Master the Art of Framing & Hanging With Simply Framed
After finalizing all of the odds and ends of a re-design project, the tip of the iceberg is most certainly framing and hanging the art and photography your client has approved. Adding these last pieces are essential for pulling the room together. If you’re going to manage the framing and hanging process, you need to do it right.
Enter Simply Framed, the digital industry destination to handle all of your custom framing needs. Their guided online experience helps you select frame styles based on the content, size and context of the space. They offer floating, shadowboxing, and canvas stretching as well, services not available online until now. Because they have eliminated store-front expenses, the price of their high-quality framing is 50% less than traditional frame shops. Their dedication to customer service, providing designers and consumers with dynamic ways of getting in touch, including video chat, will make you feel taken care of at all times.
Simply Framed shares with us the artists and prints shops they admire, modern day framing processes, and the 3 tips you need to know about hanging frames properly.
How does the Simply Framed framing process work exactly?
With Simply Framed, you have the option to mail in art or upload your own photos or artwork and we will print and frame it. We have a guided shopping experience that narrows down frame styles based on the type of work you’re framing and its size. Once you’ve placed your frame order, if you are mailing in art, we mail you a free tube or flat mailer, along with a prepaid return label, packing materials and instructions for shipping your art back to us. For those whose art is already in mail-safe packaging, we will email you a prepaid return label. We’ll notify you when we receive your art, and notify you again once it has been custom framed and shipped back to you. The turn-around time once we receive your art/upload is about 4 business days.
We really invest in subtle details to offer an elevated, but simplified custom framing experience.
The Veda House
What makes Simply Framed unique compared to the number of other digital framing platforms out there?
Every frame from Simply Framed is custom-made by hand to your exact art-size, no matter its dimensions, using high quality materials and methods. We frame prints, posters, original works on paper, photography, canvases, certificates, scarves and other textiles. In addition to traditional custom matting, we offer floating, shadowboxing, and canvas stretching, services not available online until now. That big, over-the-sofa statement piece? We can frame that too. We’re the only online service that frames and ships works up to 40”x60”. We also offer free custom quotes and gallery wall consultations.
Who are some artists and print shops that you admire?
We have been loving seeing so many of our artists launch new print shops and special editions to take a stand and raise money for organizations like the ACLU, arts organizations or animal conservation efforts. We’re loving Deborah Stein’s Bonbon Oiseau, Jamie Street for Eventide Collective, The Posters, Hapi Art, KT Merry Print Shop, Kate Holstein, Online gallery Uprise Art and Max Wanger who are all partners of Simply Framed.
The Veda House
How does Simply Framed partner with professionals in various industries?
Simply Framed partners with interior designers and online interior design services to offer a quick and easy way for interior designers to frame art for their clients. We have a designer discount available to vetted professionals and we have a high repeat rate with designers because they can easily quote the job on our site, saving them countless hours at the frame shop.
Can you name some Simply Framed projects you love?
We love this gallery wall at Lawson Fenning with photography by Hamish Robertson, this textile framing we did for Michelle Adams, and this amazing pair of oversize artworks we printed and framed for Light Lab.
The Veda House
How has the digital age impacted modern day framing processes?
Utilizing an online, mail-in service means that instead of driving across town to your local frame shop, you can place your custom framing order from home. Because we’ve eliminated brick-and-mortar expenses, we’re able to offer our customers high-quality framing at 50% less than traditional frame shops. As simple as this sounds, the fact that customers can email, call or video-chat with us is also a really big win. If we have a question about a job, we just ask and we can usually get a response instantly.
What are some of your best-selling frames?
Our Gallery frames in natural, white, and black are our best sellers.
The Veda House
Based on your knowledge of the industry, what are some framing techniques and trends that you admire?
We pay close attention to small details at Simply Framed, as we find those small details make a big difference in the outcome of your framed work. We ensure our gallery frames have a true square cap at 90 degrees. In our professional opinion, a true 90 degree angle is important for an elegant look. When finishing a frame in gold or silver, the amount of distress on the metal is important, as there is a fine line between too distressed, resulting in an overly rustic look, and not distressed enough, resulting in an overly shiny look. Depending on the artwork, floating on a foam core lift and using spacers to keep the work from touching the plexiglass can be important. We float on top of a mat board instead of a foam core to give a more finished look. We really invest in subtle details to offer an elevated, but simplified custom framing experience.
In our professional opinion, a true 90 degree angle is important for an elegant look.
The Veda House
What are the top 3 hanging tips everyone should know?
1. Our number one rule is to hang art at eye-level. When you hang at eye level, the piece will look as good from twelve feet away as it does from twelve inches away. While seemingly obvious, this rule is often overlooked. Turns out, there’s just one magic number you need to remember to put this rule into action: 57 inches, the average sight line for any human being. If the center of your art is placed on the wall at 57 inches, you’re in business.
2. We also follow Jay Sacher’s tip on using framed art to compartmentalize a space. Art can help distinguish or connect spaces in your home. Different styles of art might designate separate areas in an open floor plan, while pieces that relate to each other may bridge gaps between rooms.
3. When hanging a gallery wall or a cluster of art, we suggest starting by measuring the space you want to fill on the wall and tape off that space on the floor. Using the floor as your “wall” gives you the ability to lay the pieces out, move them around, and get a layout you love before actually putting anything on the wall!
Our philosophy is to select a frame for the art, not the decor of your home.
The Veda House
How does Simply Framed typically work with interior designers?
Simply Framed can connect with interior designers in a variety of ways depending on their needs. We invite designers to connect with us about their needs and we can discuss the best kind of partnership. Connect with us here: http://simplyframed.com/pages/
Our number one rule is to hang art at eye-level.
Can you offer interior designers some tips on how to select the best frames for their clients?
Our philosophy is to select a frame for the art, not the decor of your home. If you choose something timeless, and it is framed well, you only need to frame it once and you can move it from room to room and style to style. We suggest slightly different frame and mat styles based on what kind of artwork or photography you are framing. Ninety percent of the time, we suggest a black, white, or natural wood gallery frame with a white or off white mat depending on the type of work it is. If your home has gold or silver accents and you want to pull in a metal, a wood frame with an antique gold or antique silver finish or in certain cases a metal frame can also be a timeless choice that goes with many styles. And when in doubt, just email us a photo of the project and we’ll happily provide a recommendation!
Dara Segal, Photographed by Our Love is Loud
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