How to frame your art: a review of ready-made frames in Australia
I found that the black clips left little black marks on the bamboo slats but these weren’t noticeable when the clips were back in place and the art was hanging on the wall. Also due to the clips being so tight, I worried about damage to my artwork (300gsm) but in the short period I had it up (ten minutes) there were no dents left in the watercolour paper.
With an inbuilt screw hole in the back, you can hang it flush to the wall with no visible string. You can also choose to display just the top slat and leave the bottom slat off as a design consideration.
DETAILS
weight: 0.37 kg
material: bamboo slats & steel clips
cost: $12 Aus.
size: 61cm length x 3cm width (comes in other sizes)
Buy it HERE (Ikea)
PROS
+ lightweight
+ very affordable and accessible
+ easy to install and hang
CONS
+ no protection for your artwork
+ slightly fiddly to get your art straight
+ black clips leave marks on bamboo
Camonstera in a 61cm Visbäck Frame
The frame came with brown string and I was able to easily change it to a yellow string (more in my style). I like that it’s made of wood and has a solid well-made feel, placing it above the bamboo Ikea frame in terms of quality. After multiple uses over a year, the magnets are still in place which was something I was initially worried about. Like the Ikea frame, you can choose to only display the topbar if that’s your design preference.
DETAILS
weight: similar weight to Visbäck (0.37 kg)
material: teak wood
cost: $26.78 Aus.
size: 61cm (length) x 2cm (width)
Buy it HERE (Amazon)
PROS
+ affordable
+ teak wood, solid feel
+ sleek look
CONS
+ no protection for your artwork
+ slightly fiddly to get your art sandwiched into the right position
Camonstera in a Cooper & Co Paradise Frame (60x90cm)
This was the initial frame I bought for my artwork and my overall first impression was position. It’s a heavy frame, and even though its name is misleading (oak referring to the colour) the veneer wood is passable as a solid oak frame (from a distance, just not up close). It’s also available in white and black.
There are four screws on the back as well as multiple clips that rotate into place. Since I was using the frame for my product photography I found removing the screws multiple times caused damage to the screw holes. I understand the screws are not designed to have repeated movement and the frame is still able to close and support the art without the screws in place so no deal-breaker!
DETAILS
weight: 4.5kg
material: engineered wood (plastic + wood fiber) and tempered glass
cost: $60-$90 Aus. (pays to shop around or wait for sale!)
size: 93x63x3cm (frame dimension) 60x90cm (photo size) 50x70cm (mat opening)
(comes in other sizes)
Available at Myer, Bunnings, Spotlight (Cooper & Co stockist)
PROS
+ the glass protects the art
+ reasonable price
+ sleek modern look
CONS
+ doesn’t have the feel (or smell – is that weird?) of a solid wood frame
+ heavy – have to make sure you hang securely
Turtle Shield in a Adler A1 Frame
I bought the Country Road Adler frame as an upgrade to the Cooper & Co frame. It’s lighter than the Cooper & Co frame and slightly smaller which meant I wasn’t able to use the mat that came with the frame for my art (76cm x 56cm). My options were to either have a framer cut up a mat in the right dimension or (and what I ended up doing) was simply framing the art without the mat. I ended up adding an extra piece of cardboard behind the artwork to make sure the art sat snug in the frame.
When I pulled the Adler frame out of its box, I could tell it was higher quality than the Cooper & Co frame. Even though the Adler frame has a perspex front (the Cooper & Co is glass) the frame on the Adler is super sturdy, smells divine (real wood smell!) and has a lovely shadow box feature with the inner rim painted white.
DETAILS
weight: 3.6kg
material: wood & perspex (comes in natural, white or black)
cost: $129 Aus.
size: Outer Measurement: H84.1cm x W59.4cm – Inner Measurement with mat: H59.4cm x W42.0cm (comes in other sizes)
Buy it HERE (Country Road)
PROS
+ real wood frame
+ not too heavy
+ luxe feel and look
CONS
+ expensive for a ready-made frame
+ perspex not glass front
Places like Ikea (they usually use perspex over glass) Target, Spotlight, Kmart, Officeworks or discount stores will offer more frame options. Generally, you get what you pay for but it’s always helpful to visit in-store to check out the quality in person and decide if it matches the look you want in your home.
Camonstera in a custom framed with floating
If you have the budget then professional framing will be the best option for quality. I was quoted between $150-300 (Aus.) which isn’t too far off the Adler frame (priced at $129) It pays to shop around and pop into their shop to see their work in person. Framers also provide the most options and protection for your art. The downside is of course the higher price and wait time – I was quoted between 2 weeks and 3 months to have a piece framed.
There are definitely pros and cons to each option. You’ll need to factor in your budget, the look, and what’s important to you. Maybe solid wood or a glass front is a non-negotiable, or maybe you want the variety of options that a professional framer can offer, or maybe you need your piece framed ASAP and what’s available at your nearest store is going to be your winner. I personally vote for the Adler frame, the only downside for me is the perspex but overall it presents my art beautifully and comes in at an affordable price point. In the future, I could always get some glass cut and a custom mat, although this will add to the price and places the custom framing into first place 🙂
GOODLUCK!
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