the shop so that our customers can make a fully informed decision. If the art you are framing is very dark or has a black background, glass with a regular reflection will act like a mirror. You’ll see yourself, your room, the windows and everything in the room reflected in the glass more than you will see the art that is behind the glass. We also offer glass that has regular reflection as well as non-glare glass. These both offer the same level of UV protection. I’ve already discussed the regular reflection option. Non-glare glass can tone down glare, but it also adds a haze to the art that can make the colors look less vivid. We have examples of these as well. That’s Heavy There are times when glass is either not appropriate or not available and this is when we recommend Plexiglass. If the art is in a space where you might be concerned about glass shattering, Plexiglass is the solution. Plexiglass is also used when the weight of regular glass is an issue. Glass doesn’t come in sizes as large as Plexiglass does. We have all the same options in Plexiglass as we do in glass. We look forward to working with you to come to the perfect solution for your glazing choice. After all, we want you to: Frame What You Love. Love What You Frame. Visit Gilded River and See What We Can Do With Your Art |
Gilded River Custom Framing
315 Westchester Ave.
Port Chester, N.Y. 10573
HOURS:
|
PHONE: 914-348-9410
|