Tips for Choosing the Perfect Frame for Your Painting

We have been selling and framing paintings for almost ten years. During that time, we have successfully completed hundreds of orders, answered thousands of customer questions, and helped choose countless frames, so today we want to share some simple but very practical tips on how to find the perfect frame for your artwork.

First of all, once you have bought a painting, you should ask yourself: is a frame really necessary? If your painting is painted on canvas, its edges are neatly finished, and you plan to hang it in a modern home, or even an industrial-style interior, you can do without a frame. On the other hand, if the painting is on cardboard or paper, such as graphic works or watercolours, a frame is essential so that it can be properly displayed.

A graphic piece framed in a delicate metal frame with a mat.

If you have already decided that you need a frame, before choosing one, keep in mind that the frame should match the artwork, not the interior of your home. The latter is also worth considering, but the painting itself is the most important thing, since the frame becomes part of it, extending, completing, and complementing it. What's more, paintings often travel with their owners from one home to another, and sometimes even from one generation to the next.

Another important factor that will help narrow down your search is price. Frame prices vary considerably depending on width, materials (plastic, wood, metal) and decoration, so deciding in advance how much you are willing to spend will help you choose faster. On our framing website remai.lt you can use price filters, and if you visit our framing studios in Vilnius and Kaunas, you will find the frames arranged by price. Of course, the final price will depend on the size of the piece being framed. If you are framing a small picture, consider a more luxurious frame - the price still won't be very high, and the picture will look much better.

The size of the painting being framed will also determine the width of the frame profile. If you are framing a small picture, choose a narrower frame; if it is large, choose a proportionally wider one. Sometimes it can be interesting to play with a small picture by framing it in a very wide frame, giving it more presence.

A tiny "Sniegė" painting and a wide frame.

Finally, you need to choose the colour of the frame. It may sound simple, but this is actually the trickiest task, because everything depends on your taste and the effect you want to create. We usually recommend choosing a frame whose colour echoes a colour found in the painting, but this is by no means a strict rule. Natural wood, gold-toned, plain black and white frames go with almost anything, so it really comes down to personal taste. If you want a more luxurious effect, or plan to hang the painting in an interior with an antique feel, choose a frame with ornamentation; if the piece is modern and will hang in a contemporary interior, it's better to choose a moulding with a plain profile.

A contemporary work by Linas Cicėnas looks elegant and modern in a simple black frame.

A luxurious, aged frame echoes the golden tones in the "Sniegė" painting.

If you are framing a watercolour or graphic work, be sure to consider a mat. A mat is not essential, but firstly, it creates a gap between the glass (which is also essential) and the painting, protecting it. Secondly, a mat gives the painting more space and depth, and choosing a matching colour can even produce a dramatic effect. Sometimes you can combine two mats, or use a single very wide one - especially if the picture being framed is tiny. The mats we offer are acid-free, so they do not harm the artwork.

A work by Audrius Arlauskas with a bold mat.

Finally, we would like to remind you that when you visit our framing studios in Vilnius and Kaunas, our coordinators will always help you choose and match the best option, and we frame all paintings purchased in our gallery with a 10% discount.

The artworks you purchase are placed in the hands of our experienced and meticulous framers, Vincas and Algirdas.