Once you`ve decided what you`d like to display, you can get ideas on what frames or mats to choose from the local frame shop. Or you might browse through the pages of ”Displaying Pictures and Photographs,” by Caroline Clifton-Mogg (Crown Publishers Inc., $19.95). The text provides a historical perspective, visual treats and professional know-how.
Bette Frank Rosenberg, home fashions director for Spiegel Inc., also offers some tips:
– Don`t limit yourself to hanging within a square over the sofa. It`s OK to break out of the boundaries occasionally.
– Group photographs on the fireplace mantel, combining them with interesting art.
– Set a framed picture on a windowsill or lean it up against a wall.
– Accent your art or photo groupings with architectural details such as ormolu trim, fragments, clocks or wall shelves.
– If you have a big staircase, take some small photos and run them up, as long as they`re out of the way.
– Set up a family photo gallery wall in a hallway. Use clear frames so the art stands on its own.
– You can mix frames and styles, but keep one thing in mind in decorating eclectically. You need a point of view, a single decorative force: color, style, something to pull it all together and give it focus.
– Don`t forget to accent your art with the right lighting: track, recessed or lights that can be hung on the pictures. An important piece of art becomes even more so when properly lit.